Hobby Q&A: Two-time NHRA Funny Car champ Cruz Pedregon + how you can win a set of his autographed cards

You may not see a lot of NHRA cardboard in packs these days, but there are plenty of fans out there who love the spectacle that is high-speed and high-intensity -- without any left turns.

One of its drivers -- a two-time season champ who has the fifth-best career-win total in NHRA Funny Car history -- is Cruz Pedregon, a driver and team owner who has also had two brothers involved in racing and all have had their share of card and diecast appearances in the past.

Buzz recently caught up with Pedregon for a quick Q&A about stuff for collectors, his take on all of that stuff as a driver and owner, what it's like to be behind the wheel at more than 300 miles per hour and what he collects (Spoiler: it's something NFL.) among few other things.

Keep reading for the Q&A and how you can get your hands on a set of four autographed cards straight from the champ himself that you see here.

Buzz: We crossed paths on Twitter with a comment about you wanting new NHRA cards — are you a collector?

Cruz: You know, as sports cards go I am getting there. My general manager, Caleb, is a big-time NFL card collector, but I am slowly following suit. My collection mainly stems from racing helmets, and I have almost every one I've worn since I started racing alcohol cars in the late 1980s and then all my professional helmets from 1992 to now. I am also a big Oakland Raiders fan, so anything Raiders I collect. Hats, pins, footballs, tickets you name it I have it. The fans know I am a Raiders fan so there is almost always one random fan a weekend that gives me something Raiders, which is awesome.

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Buzz: It looks like it’s been a while since the last NHRA sets but not as long for diecasts. How important is this stuff to drivers/owners? And how important do you think it is for fans?

Cruz: I think that it is important for everybody. Owners like to see their car and their sponsors out there, drivers love the opportunity to have something they drive to be given to fans and fans love to have it to collect and have signed by their favorite driver.

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Buzz: What do you remember about signing cards for Finish Line back in 1993 and Action Packed back in 1995? Ever rip into any packs to see if you could find them later?

Cruz: Man, that was back in the day when I was driving the McDonald's car. I remember signing these and thinking "I wonder if these will be collectibles some day." Obviously as a racer you do not know how long your career might last, but the crazy part about it is it's 2018 and I still have fans come up to me with those cards and want me to sign them again and again, which is very cool.

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Buzz:  It looks like both of your brothers have had signed cards in the past — Tony had Press Pass autos back in 2013. Have you tracked down any of his stuff, yours or Frank?

Cruz: I haven't tracked any of it down, but you know it has to be out there somewhere.

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Buzz:  Looks like Tony has the most cards and diecasts — about 90 — while you have about 60 and Frank has about a dozen. Any reactions to hearing these stats?

Cruz: It sounds about right, Tony was always forward-thinking on getting in the trading cards and diecasts markets, its a tough business when you are trying to balance racing and merchandise and everything but I always see mine or Tony's diecasts out at the track with fans looking to get them signed.

Buzz: Your Press Pass card I’m looking at right now lists your top speed at that time as 325.30 miles an hour. Describe what that’s like if you can … what you’re focusing on behind that wheel.

Cruz: It's almost indescribable. The pure horsepower literally takes your breath away and with the car pulling 5.5 Gs in the middle of the track you are locked in that seat. I always focus on a fixed point at the finish line and count the cones in my head as I drive past them. With these cars, you have to stay in front of them, as in you have to react before something happens because they accelerate faster than the human mind can process.

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Buzz: If you could appear on a card with anyone in any type racing, who would it be?

Cruz: Anyone in racing ... that's tough, but I would like to be on a card with Kyle Larson. In my personal opinion he is the best driver in the world right now. Dirt racing, NASCAR, I think he could drive F1 if he wanted to and heck I would let him drive my car if he wanted to get his license.

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Buzz: How about anyone not from sports?

Cruz: Not from sports ... I would have to say Richard Pryor!

Buzz: I noticed on your website, cruzpedregonracing.com, you sell signed race-used pistons, rods and blower belts. (I totally just ordered a piston.) Which one is the most-interesting to you?

Cruz: I think they are all interesting, the size of the rods and pistons that go into our 11,000-horsepower car are massive compared to any regular car. Pistons are the best-seller, but in all honesty we do most of our selling at the track. We are partnered with a great company Nitro Fish Racing that sells our merchandise at all 24 NHRA events. It is easier for us to do that because we are a small team of about 15 employees and when we go racing everyone goes. Keeping up with online orders does take some time so we try to keep the selling at the track during the season and then my eBay page in the offseason.

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Buzz: Anything else you’d like to add?

Cruz: Thank you to the collectors that collect sports memorabilia and the people that continue to bring my old cards to the track to have me sign. I'm going to get Panini to do some NHRA cards and myself and Caleb will do whatever is needed to make that happen for the fans and collectors of drag racing. Please follow me on social media as I enjoy interacting with all the fans, Facebook.com/CruzPedregon, Twitter @CruzPedregon and Instagram: CruzerP71.

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We want you to own a Cruz Pedregon autograph ... keep reading.

We have three four-card sets of 2017 Choice Cruz Pedregon Racing cards -- four cards of him each signed and limited to only 2,000 copies -- and we want it to be yours.

How?

Simply leave a comment below telling us what you collect. Be sure to include your email address where it's asked for and include your Twitter handle with your comment. (Those are the ways Buzz will contact the winners.) We'll randomly select three winners from all entries received by March 15. (Don't worry if you don't see your answer pop up immediately -- we'll approve them in batches.)

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Follow Buzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz or send email to BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com. 

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