Did he or didn't he? I say he did.
By Steve Ramirez on September 7, 2009 7:04 PM
Nothing like a little controversy to create some extra excitement at the Big Go.
Monday's U.S. Nationals seemed like a perfect ending for John Force Racing.
Daughter Ashley Force-Hood won her first Indy title and teammate and brother-in-law Robert High scored a final-round finish to steal away the 10th and final spot for the NHRA's upcoming post-season - the Countdown to the Championship.
And when something seems to good to be true, it usually is. It was no different Monday, which had some fireworks after John Force beat Cruz Pedregon, who was vying for the final playoff spot with Hight, in the quarterfinals, then suddenly followed it up with one of his worst reaction times of the year, losing to Hight in the semifinals, a race that clinched Hight's postseason bid.
Tony Pedregon, points leader and brother of Cruz, thought so. And its hard to argue the point.
"For a team owner to make a call and say I gotta allow my driver to win, I disagree with that. It's that simple," Tony Pedregon told NHRA Newswire reporter John Schwarb.
""I stand behind what I say. I'm trying to make a living, I'm a competitor," Pedregon said. "John and I are coming from two different places, he's got the money, he's got the cars, but outside of that I'm just trying to survive, I'm trying to be competitive, I've got sponsors over there. I know what goes on over there. Nobody's ever said it.
"John has been good to me, I love the man, but I think he should just accept it."
Force, who had a .209 reaction time, down from his season average .086, got out of the groove against Hight and smoked the tires, resulting in a sub-par 5.819. The video tape of the run show that the Pedregons might have a point as Force's car appears to veer right on the hit of the throttle before he spins the tires as Hight sails through for the win.
But the 14-time champion denied the charge.
"I can't help it that it came up that way, I don't set the field," Force said. "I do what I do. I've heard so many things like...'John was late on the line.' We both went up there, the only thing we said to each other was, 'OK, Robert, let's not screw this up and have some stupid red light and we both look like we did something stupid, let's put them in dead shallow and go.' That throws you off, I hate doing that, Robert said 'it screws me up,' but we did it, and it throws us both off.
"You ain't ever make the world happy, I know that and I'll go down the road and hope my sponsors understand that I'm doing what I do. But to have a guy (Tony Pedregon) call me a name and a cheat, like he thinks he knows, and say it in front of cameras and everybody, you've got no right. You can go to court over that stuff. That's that and I'll try to go the high road again."
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