Force

	Pedregon

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. -- John Force confirmed Monday night that 2003 NHRA POWERade points champion Tony Pedregon has been released from his contract with John Force Racing, effective immediately.

Although Pedregon's contract originally was to have run through Dec. 31, 2003, Force agreed to an early termination so that his one-time protege could pursue other options in time to prepare for the 2004 season.

"Tony's been a great teammate," Force said following the POWERade awards ceremonies at the Kodak Theatre. "We wish him the best except, of course, when he pulls alongside one of our Fords.

Pedregon, who has driven for Force since 1996, said he will announce his plans later. There has been considerable speculation that he will join older brother Cruz -- the last driver to beat Force for the championship -- in a Pedregon Brothers team.

"It's always been his dream to race with his brother Cruz and I know better than anyone else how important it is to follow your dream," Force said. "We've left the door open but we've got some pretty exciting ways we can go to fill the seat."

Tony Pedregon, driver the last eight years of the Castrol SYNTEC Ford Mustang, secured the team's 11th straight NHRA Funny Car Championship by winning a career high eight times during the 2003 season. His 27 career victories rank fourth on the all-time Funny Car list behind only Force (109), Don Prudhomme (35) and Kenny Bernstein (30).

John Medlen, who shared each of those victories, will continue to serve as Crew Chief for a SYNTEC team that closed the season by recording two of the three quickest quarter mile times in Funny Car drag racing history -- 4.721 and 4.722 seconds.

Force said no decisions have been made as to who will replace Pedregon, whose 2003 championship ended Force's streak of 10 consecutive Funny Car titles.

Brandon Bernstien wins top rookie honors

	B. Bernstein

Brandon Bernstein received the Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award at the NHRA POWERade Awards ceremony held at the Kodak Theatre. The award determined by a select 39-member panel of auto racing journalists.

Bernstein received $20,000 and a commemorative trophy.

"We are thrilled to have been chosen as Rookie of the Year," said Bernstein, who was in the thick of the Top Fuel points race before suffering a season-ending injury at Englishtown, N.J. Brandon's father Kenny Bernstein, who had retired following the 2002 season, returned to the cockpit and completed the season as the team's driver.

"It's been a real roller coaster ride for us this season, with the highs of the victories early on, and then the accident and the recovery process," said Brandon Bernstein, who has recovered and will again take the reins from his father for the 2004 NHRA season.