All In The Family

Left to right: Jonathan, Christian & Fran
By: Alyssa Johnson | July 26, 2017

We had the opportunity to interview Christina, Fran, and Jonathan Pedano this past week!  They gave us their perspective on being a part of the racing world and participating in the 2019 Bojangles' Summer Shootout.  Their home base is in Southlake, Texas which produces more challenges to traveling during the season.  We talked with them to see how they believe it has impacted them as well as hear about some of their favorite aspects to the sport.

Christina began racing in early 2017 with her brothers following a few months later.  When asked about what influenced them to begin racing.  Christina answered, "One of my dad's friends has a son who raced bandoleros in Texas, and we went to watch one week.  A few weeks later, my dad said, 'here you go,' and we began racing and traveling to different places."  They span across three divisions with Christina being a Young Lion, Fran an Outlaw, and Jonathan a Beginner Bandit.  Each of them love the sport and have enjoyed experiencing different racing environments and traveling to events.  One of Christina's favorite memories was when she competed at Winter Nationals in Florida during one of the first years she had started racing.  Fran recalled taking home third in Battle of the Big Top, and Jonathan talked about finishing second in his division during round seven of the Bojangles' Summer Shootout as their favorite memories.

A majority of the drivers who race during the Bojangles' Summer Shootout are from North Carolina or live in close proximity, making it easier to travel every week.  The Pedano family, on the other hand, travels from Texas to race.  So far, they have traveled over six thousand miles on the road, flown through seven different airports, and purchased over twenty-five round trip airline tickets.  When asked about how often they are able to be in Texas, they said that they are typically on the road, especially during the summer.  Christina said that they have not been back to Texas since the beginning of June.  Although traveling long distances so frequently can be exhausting, they do not see it as a burden but rather as more opportunities to broaden their perspectives.  They have been able to race in various environments and have been able to develop and to mature as drivers.

The Pedano family has been able to meet amazing people across the country. Coming to Charlotte, North Carolina to race in the Bojangles' Summer Shootout has been a great experience for them.  They believe that everyone here at Charlotte Motor Speedway is like a family.  After each race night, they join a group of twenty and have dinner together and enjoy the camaraderie they share with the other drivers.  They met Tim Brockhouse, who has won multiple Masters Championships and is the Minnesota dealer for U.S. Legend Cars International.  He sold his championship car to Christina and also agreed to teach her how to race.  These are two examples of how they have been able to make connections as they travel across the country. 

Looking forward to the rest of the year, Christina and Fran both mentioned how they are excited to continue racing in North Carolina because they will have more opportunities to race within their division and to be able to continue to learn and to grow as drivers. When we asked Jonathan what he was looking forward to the most, he answered, "Being able to travel and to experience different places with other people and different formats of the track."  They hope to further their success and to advance to the other divisions.  Most importantly, they look forward to continue racing throughout the year as a family.