A normal day at the track for Cruz Pedregon is to rocket his NHRA nitro-burning Funny Car through a series of four-second quarter-mile runs.

So when the native Californian now living in Brownsburg, Ind., tries his hand racing a late model at a dirt oval such as I-80 Speedway - as he'll do Thursday night - it'd be easy to assume he's there just for show.

Don't kid yourself.

Two years ago, Pedregon was invited to compete in the Prelude to the Dream, an all-star dirt late-model race featuring mostly NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers held at the Tony Stewart-owned Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio.

Pedregon finished a respectable 19th in his first attempt, and then last year improved to 15th. Among the racers he beat to the finish line were Carl Edwards, Kasey Kahne, Bobby Labonte, Mark Martin and Dave Blaney. And he was right behind Jeff Gordon.

"Once he got there, he got hooked," I-80 Speedway owner Ed Kosiski said of Pedregon, who's coming to the Greenwood track for the Midwest Trifecta Challenge that will feature MLRA and NCRA late models, ASCS sprints and IMCA modifieds. "He's trying to make it like the rest of the guys. He's a natural racer."

The 45-year-old Pedregon also is the reigning Funny Car world champion. He won his second title 16 years after getting his first. And get this - he clinched last year's crown when his younger brother, Tony, ended Robert Hight's bid for his first world championship by beating Hight in the first round at the final race.

Tony Pedregon is currently atop the Funny Car points standings, while Cruz is ninth. Another brother, Frank, also competes in the division.

The Pedregons' father raced Top Fuel dragsters in 1960s. Thursday, though, it'll be all left turns for Cruz - and he'll have plenty to tackle.

Kosiski said a similar event held on May 29 attracted a field of nearly 70 cars. An open practice for Thursday's show, for all I-80 regular classes and ASCS sprint cars and MLRA/NCRA Late Models, will be held Wednesday.

By the way, Pedregon will be back at the fifth annual Prelude to the Dream. That race - conceived as a mid-week promotional lead-in to the annual 100-lap Dirt Late Model Dream worth $100,000 to the winner - is now set for Sept. 9 after being postponed June 3 because of rain.

Pedregon's top competition Thursday figures to be MLRA points leader Al Purkey of Coffeyville, Kan., Omaha's John Anderson (the NCRA points leader) and Joe Kosiski, along with Marquette's Kyle Berck.

Brian Brown of Grain Valley, Mo, and Lincoln's Don Droud Jr., are 1-2 in the ASCS Midwest region.

Reach Curt McKeever at 473-7441 or cmckeever@journalstar.com.