Deby
Nitro Member
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TEMECULA, Calif. (May 13, 2008) – It's been a challenging season for Rockstar Energy Drink Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car driver Jerry Toliver. The likable California native goes into this weekend's NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, the eighth stop of the 24-race NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series tour, seeking his first round win of the season. The lack of round wins, however, has not been because of a lack of effort.
"We stayed and tested after St. Louis and things went well," said Toliver, new to Don Schumacher Racing this season. "We keep trying to get the car a little further down the track and to run a little quicker. Everything went fine on Monday. Now we're just getting ready for Bristol and to go back after it again.
"We're hungry," said Toliver, who's had some tough first-round draws this season after missing pole position at the season-opener in Pomona (Calif.) because of speed. "We're really hungry and we're going to test this thing until we get it right and get out there and go some rounds. It's time.
"The good thing is we're only 100 points out of the top 10, so one good race and we're back in the top 10 and two good races maybe we'll be up to fourth or fifth. It's just a matter of turning this thing around.
"We need a break on race day," said Toliver. "If we can just get by first round it seems like everything will fall into place. The numbers we've run in first round this year would have gotten us to the final round on several occasions. It's just a matter of getting by that first round and we've got to qualify better so we can have that lane choice advantage going into race day.”
JERRY TOLIVER QUICK FACTS:
* No. 16 in Funny Car point standings after seven events in 2008 (six first rounds, one DNQ)
* Qualified 14th at 2007 Thunder Valley Nationals, lost to Cruz Pedregon in round one
* Debuted new sponsor Rockstar Energy Drink at 2007 Las Vegas event
* Qualified second at 2008 season-opening Winternationals, tying for No. 1 with the quickest Funny Car run of the weekend, (4.790 seconds)
* Joined Don Schumacher Racing for the 2008 season
* 19th in 2007 Funny Car point standings after running limited schedule (19 races)
* Returned to Funny Car competition in 2007 after two-year hiatus with new sponsor Rockstar Energy Drink
* Qualified in the top half of the field twice last season; had top speed of the event in Denver
* Made Funny Car debut in 1998 running 12 races with sponsorship from MAD Magazine
* Earned first Funny Car national event win over John Force at 1999 NHRA Finals at Pomona
* Won five races in 10 career final rounds as driver
* Won seven races in 14 final rounds as a team owner
* First Top-10 season finish in 1999 (eighth)
* Finished career-high No. 3 in Funny Car points in 2000 with career-best three wins in seven final rounds
* Named Car Craft Magazine "Person of the Year" in 2000 for his contributions to drag racing
* Debuted WWF Get R.E.A.L (Respect, Education, Achievement, Leadership) National Youth Education Program in 2001
* Nephew of drag racing pioneers and Hall of Fame members, Art and Jack Chrisman
TOLIVER AIMS TO BREAK OUT IN BRSTOL
TEMECULA, Calif. (May 13, 2008) – It's been a challenging season for Rockstar Energy Drink Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car driver Jerry Toliver. The likable California native goes into this weekend's NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, the eighth stop of the 24-race NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series tour, seeking his first round win of the season. The lack of round wins, however, has not been because of a lack of effort.
"We stayed and tested after St. Louis and things went well," said Toliver, new to Don Schumacher Racing this season. "We keep trying to get the car a little further down the track and to run a little quicker. Everything went fine on Monday. Now we're just getting ready for Bristol and to go back after it again.
"We're hungry," said Toliver, who's had some tough first-round draws this season after missing pole position at the season-opener in Pomona (Calif.) because of speed. "We're really hungry and we're going to test this thing until we get it right and get out there and go some rounds. It's time.
"The good thing is we're only 100 points out of the top 10, so one good race and we're back in the top 10 and two good races maybe we'll be up to fourth or fifth. It's just a matter of turning this thing around.
"We need a break on race day," said Toliver. "If we can just get by first round it seems like everything will fall into place. The numbers we've run in first round this year would have gotten us to the final round on several occasions. It's just a matter of getting by that first round and we've got to qualify better so we can have that lane choice advantage going into race day.”
JERRY TOLIVER QUICK FACTS:
* No. 16 in Funny Car point standings after seven events in 2008 (six first rounds, one DNQ)
* Qualified 14th at 2007 Thunder Valley Nationals, lost to Cruz Pedregon in round one
* Debuted new sponsor Rockstar Energy Drink at 2007 Las Vegas event
* Qualified second at 2008 season-opening Winternationals, tying for No. 1 with the quickest Funny Car run of the weekend, (4.790 seconds)
* Joined Don Schumacher Racing for the 2008 season
* 19th in 2007 Funny Car point standings after running limited schedule (19 races)
* Returned to Funny Car competition in 2007 after two-year hiatus with new sponsor Rockstar Energy Drink
* Qualified in the top half of the field twice last season; had top speed of the event in Denver
* Made Funny Car debut in 1998 running 12 races with sponsorship from MAD Magazine
* Earned first Funny Car national event win over John Force at 1999 NHRA Finals at Pomona
* Won five races in 10 career final rounds as driver
* Won seven races in 14 final rounds as a team owner
* First Top-10 season finish in 1999 (eighth)
* Finished career-high No. 3 in Funny Car points in 2000 with career-best three wins in seven final rounds
* Named Car Craft Magazine "Person of the Year" in 2000 for his contributions to drag racing
* Debuted WWF Get R.E.A.L (Respect, Education, Achievement, Leadership) National Youth Education Program in 2001
* Nephew of drag racing pioneers and Hall of Fame members, Art and Jack Chrisman
