After a Friday night of qualifying that saw Jerry Toliver fail to get the CANIDAE/Lucas Oil Chevy
down the track, the Jim Dunn Racing entry rebounded with two solid qualifying runs today and will
start 15th for tomorrow's eliminations at the 9th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol
Dragway. Toliver had an elapsed time of 4.456 seconds at 223.65 mph and will face Tim Wilkerson in
Round 1 tomorrow. Ashley Force Hood is qualified No. 1 with an elapsed time of 4.105 seconds at
298.67 mph.
"The first lap in Friday qualifying the CANIDAE car was going to go down the racetrack but we had a
mechanical problem and broke a blower drive," Toliver said. "It had nothing to do with the
tune-up; we were just unfortunate and didn't get to make a full pass. In the second round we got a
little too aggressive for the night-time qualifying session and it just shook.
"Today we were dropping holes and spinning the tires, but we made it down twice and we're in; like
I said, you gotta be in to win. So here we are, we're ready to go and we'll see what tomorrow
brings us."
Today Toliver drove the CANIDAE/Lucas Oil Chevy to an elapsed time of 4.510 seconds at 213.13 mph
in the third round, narrowly avoiding crossing the center line which would have negated the run.
He came back with his 4.456 e.t. in the fourth and final qualifying session.
"In Q3 we dropped two cylinders so it started heading for the center line and I couldn't bring it
back, Toliver said. "I knew I couldn't, so I just drove it as far as I could to the center line
and then clicked it off to bring it back. I drove it just as far as I could without driving across
the center line. If I would have hit the center line, I was just going to keep driving this
CANIDAE car back to California because Big Jim (Dunn) would have wanted to kick my butt," he
quipped.
CANIDAE All Natural Pet Foods, http://www.canidae.com, is committed to sharing the message of "Responsible
Pet Ownership" through proper care and nutrition. CANIDAE provides its valued customers and their
pets with the highest standard of excellence for product quality, palatability and customer
satisfaction.
