2004 Archive    

Jerry Toliver Writes Finish to Not So Great Funny Car Season

POMONA, Calif., Nov. 14, 2004 - Jerry Toliver thought for a few minutes before making his appraisal of the just-completed 2004 NHRA POWERade Series season.

"I told the crew Saturday night that the bleeding is over and nobody died," said the driver of the Schick Quattro/Rambo Ultimate Collection Toyota Celica Funny Car. "It really wasn't the greatest of seasons. Winning the Winternationals to start the year was incredibly good, but we struggled a lot, too."

Toliver finished the season Saturday one day earlier than scheduled when he didn't qualify for the Auto Club Finals at Pomona Raceway. He also had a runner-up finish at Houston in April and finished 13th with 783 points.

"The results certainly weren't for lack of work by our crew," continued Toliver. "They were dedicated and worked as hard on a losing car as crews did on winning cars. But the only rewards go to the crews that do well. Our guys all hung in there through the very last pass with hopes our performance would turn around.

"Norm Grimes did a good when he began tuning the car, but you can't turn around the car's performance overnight. Norm began making progress as soon as he signed with us. That's why we hired him. We wanted to get him ready for next year.

"I've had a lot of fans come up and ask me what we're doing next year," concluded the Temecula, Calif.-based driver. "We are coming back . . . maybe bigger and better."

The 2005 CarQuest Winternationals is scheduled Feb. 11-13.

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Toliver Slowed by Tire Shake
Schick Quattro/Rambo Ultimate Collection Funny Car Not Qualified

POMONA, Calif. -- The tires on Jerry Toliver's Schick Quattro/Rambo Ultimate Collection Funny Car shook very early in its Thursday qualifying run for Sunday's Auto Club Finals at Pomona Raceway, forcing his to abort the run.

The car coasted to a 10.824-second time at 80.53 mph.

"The track might've been better than expected, and that caused the shake," said Toliver. "We'll be get everything squared away and be ready to go on Friday."

The team has one run Friday and concludes qualifying with two runs on Saturday.

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Toliver: No Luck in Las Vegas
Schick Quattro/SAW Driver Misses ACDelco Starting Line-up

LAS VEGAS, Oct. 30, 2004 -- A mechanical problem and traction trouble Saturday prevented Jerry Toliver from making the starting line-up for Sunday's AC Delco Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Toliver's best run in the Schick Quattro/SAW Toyota Celica Funny Car was 4.929 seconds at 308.00 mph. He was 16th going into the last qualifying attempt but he was unable to improve his time when the tires lost traction and the car slowed to a 9.026 at 95.38 mph. On Saturday's first run, an injector problem prevented the throttle from opening when he hit it at the starting line.

"What can I say?" Toliver said. "There are some days when things just don't go right, and this was one of them. It's very frustrating. But, at the same time, that's drag racing."

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Toliver 16th After First Day at Las Vegas
Schick Quattro/SAW Toyota Celica Runs 4.929 at 308.00

LAS VEGAS, Oct. 29, 2004 -- Jerry Toliver's second session Friday at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway ended with a blower explosion, but his 4.929-second run earlier Friday held up for 16th in the ACDelco Nationals.

The Schick Quattro/SAW Toyota Celica was on a good run when "the blower went ka-boom," said Toliver. "We don't know why it happened. There was no warning."

The team has two more attempts Saturday to set the field for Sunday's ACDelco Nationals.

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In Nod to Halloween, Toliver Adds 'SAW' to Schick Quattro Funny Car
Toyota Celica Features Lions Gate Films' Current Psychological Thriller at Vegas

LAS VEGAS, Oct. 26, 2004 - It's more than apropos that Jerry Toliver's Schick Quattro Funny Car will feature Lions Gate Films' latest release, SAW, during the ACDelco Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Friday through Sunday.

The film is about thrills, chills and horror - all things that make for a frightful Halloween.

Toliver has no special costume plans, although he wouldn't mind scaring up some round wins during Sunday's eliminations.

"We are pleased with the car's performance since Norm (Grimes) took over as crew chief," Toliver said. "But when you struggle like we were, you can never turn it around fast enough. Norm definitely has a game plan and it takes time. Each race, each run is important for us as we keep improving."

With the season down to this event and the Auto Club Finals (Nov. 11-14 at Pomona, Calif.), eight competitive rounds remain. This will be Grimes' fourth race calling the tuning shots.

"Our goal is the get the car's performance back to where it belongs before the end of the season," added Toliver, "and we're making headway. We just need more runs. That's why every round we go is important. We're learning something every time we go down the track.

"Obviously we are trying to get ready for next year . . . that's just part of the game."

In the series' first 2004 stop at The Strip in April, Toliver qualified sixth and went home after the first round.

SAW, opening in theatres Oct. 29, is billed as a "gripping psychological thriller," and stars Cary Elwes, Danny Glover, Monica Porter and Leigh Whannell. A deranged, sadistic serial killer, obsessed with teaching his victims the value of life, is abducting morally wayward people and forcing them to play horrific games for their own survival. Faced with impossible choices, each victim must struggle to win back his/her life, or else die trying.

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Toliver Hires Norm Grimes as Schick Quattro Funny Car Crew Chief
Newcomer Has Won Five NHRA Alcohol Dragster Championships

TEMECULA, Calif., Sept. 14, 2004 - Jerry Toliver announced the hiring of Norm Grimes as crew chief of the Schick Quattro/Lions Gate Toyota Celica Funny Car Wednesday.

Grimes is a very successful engine builder and tuner of alcohol dragsters in NHRA's Lucas Oil Sportsman Series.  He won five series Top Alcohol Dragster championships with drivers Rick Santos and Jack O'Brien. More recently, he tuned Morgan Lucas to two injected-nitro dragster national event victories and one divisional win.

"Norm has had great success in alcohol racing, on water as well as asphalt," said Toliver.  "Wherever he goes, he climbs to the top.  His expertise as a premier engine builder and those five alcohol dragster championships prove to me he is dedicated.  He is a winner. 

"It's a big step for anybody to move up from A-Fuel to the nitro Funny Car ranks and I think he's ready to make that move.  With time and the proper coaching Norm will become one of the greatest crew chiefs out there.  He's an enormously talented guy.  He's been a good friend for many years."

By looking to the future with five races remaining this season - beginning with this weekend's Lucas Oil Nationals at Reading, Pa. - Toliver, Grimes and the Schick Quattro crew will be preparing for the 2005 campaign that begins February 10.

"At this point, we are 264 points out of 10th place and we really don't have anything to lose . . .  and maybe everything to gain," Toliver said.  "We can use the remainder of this year to get ready for next year and Norm can get some laps under him and we can move forward."

Grimes, of Sun Valley, Calif., didn't take long to accept the offer, even if prodded by his new boss. 

"Jerry said he'd kill me if I didn't take this job," Grimes said facetiously.

"I am jumping right into it . . . right into the thick of things," Grimes added on a more serious note.  "It's a great position to be in.  I hope I don't let anyone down. 

"I worked with Jerry for the only three races he ran in the 2002 season and learned a lot. We plan to use the balance of this year as a test session.  We'll try some things and address certain situations, utilizing our national-event runs as test runs."

Grimes says he's "watched the Funny Car class for some time and the level of competition has become so keen that I don't think we'll see anyone being dominant.  I want our car to run well, go rounds and get some wins.  There are a lot of really good cars out there."

Toliver had kind words for Richard Hogan, whom Grimes is replacing.

"Richard did a great job," said Toliver.  "He came into a difficult situation here and he sorted out probably 95 percent of it.  He is a good guy and a great friend and I wish him well."

Toliver has one win this season, at Pomona, Calif., in February, and he was runner-up at Houston in April.

Grimes gets his first taste of competition during Friday's opening rounds of qualifying at 3:30 and 6:30 p.m.  Saturday's two sessions are scheduled at 12:30 and 3 p.m. Sunday's competition commences at 11 a.m.

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