Topeka: Jerry Toliver final summary

Jerry Toliver Gives Wilkerson Close Race in Tight Finish at Topeka

The results keep getting better for Jerry Toliver and the ROCKSTAR Energy Drink Toyota Solara Funny Car, but they aren't yet where the boss wants them.

"We got beat," said Toliver, after his first-round setback to Tim Wilkerson Sunday in the O'Reilly Summer Nationals at Heartland Park Topeka. "But the bottom line is that there are some things we are doing to the car that aren't responding the way they should, so we have some issues. We're going to readjust everything to get the car go 60-foot better."

Toliver, the No. 12 qualifier, was timed in 4.948 seconds at 302.55 mph to 4.974 at 305.15 mph. The difference was two-hundredths of a second.

"We should've won that race," continued Toliver. "We were starting to catch him at the big end but he got ahead of us early. We'll work on it and get ready to go to Chicago (Joliet) next week."

This was the second consecutive start for the Temecula, Calif.-based driver, who joined the tour just four races ago.

-credit: jtr