TOLIVER DROPS FIRST ROUND TO DSR TEAMMATE BECKMAN IN TEXAS
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ENNIS, Texas (Sept. 21, 2008) – Driving the Rockstar Energy Drink Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car, Jerry Toliver went out in the first round of eliminations today at the 23rd annual NHRA Fall Nationals at the Texas Motorplex, losing to his Don Schumacher Racing teammate, Jack Beckman.
Toliver had the jump off the starting line with a .085-second reaction time to Beckman's .126 (.000 is perfect), but the Rockstar Energy Drink Dodge Charger lost traction down track and Beckman motored by him to take the win with an elapsed time of 4.128 seconds at 291.82 mph to Toliver's 5.403/145.78. Beckman broke the first-place tie in the Countdown to 1 points with that win, and now leads by one point.
"Obviously Jack Beckman's our teammate and he's in the points lead, but we weren't giving him anything," said Toliver, who will remain No. 15 in the point standings. "We wanted to win that round very badly. There's one thing I want to do before this year is over and that's win a race for my Rockstar Energy Drink guys. The Rockstar team has been working their asses off this season. I need to win a race for my boys, for Rockstar Energy Drink, and DSR. It's been frustrating.
"All I can say is that the better car won today. He ran a 4.12 and that was stout. It is what it is. We'll just pack up and move on to Memphis and see what we can do."
The next race for Toliver and the Rockstar Energy Drink team will be the 21st annual Mid-South Nationals at Memphis (Tenn.) Motorsports Park, Sept. 26-28.
