Funny Cars Jumping Off the Ropes With New Sponsor

Drag racing has attracted a number of unusual sponsors, such as the U.S. Army, Mad magazine, Hawaiian Tropics, Six Flags amusement park and Nevada casinos MGM Grand, Luxor and Primma Donna.

None, however, as unusual as the World Wrestling Federation.

Jerry Toliver and Jim Epler carry the WWF logo, complete with their NHRA funny cars painted to promote “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and the Undertaker in the 40th Autozone Winternationals finals today at Pomona Raceway.

“It’s a perfect match,” said team owner Toliver, a drag boat racer from Huntington Beach who switched to funny cars in 1998. “The demographics between the WWF and the NHRA have a remarkable carry-over. Both are in the entertainment business and the WWF is on the cutting edge.

“The WWF did $1 billion in merchandising last year. Their sponsorship in effect lends our team this media machine.”

Part of the deal is to have wrestling headliners at NHRA events, attracting a new fan base to Toliver’s team.

“It’s good for us, and it’s good for the NHRA,” Toliver said. “We’ll be good for the WWF too, by winning as many races as we can.”

Toliver, 49, believes he set the standard for the 2000 season when he faced off against John Force, the nine-time funny car champion, in the second round of time trials Friday.

“We beat Force in the final round here last year and a lot of people thought it might have been a fluke,” Toliver said. “We needed to prove that it wasn’t and by the luck of the qualifying draw, we got our chance.”

Toliver, in a new 1999 model Chevy Camaro, came off the line ahead of Force and finished him off with a stunning run of 4.916 seconds at 310.05 mph.

“I think that gave a message that we were for real,” said Toliver, who won the final NHRA race in 1999 in a Corvette body. “Now when I say we’re going for No. 1, people won’t laugh.”

However, Force reclaimed the No. 1 position Saturday, running 4.893 seconds. Toliver could not improve on his Friday time of 4.916, but held on to second place.

Force, in a Ford Mustang, also edged Toliver in speed, 311.20 mph to 310.05.

“They’re going to be real good,” Force said of his new challenger. “He’s got [crew chief] Dale Armstrong and we all know how good he is, and Toliver knows how to find money. I like to race him. I like to see new blood running hot rods.”

In the last 10 years, only one driver, Cruz Pedregon in 1992, has beaten Force for the Winston championship.

Toliver also pointed to the acquisition of Armstrong as a factor in this year’s plans.

“We had a good team last year, our first full season, but when we added Dale Armstrong, we took a massive step ahead.

“When I heard Dale was available, it was like hearing Albert Einstein was walking around unemployed.”

Armstrong, the mastermind behind Kenny Bernstein’s 300-mph breakthrough in 1992 and crew chief for four top-fuel championships, was unemployed after having parted company with Don Prudhomme’s team late last season.

“Dale brings more to our team than just his expertise, he’s a real team leader,” Toliver said. “He’s my crew chief, but in a way he’s also Epler’s because we exchange information and try to make both cars as near exact as possible.”

Epler, the first driver to run 300 mph in a funny car in 1993, qualified fifth at 4.986 seconds.

Toliver will reciprocate with the WWF by making his entire team part of Wrestlemania XVI, April 2 at Anaheim.

“It’s the WWF’s Super Bowl and twice it’s been America’s highest grossing weekend box office attraction,” Toliver said. “It did a higher gross in one night than any movie in release the entire three-day weekend.

“We’ll be part of it, and it’s got to rub off on our funny car excitement.”

Although Toliver is a latecomer to the NHRA, he comes from a racing family. His uncles, Art and Jack Chrisman, are members of drag racing’s Hall of Fame.

He made the switch from water to land after his alcohol hydro drag boat flipped at about 220 mph during an International Hot Boat Assn. event at nearby Puddingstone Lake. The impact, which blew the canopy apart, broke Toliver’s back. He spent more than a year recuperating and when he did, he purchased a funny car, “Fuelish Pleasure,” from Gary Clapshaw and began a new racing career in 1998.

Five-time champion Joe Amato claimed qualifying honors in top fuel with a 4.645-second run Saturday at 318.47 mph. Another former champion, Jim Yates, continued his domination of pro stock by taking No. 1 honors with a Winternationals record 6.878 seconds in his Pontiac Firebird.

Today’s Finals

* What: 40th Autozone Winternationals, round one of National Hot Rod Assn.’s 23-event season.

* Where: Pomona Raceway, at Fairplex.

* Schedule: Pre-race ceremony, 10 a.m., final eliminations, 11 a.m.

* Top qualifiers: Top fuel--Joe Amato. Funny car--John Force. Pro stock--Jim Yates.

* Tickets: General seats sold out. Reserved seats, $50-$62. Juniors $12-$24.

* TV: ESPN2, 7:30 p.m.