Rockstar Energy Suzuki CANIDAE Pet Foods’ Ryan Morais Update

Rockstar Energy Suzuki CANIDAE Pet Foods’ Ryan Morais, after seeing a specialist yesterday, is expected to return to the AMA Western Regional Lites class by Anaheim 3, on February 13th. Morais was injured during his heat race on Saturday night in Anaheim, when another rider landed on top of him after tripling part of a rhythm section. Morais was running second in the heat until the incident. According to Team Manager Bill Keefe the doctor concluded that Morais doesn’t have any broken bones. “Ryan will be put into an aggressive rehab program with the hopes of being on the gate for Anaheim 3 on February 13,” Keefe said. “He’ll probably be off the bike for 10 days. He’s getting better everyday, and his body is recovering, so it’s going the right way.” Doctors expect that Morais will respond well to therapy and make a full recovery.

After seeing a specialist on Monday, Morais got the full report on his injuries. “I got some X-rays and an MRI done on my back and hips. Everything looks pretty good, considering,” Morais said from his home where he’s resting. “They’re saying the reason my back hurts so much is because I bruised my kidneys, I have a lot of muscle bruising, I bruised my hip joints and the muscles in my hips, my lungs, and my bladder. I’m sore from all that. But I got lucky, it could’ve been a lot worse. I’ll be back on the bike soon enough and be back for Anaheim 3. For now, I’m going to take it day by day. I have to give it a few weeks to heal up.”

Morais was taken off the track Saturday night and put in the Asterisk Mobile Medical Unit and then later transferred to UCI Medical Center for further evaluation. He was released from the hospital by approximately 2:30 am and has been recovering at home since then. Rockstar Energy Suzuki CANIDAE Pet Foods would like to thank the Asterisk Medical Team for their expert care and treatment of Ryan at the track.

CANIDAE Pet Foods 2010 Off Road Racing Contingency Program Announced

The CANIDAE All Natural Pet Foods 2010 Contingency Program launches to support the Off Road Racing Community and Independent Pet Food Retailers

CANIDAE All Natural Pet Foods is proud to have a rich tradition in racing and racing sponsorships, ranging from support in the NHRA of Jim Dunn Racing with fuel funny car driver Paul Lee, to the Rockstar Energy Suzuki CANIDAE Pro Team in Supercross and Motocross, the world record setting CANIDAE Sand Drag teams, and new for 2010, the CANIDAE Pet Foods Trophy Truck and the CANIDAE Pet Foods Class 6 Truck.

The CANIDAE Pet Foods 2010 Racing Contingency Program supports Off Road Racing with contingency in the SCORE, BITD, LOORS, SNORE and MORR series. All participants must run the special CANIDAE All Natural Pet Foods program decal (pictured) to be eligible for awards and there must be a minimum of three (3) competitors in each class. The purpose of the program is to further the CANIDAE mission of supporting our independent pet food retailers, helping them to share the message of "Responsible Pet Ownership" through proper care and nutrition to race fans and pet lovers everywhere throughout the racing season.

• 1st Place will receive $100.00 cash
• 2nd Place will receive $50.00 cash
• 3rd Place will receive a coupon for a 35 pound bag of CANIDAE All Life Stages Super-Premium Dog Food

Those interested in participating may visit CanidaeRacing.com or send an email to Jason Cobb at racing@canidae.com for more details. Race teams may also contact Jim Conner Racing in person at the events. CANIDAE Pet Foods is proud to be part of the off road racing family and would like to welcome you to ours.

CANIDAE Rider Morais Makes it Two in a Row!

As this 2010 season begins to unfold, it is clear that the Rockstar Energy, Suzuki, CANIDAE Pet Foods team is going to be a serious title contender. CANIDAE rider, Ryan Morais continues to impress as he made his second straight podium with a second place finish at Round 2 in Phoenix.

After heading into the first corner of the 15 lap Main Event in 5th place, the young Suzuki rider would work his way into 2nd place on lap 4. With every lap, Morais would pull closer to race leader Blake Wharton. On lap 13, Morais would make his move and head into the lead. Also getting around Wharton, was Anaheim 1 winner, Jake Weimer. As Morais and Weimer pulled away from the rest of the field, Weimer would try several times to get by Morais. With 2 laps left in the race, Weimer made the pass stick as the two battled back and forth. It was close at the finish but Morais just was not able to make up the lost ground and he would have to settle for a well earned, second place. A 3rd at round 1, 2nd at Round 2, maybe the 3rd round in Anaheim, CA next weekend will yield a win for the young phenom.

Rockstar Energy, Suzuki, CANIDAE Pet Foods rider Hunter Hewitt would just miss making into the “Lites” Main Event and Tommy Hahn would finish up 10th place in the Supercross Class for the night.

CANIDAE Pet Foods was founded out of love for pets, the importance of family, and the belief in having fun and enjoying life and CANIDAE is excited to be able to share with the passionate fans of Supercross and Motocross racing our philosophy of “Responsible Pet Ownership” through proper nutrition and care featured at www.canidae.com and on our racing site at www.canidaeracing.com.

Live Coverage of Laughlin Desert Challenge

Watch the CANIDAE Trophy Truck and all the action from Laughlin LIVE for the 2010 SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge!

Brought to you by our friends at Tracking International (TI), the Exclusive Live Media portal for 2010 SCORE International Off Road Races. This Pay Per View event, $2.99 for 3 Days of Off-Road Race Action, brings 9 camera angles direct to you for one low fee. TI has partnered with BFGoodrich Tires, the Nation of GO and SCORE International to bring this live racing action to the Internet like never before.

Live Schedule

Friday - Laughlin Leap - 6pm

Saturday & Sunday - Race Action from 7am to 5pm

And don't miss the CANIDAE Trophy Truck SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge Blog featuring updates and pictures live from Team CANIDAE in Laughlin.

CANIDAE Pet Foods Trophy Truck Unveiled!

CANIDAE Pet Foods Trophy Truck Unveiled, Debuts This Weekend at SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge

CANIDAE Racing has completed its first sponsored Trophy Truck in time for the SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge.

"SCORE Trophy Trucks are designed to race across rugged terrain at speeds of over 100MPH so they have to be tough. They are also some of the most technologically advanced race vehicles on the planet. The brand new CANIDAE Geiser Bros. Trophy Truck is custom built from the ground up with exotic metals, composites and electronics to form a piece of art," said Jason Cobb, member of the Team CANIDAE Off Road crew.

The Laughlin Desert Challenge in Nevada begins Friday, January 15th and is the opening race of the SCORE Desert Series. Co-drivers Scott Whipple and Scott Gailey will pilot the #95 CANIDAE Trophy Truck for the 6 mile loop race course including the famous Laughlin Leap which is a large jump set up in the middle of the course that sends trucks and cars flying over a hundred feet in the air, lap after lap.

Live updates of the event and Team CANIDAE's progress will be available at the CANIDAE Racing website. Race fans will see videos, photos and blog reports sent in from the CANIDAE crew directly from the race. Live video streaming will be available at Tracking International, the exclusive provider of live media coverage for SCORE International and the SCORE Desert Series.

The CANIDAE Trophy Truck team will be working all season to support independent pet food retailers, and to share the message of promoting "Responsible Pet Ownership" through proper care and nutrition to race fans and pet lovers everywhere. To celebrate the debut of the new Trophy Truck, CANIDAE Pet Foods has announced that any race fan who subscribes to the CANIDAE Responsible Pet Ownership blog will automatically be entered to win a free 6 month supply of the CANIDAE dog food or FELIDAE cat food of their choice. Conditions apply. The CANIDAE Responsible Pet Ownership blog offers free daily helpful tips and advice for caring pet owners. Race fans can subscribe and enter at www.canidaeracing.com.

Gailey and Whipple will drive the CANIDAE Pet Foods Geiser Bros Trophy Truck for the 2010 SCORE Desert Series with support from the seasoned CANIDAE Off Road Crew including many of the talented men who helped make the Class 10 races in 2009 such a success, and who turned in a great performance in the Class 10 category at last year's Baja 1000. Team CANIDAE Off Road was one of only a handful of teams to earn the prestigious Toyota Milestone Award last year.

The CANIDAE Geiser Bros Trophy Truck is sponsored by CANIDAE Pet Foods, Lucas Oil, KC HiLiTES, Fox Racing Shox, K&N Filters, McKenzie's Performance Products, Racepak Data Systems, CALTEX Freight Brokerage, Torco Racing Fuels, Matco Tools, Redline Performance, and Get Performance’s Gene Towler.

After Laughlin, the SCORE Desert Series heads to Mexico for the 24rd Annual Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250.

CANIDAE Pet Food Riders Shine at Supercross Season Opener!

With new riders, new sponsors, new bikes, new riding gear and a new season, nobody knew what to expect of the Rockstar, Suzuki, CANIDAE Pet Foods team for the season opener at Angel Stadium. The weather was ideal as the racing got underway and the sold out crowd was treated to fantastic racing.

In the Lites Class, CANIDAE Pet Food riders Hunter Hewitt and Ryan Morais would easily make it into the Main Event and when the gate dropped it was Morais that got out to a great start and in a position to fight for the win. Third, after the first lap Morais quickly went to work on Gautier Paulin to move into second place and begin his charge to the front. By the half way point in the race Morais was inching closer to the back wheel of race leader Jake Weimer and Trey Canard had closed in on Morais making it a three way fight for the win. With 5 laps to go, Canard would work inside of Morais and push the CANIDAE rider out for the position. Morais would regroup and keep Canard close but as time ran out, Morais would settle for a hard earned third place. This is an excellent ride to place the Rockstar, Suzuki, CANIDAE Pet Foods on the podium and to serve notice for the rest of the season. CANIDAE rider Hunter Hewitt would battle all race long and finish a respectable 11th place in this, his first West Coast Lites race.

As the gate dropped for the Main Event in the premier, Supercross class, CANIDAE Rider Tommy Hahn would jump out of the gate quickly but be forced to jump on the brakes to avoid the banging going on ahead of him. Due to his reaction, Hahn was able to avoid a crash but would head into the first corner at the back of the pack. If you know anything about this team, you know they work extremely hard and Hahn went to work on the rest of the field passing rider after rider. By lap 10, Hahn had passed almost half the field and was trying to work inside the top 10. Battling with front runner Nick Wey, Hahn would get around the Michigan rider and set his sights on former champ, Grant Langston in 10th. Lap after lap the two would exchange positions but in the end, it was Langston that would grab the 10th spot. A gutty ride for Hahn who looks forward to the next round to improve.

This was a good start to the 2010 season and we look forward to what is sure to be a great year for the Rockstar, Suzuki, CANIDAE Pet Foods team. Next up will be Round 2 in Phoenix, Arizona at Chase Field on January 16th.

CANIDAE Pet Foods was founded out of love for pets, the importance of family, and the belief in having fun and enjoying life and CANIDAE is excited to be able to share with the passionate fans of Supercross and Motocross racing our philosophy of “Responsible Pet Ownership” through proper nutrition and care featured at www.canidae.com and on our racing site at www.canidaeracing.com.

At CANIDAE Pet Foods we are committed to providing our valued customers and their pets with the highest standard of excellence for product quality, palatability and customer satisfaction. We stand behind the guaranteed analysis of each and every one of our products and invite supercross and motocross fans everywhere to discover the benefits of feeding their pets CANIDAE and FELIDAE All Natural Pet Foods.

Jason Cobb

Team CANIDAE Working Hard to Complete Geiser Bros. Trophy Truck

Sponsorship Update: Please note that our friends at Fox Racing Shox, Torco Racing Fuels, and KC HiLiTES are all valued sponsors of the new CANIDAE Geiser Bros. Trophy Truck and were inadvertently left off of Thursday's blog post. Our sponsors make it possible for us to race. Please support them!

We are finishing our first sponsored Trophy Truck for entry in the SCORE Desert Series. With the 2010 season opener at Laughlin, Nevada just around the corner, the CANIDAE Pet Foods Off Road Racing Team is working around the clock to get our 2010 Geiser Bros. Trophy Truck in race condition for its debut at the SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge in Nevada on January 15th.

"Everything must go perfectly in order to make this race," said team owner/co-driver Scott Whipple. "We haven't even hit our first race yet and I'm already very proud of the CANIDAE Off Road Team. They've been working around the clock giving it everything they've got to get this incredible trophy truck primed and ready for Laughlin."

Co-driver Scott Gailey commented, "There will be about two dozen entries in the Trophy Truck class for Laughlin. This will be our first race, but we will be pulling from our experience in Class 10 as well as drag racing to bring in not just a great crew but a lot of horsepower as well."

Both Whipple and Gailey realize the tough competitiveness as well as experience that this class has, and their only expectation is to just go out there and have fun!

The CANIDAE Trophy Truck team will be working all season to support independent pet food retailers, and to share the message of promoting "Responsible Pet Ownership" through proper care and nutrition to race fans and pet lovers everywhere.

The CANIDAE Geiser Bros Trophy Truck is sponsored by CANIDAE Pet Foods, Geiser Bros., Lucas Oil, Racepak Data Systems, Fox Racing Shox, Torco Racing Fuels, KC HiLiTES, K&N Filters, Matco Tools, Redline Performance, and McKenzie's Performance Products.

Gailey and Whipple will drive the new Geiser Bros Trophy Truck in 2010, with support from the seasoned CANIDAE Off Road Crew including many of the talented men who helped make the Class 10 races such a great success.

Off road racing is no stranger to Team CANIDAE who turned in a great performance in the Class 10 category at last year's Baja 1000 and were one of only a handful of teams to earn the prestigious Toyota Milestone Award.

After Laughlin, the SCORE Desert Series heads to Mexico for the 24rd Annual Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250.

Stay tuned for more updates and please check out the build videos of our Trophy Truck work over the past months.

See you at the races!

Rockstar Energy/Suzuki/Canidae Pet Foods Team Set to Open 2010 Supercross at Anaheim

CANIDAE® All Natural Pet Foods is a proud sponsor of the Rockstar Energy/ Suzuki/ CANIDAE Pet Foods team for the 2010 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship Series, and the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship Series. The 2010 Supercross season will kick off on January 9, 2010 at Anaheim, California.

Riders Tommy Hahn and Hunter Hewitt return in 2010 to manager Bill Keefe's Pro Motocross/Supercross team. Along with new sponsors Rockstar Energy and Suzuki, Keefe's team will also bring aboard three new riders: Ryan Morais, Jake Moss and Blake Bagget to open up an exciting race season covering both coasts for the Supercross series and the full Motocross schedule starting in May.

Coming off of his first professional outdoor championship in 2009, #10 Tommy Hahn will be back battling on his Suzuki 450 for the team. Bagget #66 and Hewitt #126 will ride the West Coast Lites and Moss #40 and Morais #116 will be the Lite riders in the East.

Commenting on this year's new team and sponsorships, Keefe said, "CANIDAE has been great. They have a rich history in motor sports and wanted to continue their successful relationship with the team going forward. They also understand the importance of Rockstar coming on board and the changeover to Suzuki and worked to accommodate us with that. If it wasn't for Rockstar Energy, Suzuki and CANIDAE along with all of our other great sponsors we wouldn't be here today. This is a strong team we've put together and we will be very competitive in the upcoming year."

"CANIDAE Pet Foods was founded out of love for pets, the importance of family, and the belief in having fun and enjoying life," said sales manager, Robert Bemis on behalf of CANIDAE. "Our ongoing partnership as a sponsor of the Rockstar Energy/Suzuki/CANIDAE Pet Foods team presents a great opportunity for us to continue what we started in 2009. We're excited to be able to share with the passionate fans of Supercross and Motocross racing our philosophy of “Responsible Pet Ownership” through proper nutrition and care featured at www.canidae.com and on our racing site at www.canidaeracing.com.”

At CANIDAE Pet Foods we are committed to providing our valued customers and their pets with the highest standard of excellence for product quality, palatability and customer satisfaction. We stand behind the guaranteed analysis of each and every one of our products and invite supercross and motocross fans everywhere to discover the benefits of feeding their pets CANIDAE and FELIDAE All Natural Pet Foods.

Jim Dunn Racing Announces Paul Lee as Driver in 2010

Jim Dunn Racing has announced that Funny Car veteran Paul Lee will drive the CANIDAE All Natural Pet Foods/Lucas Oil/WileyX Chevrolet for the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series season.

Lee is a four-time national-event winner in the Funny Car category, winning once in 2008 in the IHRA Nitro Funny Car class and three times in 2004 in NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car.

"Paul is an experienced driver with the same kind of passion for drag racing that I have," said team owner and crew chief Jim Dunn. "He's been competing a long time and his experience will serve him well as he gets up to speed in the CANIDAE/Lucas Oil car. His company (McLeod Industries) was actually a sponsor of ours last year, so Paul is no stranger to the team and we're excited to get him behind the wheel."

The 52-year-old Lee finished a career-best fourth in points in IHRA Nitro Funny Car in 2008 with a win at the Motor City Nationals at Milan (Mich.) Dragway and runner-up finishes at Rockingham (also No. 1 qualifier) and Martin (Mich.). He finished ninth in the final standings in IHRA NFC in 2007 and sixth in the class in 2006 on the strength of runners-up at San Antonio, Epping (N.H.), Toronto, and Budds Creek (Md.). Last year Lee ran a limited Top Fuel schedule in IHRA.

The New Jersey native also has three wins in NHRA's Top Alcohol Funny Car class, all coming in 2004 when he finished in the top 10 in the final points standings. That year Lee took home the Wally at Atlanta, Topeka, and at his home track at Englishtown (N.J.).

"I've known the Dunns business-wise for some time," Lee said, "but to get to drive for 'Big Jim' is an honor and a dream come true. He is a living legend in the sport so I'm looking forward to working with him and the team."

As a businessman Lee was formerly CFO of Boninfante Clutches before purchasing McLeod Industries and its Weber Clutch brand last year. His impressive resume includes a BBA from the Wharton Business School at the Univ. of Pennsylvania and an MBA and JD from Rutgers University. Currently residing in Anaheim Hills, Calif., Lee is also an expert skydiver with more than 1,500 jumps in 18 years.

In addition to its driver announcement, Jim Dunn Racing will partner with Morgan Lucas Racing in the Team Lucas Corporate Hospitality pavilion allowing the team and CANIDAE to entertain guests, customers and regional employees at all 23 NHRA Full Throttle Series races in 2010.

Kirk Weeks

CANIDAE Off-Road Class 10 Team Finishes 2009 Baja 1000. Earns Prestigious Toyota Milestone Award.

Team CANIDAE Off-Road Racing capped off a successful 2009 season with an unofficial 4th place finish in the Class 10 division at the 42nd running of the SCORE Baja 1000 race. Official results will be posted within the next 10 days following final review of race satellite tracking results.

Now in its 42nd year, the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 tests cars and drivers over a difficult 672.85 mile loop course starting in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico. The Class 10 CANIDAE racing team joined a field of over 300 seasoned competitors in this final round of the five race 2009 SCORE Desert Series. The Baja 1000 is desert racing's most prestigious event, drawing crowds of over 250,000 spectators scattered along the course covering much of the northern half of the majestic Baja California peninsula to and from Ensenada. Teams reported that the track seemed narrow this year, with many teams getting stuck along the way and battling a congested route through the harsh desert terrain.

This was Team CANIDAE's first year entering the "Granddaddy" of all off-road races. Driver Scott Whipple, with Patrick Gailey in the co-driver seat, started the race and quickly ran into problems with a broken axle at mile 30 on the CANIDAE 2000cc Class 10 GET-VW. The CANIDAE crew on chase trucks quickly got it handled and the team was back on course. With Whipple pushing the racer hard to make up for lost time and climb back into the race, the car broke an axle again at the 356 mile mark. Again the chase crew did a great job repairing their second broken axle of the day. Once repairs were completed, driver/owner Scott Gailey and co-driver Johnny Stroschein took over driving duties and began the team's 2nd half push to the finish. For the rest of the race the engine and trans worked flawlessly as a result of using quality products like Lucas Oil and Torco Race Fuels. The car's FOX shocks worked awesome without fading, but unfortunately before mile 630 the eyelet came loose on the right rear coil-over causing it to separate which cost the team additional precious time. Gailey did an excellent job getting the car to the pit at mile 630. Repairing the shock and another quick look at the BFG tires, which conquered the desert without a single flat, the team was back on track and crossing the finish line at 25:33:25, with an unofficial fourth place finish in the class 10 division.

"With all the challenges we faced in this race, especially with the breakdowns, I am so proud of each and every person on this team for the tremendous effort put forth by all to keep working hard, getting our racer back up and across the finish line," said owner/driver Gailey. "Everyone worked their tails off! I could not be more proud of all of them and our achievements together in this our first full season of racing with this Class 10 car. With barely half of all teams entering the race even completing the loop, just finishing the Baja 1000 is a feat in and of itself. To win a Milestone award in our first full season is a great testament to our whole team, their hard work and is an accomplishment we are all extremely proud of. I'd also like to thank my co-driver Scott Whipple. It's been a ton of fun racing together all season. Also a big thank you to our sponsor CANIDAE All Natural Pet Foods along with our other sponsors for their tremendous support throughout the year. Finally, I need to thank Mike Stapleton and all of the crew at Wilson Motosports for their help sharing their knowledge and teaching me the ropes over the years when it comes to racing the desert in Mexico."

The successful finish of the Baja 1000 earns Team CANIDAE owner/driver Scott Gailey, along with co-driver Scott Whipple and the team, one of only eight Toyota Milestone Awards to be presented this year for the 2009 SCORE Off-Road season.

Toyota will be presenting these awards on December 5th in Las Vegas to the world’s toughest desert racers and teams for the 24th consecutive year. The Toyota Milestone awards go to those pro car and truck drivers who finish every required mile in the five-race 2009 SCORE Desert Series, the world’s foremost desert racing series.

Please check back at www.canidaeracing.com for more reports, race pictures and videos from the Baja 1000 coming soon.

Early Exit for Toliver at Season-Ending NHRA Finals

Jerry Toliver had the unique distinction of being the first racer to face the newly crowned 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Funny Car champ in eliminations when he and Robert Hight squared off in the first round at this weekend's 45th annual Auto Club of Southern California NHRA Finals, and the Compton, Calif., native was hoping he could be the first to beat the new champ, too, driving the CANIDAE/Lucas Oil/WileyX Chevy in front of a hometown crowd at Pomona Raceway.

Both drivers left the starting line with near-identical reaction times but both lost traction just past the 400-foot mark and the pedalfest was on. Toliver pedaled once but an auto shut-off valve slowed the CANIDAE car to a losing 5.195 elapsed time at 154.35 mph as Hight pedaled to a 4.842 e.t. at 196.64 mph. Toliver had a season-best semifinal-round performance at the NHRA Fall Nationals at Dallas in September and finished 14th in the final Funny Car points standings. This was Hight's the first Funny Car championship of his career.

"We had a couple of good runs our last two qualifying sessions, so I felt pretty good coming into today," Toliver said. "I guess it wasn't meant to be. But congratulations to Robert and his team on their first championship. They really came on there at the end of the season.

"And I have to say a big thank you to Big Jim Dunn, Diane, Jon Dunn and the whole CANIDAE Racing team. It was a privilege to be driving for a Hall of Famer like Big Jim, especially in his 60th year of drag racing. That's pretty amazing, isn't it?"

The NHRA recognized driver/tuner/team owner Jim Dunn for his 60 years in drag racing prior to eliminations on Sunday. [See video from Auto Club Raceway at Pomona]

"They just don't think I'm going to be here much longer so they pat me on the back once in awhile," Dunn said with a laugh. "No, it was pretty cool. It takes a lot to stay in the sport this long. You first have to be good enough to qualify. I hold a record of one kind. I've won a 'Wally' for the last five decades - each decade I've won at least one race. How many can say they won a 'Wally' in the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and this one? Not very many.

"It was very nice. This is my home track and to have it happen here at the Finals - I really enjoyed that. It makes you think that maybe they did appreciate me coming out and doing all this. Like I tell people, I do this to entertain myself and I'll keep doing this until I can't do it any longer. If my car's running good and I'm not getting excited, then I'll quit. I still get just as excited now as I did 60 years ago."

"Just as a reminder, Jim's been doing this longer than NHRA's been in existence - 60 years," said Tom Compton, NHRA president. "He's a true pioneer of the sport. (I thank him) for sixty great years and all that he's done for the sport as well."

The first stop on the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series schedule will be the 50th annual Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona on Feb. 11-14, 2010.

Kirk Weeks

Three-Time Pomona Winner Toliver Returns for Season-Ending NHRA Finals

As with several of their NHRA Full Throttle peers, Southern California natives Jerry Toliver and Jim Dunn will be racing in front of hometown friends and family at this weekend's 45th annual Auto Club of Southern California NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, and the duo would love nothing better than to deliver a season-ending victory for their fans and sponsors in their Jim Dunn Racing entry, the CANIDAE/Lucas Oil/WileyX Chevy Funny Car.

"I love starting and ending the season at Pomona," Toliver said. "It's a great track and it's fun to race in front of so many friends and family that don't normally get to see us. Plus I've run pretty well there over the years, so it's an easy facility for me to like. In fact, I got my first career win at this race in '99 when I beat Force in the finals. I probably could have called it a career right there, beating John Force at Pomona to win the NHRA Finals. But then we turned right around and won the Winternationals to start the season in 2000, so you can see why Pomona is my favorite track."

Toliver, a five-time NHRA Funny Car national-event winner, has had three of his career wins here at the quarter-mile track at the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds. The Compton, Calif., native won the NHRA Finals in 1999, and followed up with victories at the season-opening NHRA Winternationals in 2000 and 2004.

"The CANIDAE folks are headquartered right up the road in San Luis Obispo, so I'm sure we'll have a lot of them out here supporting us and I'd love nothing better than to give them a win right in their own backyard. And Lucas Oil and WileyX are California companies, too, so that would be a great ending to the season.

"We have probably two or three really big, historic races at Pomona, Gainesville and Indy. I've been fortunate enough to have won at two of them (Pomona, Gainesville), but I can't think of anything better than to add another Pomona notch on my belt. We're going to give it our best shot."

Another racer spreading the message of Responsible Pet Ownership is one of the owners of CANIDAE, Scott Whipple. Whipple, a regular competitor in the National Sand Drag Association (NSDA), drove his CANIDAE/Lucas Oil Top Fuel sand dragster to the 2009 NSDA season points championship, putting an exclamation point on the championship at the series' season-ending race in Primm, Nev., on Oct. 24-25. The CANIDAE team not only won the event but Whipple broke his own record on the 100-yard track on three consecutive passes during eliminations with runs of 2.278 seconds at 162.75 mph, 2.273 at 160.71, and 2.239 at 164.16 mph.

A two-hour telecast of qualifying coverage for the Auto Club NHRA Finals can be seen on ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD on Saturday, Nov. 14, beginning at 10:30 p.m. (ET). Coverage on ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD continues on Sunday, Nov. 15 when NHRA Race Day kicks off eliminator coverage starting at 11:00 a.m. (ET), and concludes with three hours of final-eliminations coverage beginning at 7:00 p.m. (ET).

Kirk Week