Popular Funny Car driver Jim Epler was on top of the world following the 1993 NHRA Drag Racing season, becoming the first Nitro Funny Car driver to run over 300 miles per hour at the third to last race of the season in Topeka and closing out the year with a big-time win at the season-finale in Pomona.

Unfortunately, Epler's win at Pomona at the end of 1993 would be his last for quite a while, as he would go winless over the next seven seasons.

However, Epler changed the course of his career, teaming up with Jerry Toliver to form a powerful Funny Car duo backed by the WWF in 1999. With the brains of John Stewart calling the shots on his Kane-sponsored Nitro Funny Car at NHRA's debut at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the Spring of 2000, Epler would find his way back to the winner circle, laying the smackdown of the rest of the Funny Car class to score his first win in seven years.