May 28, 2007
ROD FULLER TOPEKA NHRA ADVANCE
The Fuller Times
The prerace release of four-time NHRA Top Fuel winner “Hot” Rod Fuller and the David Powers Motorsports Top Fuel team
19th annual O’Reilly Summer Nationals
June 1-3, 2007
Heartland Park Topeka
Topeka, Kan.
“I’m excited to come in as the points leader. We’ll have a lot of friends and family from our hometown (Rogers, Ark.). That’s the closest track to home. I raced there a lot at both bracket races and division races and I won as few times as a sportsmen racer. We’ll have the “great white shark” again, which we don’t like racing, but we need to continue winning rounds to attract a sponsor.”
Fuller Topeka Notebook
At the last race (St. Louis), Fuller earned his fourth career pole by racing to a run of 4.596-seconds to pace the Top Fuel field. It was his second straight pole. He advanced to the semifinals for the fifth time in seven races this season and regained the points lead. Fuller’s Rob Flynn-tuned dragster also recorded low E.T. of the race at 4.574-seconds
Fuller enters the Topeka race, the eighth of 23 races on the 2007 NHRA schedule, leading the Top Fuel standings. He has been atop the POWERade Top Fuel standings following five of seven races.
Heartland Park Topeka is one of just two current NHRA tracks where Fuller has yet to win a round during Top Fuel competition. He was defeated by Doug Herbert in 2005 and Doug Kalitta last season.
Fuller has qualified no lower than third this season with two pole
positions (Atlanta and St. Louis). He has an average starting position of second this season.
Fuller has advanced to at least the semifinals at eight of the last 11 races, with one victory (Phoenix 2007) and two runner-up finishes (Dallas and Richmond 2006).
Fuller is a two-time sportsmen winner at Heartland Park. He earned the Super Gas title in 1998 and the Super Comp win in 2004. It was his last NHRA national event win as a sportsmen racer.
Fuller on Topeka…
Topeka:
“Tornadoes”
Heartland Park Topeka:
“My first modern-day drag race in 1989 as a fan, there was a match race between Gary Ormsby and Lori Johns”
Favorite local restaurant:
“The Hooter’s next to our hotel”
Favorite Heartland Park racing memory:
“I won my last sportsmen race there in 2004 (Super Comp)”
Favorite activity while at Topeka:
“Nothing comes to mind”
Rod Fuller’s Career Results at Heartland Park Topeka
Year Qualified Finish & Winning Driver
2005 No. 8 1st round—Doug Herbert
2006 No. 14 1st round—Doug Kalitta
2007 NHRA Top Fuel Standings
1. ROD FULLER (1) 499 - - - -
2. Brandon Bernstein (2) 476 - 23
3. J.R. Todd (2) 408 - 91
4. Larry Dixon 396 - 103
5. Melanie Troxel (1) 392 - 107
6. Tony Schumacher (1) 371 - 128
7. Bob Vandergriff 351 - 148
8. David Grubnic 347 - 152
9. WHIT BAZEMORE 340 - 159
10. Cory McClenathan 336 - 163
Fuller’s Topeka Schedule
Date & Time Event and Location
Fri., June 1, 5/8 p.m. TF Qualifying 1/2, Heartland Park
Sat., June 2, 12/2:30 p.m. TF Qualifying 3/4, Heartland Park
Sun., June 3, 11 a.m. Final Eliminations, Heartland Park
Fuller’s Career-Best Performances
E.T.—4.466 seconds Chandler, Ariz. Feb. 2007
MPH—331.61 MPH Chandler, Ariz. Feb. 2007
E.T.—4.602 seconds Topeka, Kan. May 2005
MPH—322.96 MPH Topeka, Kan. May 2006
O’Reilly Summer Nationals TV Schedule (ESPN2)
Date & Time (ET) Coverage
Sat., June 2, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Qualifying Highlights
Sun., June 3, 11-11:30 a.m. NHRA Race Day
Sun., June 3, 4-7 p.m. Final Eliminations Coverage
www.davidpowersmotorsports.com
Posted to Auto Racing - Drag Racing by Motorsports Journal « Go Back
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