Denver - Fuller - Pre-race 7-6-06

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Fiery Fuller focuses on Western Swing and beyond

 

DENVER (July 6) -- Racing in his first full year on the POWERade NHRA tour,
Top Fuel driver "Hot Rod" Fuller is a strong contender for the 2006
championship at the halfway point of the season. The 35-year-old former
sportsman all-star has won two races in his Valvoline/David Powers Homes
dragster and finds himself fourth in the world rankings after 12 of 23
events.

 

"There is nothing in our way," Fuller said. "We have the car, a great crew,
and a team owner in David Powers that gives us everything we need to
succeed. We may have surprised a lot of people with our performance so far
but everyone on this team already knew what we were capable of. Now the rest
of the world is figuring it out."

 

With 11 races left on the schedule, Fuller is approximately 11 rounds of
racing action behind season-long points leader Melanie Troxel. He knows the
journey to the top must be taken in measured steps.

 

"You can't make it all up in one race," said Fuller, the Super Gas Driver of
the Decade in the 1990s. "I've been driving long enough to know that the
best way to make up ground is to stay steady and keep the pressure on the
people in front of you. Our car has been consistently quick. Even when we
have a bad weekend it's usually just been a case of rotten luck rather than
an area where we're lacking in something.

 

"So far we've qualified in the top half of the ladder nine out of 12 times.
That's a pretty good ratio. If we can concentrate on going rounds at each
event, and eliminate those first-round losses that just crush you in the
points, then we'll be there at the end. All you can ask for is a chance and
we have a very legitimate chance right now."

 

Crew chief Lee Beard, a veteran tuner with 55 national event wins to his
credit at the professional level, excels at hot racetracks. Therefore, he
and Fuller are hoping the summer months live up to expectations and keep the
other teams off balance.

 

"Lee's good wherever we go but when it takes a finesse tune-up, he seems to
get even better," Fuller said. "His second race with us last year was in
Memphis and it was by far the hottest race of the year and we won the thing.
It was a battle of attrition and he survived because he stayed within his
tune-up. I wouldn't want anyone else tuning my car, especially with the
races we have ahead of us."

 

The NHRA tour next heads into the legendary Western Swing of consecutive
events in Denver, Seattle, and Sonoma, Calif., before visiting Brainerd,
Minn., Memphis, Tenn., and Indianapolis. First up is the 27th annual Mopar
Mile-High NHRA Nationals, July 14-16, at Bandimere Speedway in Denver.

 

"The second half starts now and we're ready to go," Fuller said.

            

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