Seattle - Fuller - Post race 7-23-06

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                 David Powers Motorsports
                                           Valvoline / Louisiana-Pacific /
Mac Tools


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Fuller edges upward in points with semifinal appearance

 

SEATTLE (July 23) -- The Great Northwest is typically a place to escape the
summer heat but not this weekend. With the sun baking the entire area the
time was right for hot-track specialists "Hot Rod" Fuller and Lee Beard to
make some headway in the NHRA POWERade points chase Sunday at Pacific
Raceways.

 

In the first round of final eliminations at the Schuck's Auto Supply NHRA
Nationals, Fuller lined his Valvoline/David Powers Motorsports Top Fuel
dragster up against part-time racer Mike Strasburg. The Las Vegan quickly
dismissed his rival in every measured category down the sun-soaked
quarter-mile, stopping the timer at 4.655-seconds at 320.20 mph to
Strasburg's labored 5.343.

 

The second round match-up pitted new points leader Doug Kalitta against
Fuller. Once again, Fuller sent the Mac Tools team packing with a
tire-smoking pass of 4.900 at 154.76 mph to Kalitta's 5.068 at 154.76 mph.
The win however came at a price. A rare, broken, internal engine part sent
the Fuller ride across the quarter-mile stripe in flames. Since the team has
been one man short all weekend due to a skiing accident, time was tight and
the 75-minute turnaround clock struck midnight just as the V-team finished
putting the car back together.

 

"This Lee Beard bunch is just awesome," Fuller said. "To go this far, with
one of our top crew members recovering in the hospital, shows just how deep
this team really is. Look out Sonoma, we're on fire, literally and
figuratively, and there's no stopping us now."

 

Fuller's winner's circle appearance will have to wait another week as David
Grubnic sent the Las Vegas resident home after the Valvoline car started
smoking the tires just past the 330 foot mark min the semifinals. With the
win light glowing in Grubnic's lane and 4.808-seconds at 305.63 mph showing
on the results board, Fuller's 5.151 at 259.26 dashed any hope of taking
home the "Wally."

 

By advancing to Sunday's semifinal, Fuller was able to gain some ground in
the hunt for the season championship moving up to the No. 6 spot.

 

The Western Swing concludes next weekend in Sonoma, Calif., with the
Fram-Autolite NHRA nationals.

 

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