"Hot Rod" Fuller special release 8-5-06

            News from
David Powers Motorsports
Valvoline / 84 Lumber / Louisiana-Pacific / Mac Tools 


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 By Rob Geiger Sr., NHRA.com Senior Editor
8/5/2006


 
Rod Fuller

Top Fuel driver "Hot Rod" Fuller was a special VIP guest of USA Basketball
Thursday night in Las Vegas. The team of NBA superstars whipped Puerto Rico
114-69 in a tune-up game for the forthcoming World Championships in Japan
and Fuller was courtside to take in all the action. He later met the team
and coaches.

 

"This was one of the coolest things I've ever done," said Fuller, who
usually drives David Powers' 330-mph Valvoline dragster. "One of my all-time
sports heroes is Scottie Pippen and I was able to hang out with him for
awhile. He's from Arkansas and went to college at Central Arkansas so he was
someone we always followed. It was really cool to talk with him.

 

"I also talked to Coach [Chuck] Daly, Clyde 'the Glide' Drexler, and [Coach]
Jerry Tarkanian. Then we went back to the locker room and met all the
players. I was surprised because a lot of them knew drag racing and watched
it on ESPN2."

 

Fuller became fast friends with Pat Croce, the renowned motivational speaker
and former owner of the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers. 

 

"We really had a connection," Fuller said. "It turns out he's a big drag
racing fan. He knew everything that's going on out here so we made a promise
to get together and have him out to the races. He was a totally great guy."

 

The entire evening with Team USA was set up by the Las Vegas Convention and
Visitors Authority. Fuller is a resident of Las Vegas.

 

After the basketball game, Fuller joined alcohol racer and stuntman Jon
Capps, the brother of Funny Car points leader Ron Capps, for a special VIP
midnight screening of Talladega Nights, the new NASCAR movie starring Will
Ferrell. In conjunction with Las Vegas Motor Speedway, fans were encouraged
to attend the screening with Fuller and Capps with all proceeds from the
event benefiting Children's Speedway Charities.

 

"It was a late night but the movie was funny," Fuller said. "Plus, we raised
a bunch of money for charity, which is always a good thing. Jon did a lot of
the stunt work in that movie so it was interesting to hear his stories. It
sounds like they had a lot of fun filming the movie."
 
Used by permission from NHRA.com