Rod Fuller on Reading
“We ran great at Reading last year. I feel like that place owes us after spending nearly a week there and losing the race due to a motor mistake. I’m excited to have Ransome back on the car and we’re really excited for the softball game on Thursday night. We want to help Antron’s (Brown) team win and then do our best to win the race.”
Rob Flynn (crew chief) on Reading
“We excited to again work with Ransome. We did good last year, but the goal is to win the race instead of just get to the final round. Our car is making runs down the track and we think that we solved the problems that plagued us for most of the season.”
Rod Fuller Reading NHRA Notebook
Last weekend at Brainerd, Minn., Fuller raced the Caterpillar dragster to its fourth quarterfinal finish of the season. Fuller qualified eighth at 3.933 seconds at 308.71 mph on Friday at the Brainerd NHRA race. On race day, he defeated Brandon Bernstein before losing a close match to points-leader and five-time series champion Tony Schumacher.
Fuller and the Caterpillar Top Fuel team rank fifth in the NHRA POWERade Top Fuel standings. The Las Vegas racer has one win (St. Louis) in two final rounds. He also has one pole position this season (Norwalk). The Caterpillar car has recorded low E. T. of the meet three times and top speed twice.
Last summer at Maple Grove Raceway, Fuller earned his sixth career Top Fuel pole with a lap of 4.521 seconds at 327.19 mph. It was his fourth pole of the 2007 NHRA season. He advanced to the final round where he posted a runner-up finish to Doug Herbert. The race was not completed until Wednesday due to rain showers. It was Fuller’s fifth final round appearance of the season.
Fuller has qualified for 77 consecutive NHRA Top Fuel events. The last time he failed to make the cut was at the Houston race in 1996. Fuller has the second longest qualifying streak in Top Fuel (Tony Schumacher). He has an average qualifying position of 7.19 in 16 races this season and has an average starting position of second at two races at Maple Grove Raceway.
Fuller has 13 career NHRA sportsmen victories in the Super Comp (seven) and Super Gas (six) categories. He has 20 career NHRA national event victories, seven coming in Top Fuel. Fuller is a two-time sportsmen winner at Maple Grove Raceway, 1999 (Super Gas) and 2001 (Super Comp).
Fuller’s Caterpillar dragster will be sporting the colors of local Caterpillar dealer Ransome Cat during the Reading NHRA race.
2008 NHRA Top Fuel Standings
1. Tony Schumacher (9) 1,532 - - -
2. ANTRON BROWN (2) 1,051 -481
3. Larry Dixon (1) 988 -544
4. Cory McClenathan (1) 987 -545
5. HOT ROD FULLER (1) 958 -574
6. Brandon Bernstein 922 -610
7. Hillary Will (1) 874 -658
8. Doug Herbert (1) 807 -725
9. Doug Kalitta 701 -831
10. David Grubnic 685 -847
11. Morgan Lucas 672 -860
Rod Fuller’s Career Results at Maple Grove Raceway
Year Qualified Finish & Winning Driver
2006 No. 3 Second round—Melanie Troxel
2007 No. 1 Runner-up—Doug Herbert
Fuller’s Reading Schedule
Date & Time Event and Location
Wed., Aug. 13, 1-3 p. m. Caterpillar Appearance—Giles & Ransome
2975 Galloway Rd., Bensalem, PA 19020
Thur., Aug. 14, 7 p. m. NHRA Softball Classic—FirstEnergy Stadium
1900 Centre Ave., Reading, PA 19601
Fri., Aug. 15, 3:30/6:30 p. m. TF Qualifying 1/2, Maple Grove Raceway
Sat., Aug. 16, Noon/3 p. m. TF Qualifying 3/4, Maple Grove Raceway
Sun., Aug. 17, 11 a. m. Final Eliminations, Maple Grove Raceway
Fuller’s Career-Best Performances
E. T.—4.464 seconds Joliet, Ill. June 2007
MPH—331.61 mph Chandler, Ariz. Feb. 2007
E. T.—3.841 seconds * Kent, Wash. July 2008
MPH—313.73 mph* Kent, Wash. July 2008
*1,000-foot
Fuller’s Career-Best at Maple Grove Raceway
E. T.—4.521 seconds Reading, Pa. Aug. 2007
MPH—327.19 mph Reading, Pa. Aug. 2007
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