The FRAM Autolite Nationals return to Infineon Raceway in Sonoma today with a different look, as several well-known drag racers — including Will, who finished fourth in the 2008 NHRA Top Fuel standings — are without full-time rides because of a lack of sponsorship.
Five drivers who finished in the top 12 in last year’s Top Fuel standings are not competing full time. The numbers are almost as ugly in Funny Car and Pro Stock Motorcycle, as drivers and riders wait for an economic turnaround they hope will revive corporate interest and breathe new life into their careers.
Fuller signed with David Powers Motorsports for the 2008 season and wound up sixth in points with one victory. But in January, Powers sold the team’s assets to focus on his home-building business and parted company with Fuller’s primary sponsor, Caterpillar, which had to lay off several thousand workers this year.
The announcement, just a month before the NHRA season began, left Fuller without a job or much of an opportunity to latch on to another team. Since then, he, Will and other drivers have been beating down doors and working the phones to secure funding to go racing.
“I’m really optimistic that I’ll be back with Caterpillar, and I’m sure they’d be very interested if the economy turns around. But I’m not putting all of my eggs in one basket,” Fuller, who competed in two events last month, said. “You’ve got to get more creative. The days of companies giving a team a couple million dollars are over with.”
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