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CHANDLER, Ariz. (Feb. 23, 2008) – Rod Fuller qualified his David Powers-owned Caterpillar dragster for his 64th consecutive race Saturday afternoon at Firebird International Raceway. The six-time NHRA Top Fuel winner used a lap of 4.601-seconds to qualify 11th in the Top Fuel order during the rain-shortened qualifying.
With both of Friday’s qualifying sessions washed out due to rain showers, Fuller and his Rob Flynn-led race team had just two qualifying attempts on Saturday. The Las Vegas racer powered his Caterpillar-backed rail to a pass of 4.601 seconds at 319.07 mph to position the CAT car 11th in the Top Fuel order. Fuller’s rail broke a rocker arm on its second qualifying attempt during the burnout and failed to record a time. His qualifying streak is the second longest in Top Fuel behind Tony Schumacher.
“Our first run was conservative to make sure we got into the field,” Fuller said. “We were going to try and run a low 4.50 and the motor broke an exhaust rocker arm on the burnout. We are very fortunate it happened today. There is no bad lane at this track and all the cars are really good. We have our work cut out, but just like Pomona , we qualified low and went out and ran low E.T. of the weekend and I feel we can do the same on Sunday.”
Fuller will attempt to win his fourth consecutive race at the Phoenix-area track. He has collected 15 consecutive round wins at F.I.R. after capturing the Super Gas title in 2004 and consecutive Top Fuel wins the past two seasons over Melanie Troxel. Fuller will appear on NHRA Race Day on Sunday morning. The show airs at 11 a.m. (ET) on ESPN2. He will face off against No. 5 qualifier J.R. Todd in the opening round of Top Fuel eliminations at 11 a.m. (MT) at the Arizona drag strip.
Headquartered in Houston with race operations located in Brownsburg , Ind. , David Powers Motorsports fields the two-car Top Fuel operation of drivers Rod Fuller and Antron Brown. DPM proudly represents racing partners Matco Tools, Caterpillar, Valvoline, Toyota , Forward Sports Marketing, Goodyear, FRAM, Autolite, Ringer’s Gloves, and Go Fast Sports.
Q1 cancelled rain
Q2 cancelled rain
Q3 4.601 ET, 319.07 MPH No. 5
Q4 No Time No. 11
FULLER RACES CAT DRAGSTER TO NO. 11 SPOT AT PHOENIX
CHANDLER, Ariz. (Feb. 23, 2008) – Rod Fuller qualified his David Powers-owned Caterpillar dragster for his 64th consecutive race Saturday afternoon at Firebird International Raceway. The six-time NHRA Top Fuel winner used a lap of 4.601-seconds to qualify 11th in the Top Fuel order during the rain-shortened qualifying.
With both of Friday’s qualifying sessions washed out due to rain showers, Fuller and his Rob Flynn-led race team had just two qualifying attempts on Saturday. The Las Vegas racer powered his Caterpillar-backed rail to a pass of 4.601 seconds at 319.07 mph to position the CAT car 11th in the Top Fuel order. Fuller’s rail broke a rocker arm on its second qualifying attempt during the burnout and failed to record a time. His qualifying streak is the second longest in Top Fuel behind Tony Schumacher.
“Our first run was conservative to make sure we got into the field,” Fuller said. “We were going to try and run a low 4.50 and the motor broke an exhaust rocker arm on the burnout. We are very fortunate it happened today. There is no bad lane at this track and all the cars are really good. We have our work cut out, but just like Pomona , we qualified low and went out and ran low E.T. of the weekend and I feel we can do the same on Sunday.”
Fuller will attempt to win his fourth consecutive race at the Phoenix-area track. He has collected 15 consecutive round wins at F.I.R. after capturing the Super Gas title in 2004 and consecutive Top Fuel wins the past two seasons over Melanie Troxel. Fuller will appear on NHRA Race Day on Sunday morning. The show airs at 11 a.m. (ET) on ESPN2. He will face off against No. 5 qualifier J.R. Todd in the opening round of Top Fuel eliminations at 11 a.m. (MT) at the Arizona drag strip.
Headquartered in Houston with race operations located in Brownsburg , Ind. , David Powers Motorsports fields the two-car Top Fuel operation of drivers Rod Fuller and Antron Brown. DPM proudly represents racing partners Matco Tools, Caterpillar, Valvoline, Toyota , Forward Sports Marketing, Goodyear, FRAM, Autolite, Ringer’s Gloves, and Go Fast Sports.
Q1 cancelled rain
Q2 cancelled rain
Q3 4.601 ET, 319.07 MPH No. 5
Q4 No Time No. 11
