Topeka: Rod Fuller preview

'Hot Rod' Fuller Focuses on Memorial Day weekend win

TOPEKA, Kan. (May 24) --On what traditionally marks the start of the summer season, Memorial Day weekend will be a big one for Top Fuel pilot "Hot Rod" Fuller.

Fuller and the rest of the Valvoline/David Powers Motorsports team will be competing in the 18th annual O'Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals, the 9th stop of the 23-event POWERade Drag Racing Series.

"This is an important race for us," Fuller said. "We're solidly in sixth place in the point standings, making consistent runs almost every pass and this weekend should be even better.

This is the closest track to my old hometown, Rogers, Arkansas so I'll have lots of family and friends here cheering me on. That's an added bonus, since I've performed well here in the past." Fuller won numerous event trophies when competing in the Sportsman division, one that led to team owner David Powers hand selecting him as the driver of the Lee Beard tuned rail in 2004.

"Heartland Park Topeka is also where I met Lee [Beard] for the first time, when he was tuning the late Gary Orsmby's dragster. They had one heck of combination back then, and I feel we're getting to that point ourselves."

Friday and Saturday qualifications can be seen on a tape delayed basis via ESPN2 beginning at 7 p.m. CDT. Final eliminations can be seen Sunday, 9 -- 12 a.m.

-dpm-