From 2006-2008, Hot Rod Fuller was a perennial Top Fuel dragster championship contender. He finished a career-best second in the point standings in 2007.

This season, he was left out of a full-time ride when David Powers Motorsports shut down.

Fuller, however, has competed in three races for team owner Bob Vandergriff. The latest being  the Patton CAT dragster at the U.S. Nationals. Fuller qualified 10th with a 3.888-second time. Fuller met Doug Kalitta in the opening round, outlasting him with a 4.78-second lap to Kalitta’s 5.20. Fuller lost in the second round to Tony Schumacher.

“I saw him (Doug) go past me and then his blew the blower off,” Fuller said. “I didn’t see the win light come on, I just kept driving. It has been tough. This is only my third race of the year and these guys have been racing all year long, but the way I look at if you’re going to make any race of the year, this is the one to race. We have a race car that can win it. The last two races I’ve been to, I’ve had a fast car and this week, I’ve had a fast, consistent car. Today, I think we will let it loose and go get some rounds.”

Fuller knows a U.S. Nationals victory would be beneficial in many ways for his career right now.

“There’s no better way to get a sponsorship than winning the US Nationals,” Fuller said.

Prior to Indy, Fuller also ran at the stops in Chicago and Norwalk with Vandergriff.

“We’re trying to get CAT corporate back, but everybody knows what’s going on with the economy,” the 38-year-old Fuller said. “CAT has been one of the biggest ones to feel the crunch on it because it’s construction and building homes. They’re 100 percent behind me, it’s just a matter of the economy coming back. We’ve also been working on a bunch of other sponsors to try and get something new out here out to make sure I’m running a full schedule next year. Vandergriff Motorsports has done great things for me and give me the opportunity to keep on driving with all the best equipment. The way I look it, we’re dangerous. We’re hungry and we don’t have anything to lose. We’re not fighting for points.”

According to Fuller, it’s nearly been finalized that he will be driving for Vandergriff Motorsports at Charlotte Sept. 17-20, which is the next stop on the tour.

“We’re looking to go to Charlotte, it’s not 100 percent, but it’s about 95 percent,” Fuller said. “With that being the first race in the Countdown, that’s really going to be fun. In years past, I’ve been fighting for a championship and this year I kind of spoil a lot of peoples’ days.”

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