Team owner David Powers notified his team on Saturday that he plans to park his Top Fuel team for 2009. The impetus behind this decision was the notification from major sponsor Caterpilar they would not return next season.

“This is a kick in the gut,” admitted Fuller, who was notified by Powers personally. “I really don’t know that I have the words to express how I am feeling right now. I thought I was pretty safe in having another year with Caterpillar and I thought things were going well. I had just went out and bought a new house."

Fuller finished sixth in the NHRA Top Fuel championship points in 2008 after placing second the season before.

Team owner David Powers notified his team on Saturday that he plans to park his Top Fuel team for 2009. The impetus behind this decision was the notification from major sponsor Caterpilar they would not return next season.

“This is a kick in the gut,” admitted Fuller, who was notified by Powers personally. “I really don’t know that I have the words to express how I am feeling right now. I thought I was pretty safe in having another year with Caterpillar and I thought things were going well. I had just went out and bought a new house. “

Fuller finished sixth in the NHRA Top Fuel championship points in 2008 after placing second the season before.He completed the season on a high note by defeating Tony Schumacher in Pomona, Ca.

“There wasn’t much said in the conversation, no explanation, just that we were done,” Fuller said. “I haven’t heard anything from Caterpillar from this point and with it being the weekend, there’s very little chance anything can get done.

“I didn’t know what to say and to be honest I was too stunned to say anything. I have no idea whether it was an economy issue, a funding issue or a David Powers issue. Everyone on the team has been terminated immediately. Now is just not a good time to be jobless.”

This latest decision adds to the instability of the thinning Top Fuel ranks as the NHRA faces the loss of potentially four of the ten Countdown to the Championship teams from 2008.

Earlier in the week, Ken Black told CompetitionPlus.com that he's 99-percent sure unless last minute funding comes through that he'll park his Top Fuel dragster driven by Hillary Will. She finished fourth in the championship points standings.

Will's dragster reportedly won't be the only one affected, as cutbacks at Kalitta Motorsports will put David Grubnic on the sidelines. Rumors persist that Kalitta Motorsports will run the Jeff Arend Funny Car at all 24 events but Top Fuel driver Doug Kalitta would be scaled back to 10 races. A source close to Kalitta Motorsports contends the dragster will run a full season with Mac Tools backing.

Doug Herbert was notified in October that longtime backer Snap-On Tools would not return in 2009. Unless he finds a replacement he plans to run at best a few events close to his Lincolnton, N.C. home.

A score of other drivers such as J.R. Todd, Bob Vandergriff and Steve Torrence remain in limbo regarding their plans for 2009 although the liklihood of their return without major sponsorship appears slim.