Local drag racer on road to fame

By Sean Ammerman

Thursday, Oct. 30, 2008 | midnight

Rod Fuller is still reaping the rewards of last October's win at the National Hot Rod Association's ACDelco Las Vegas Nationals.

Winning the televised event was an emotional victory for the hometown favorite and helped propel him to a second-place finish in the top fuel dragster points standings.

When the POWERade Drag Racing Series season began last February, Fuller noticed he had an ever-growing following of fans and autograph seekers. After being in the professional drag racing business for 15 years, Fuller, 38, has relished the attention.

"My popularity had risen two-fold over what it was last year," said Fuller, who will go for a second-consecutive win at the Las Vegas Nationals on Oct. 31 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

"I was really seen as an average driver who came out of nowhere last year to contend for a championship."

Since winning the Las Vegas event, however, Fuller's career has had its ups and downs.

His last win was at May's O'Reilly Midwest Nationals, in Madison, Ill., and with two races remaining in the 24-race season, Fuller is eighth in the points standings.

Don Schumacher, who beat out Fuller by a slim margin last year, has a virtual lock on the championship.

"It's hard after last year being the top dog, and fighting for a points championship," Fuller said. "It's hard for me to take, but we're not quitting. My goal is to get into the top five."

Fuller is confident in his chances of having a strong weekend. No one is more familiar with the altitude and conditions of the Las Vegas Motor Speedway than Fuller.

"I feel like this track has been good to me," he said. "I'm hungry for a win and there's no reason why I couldn't get it again this year."

Another performance like last year's could rejuvenate a Fuller team focused on finishing the season on a high note, said Rob Flynn, Fuller's crew chief since 2005.

"The win in Las Vegas was the high point of our time together," Flynn said. "Not only was it a good payday, but we were able to build on that race."

Fuller has had several factors working against him, including an injured knee that has yet to recover from surgery last year.

Also, NHRA has made several rule changes – different tires and fuel and a shorter track – the Fuller team has had difficulty adjusting to.

"We haven't hit the changes right, but that's no excuse," Flynn said. "We had high expectations going into the year and we haven't delivered at the level we wanted to."

Even with the frustrations, Fuller is enjoying his days as a professional drag racer. His earnings led to a life-long dream of purchasing a Lamborghini, however an accident at a local gas station last April sent the car up in flames with him inside.

He dove from the car as it was running at less than 45 mph to avoid injuries, but the vehicle exploded.

The accident didn't ruin his taste in the Italian car. He will unveil a new black and yellow Lamborghini at the motor speedway on Oct. 30.

"To be where I am took years of a lot of persistence and heartbreak, plus being in the right place in the right time," he said. "There's only about 20 drivers in the world that can be competitive in what I do, and to be one of them, is amazing."

Sean Ammerman can be reached at 990-2661 or [email protected].