"Hot Rod" Fuller

Although he came within an eyelash of winning the 2007 NHRA POWERade world championship, Rod Fuller is not looking back on what could have been but rather to what lies ahead for 2008. To say the rising Top Fuel star is hungry to win would be a severe understatement. The 2007 season was a banner year for the driver of David Powers’ Caterpillar dragster, but the six-time Top Fuel winner isn’t satisfied playing the role of best supporting actor.

His determination is easy to detect. Case in point: Less than three months after undergoing major reconstructive knee surgery -- an operation that strategically happened just five days after the completion of the 2007 NHRA season -- the popular racer was back behind the wheel of his Rob Flynn-tuned rail during the recently completed National Time Trials last weekend at Firebird Int'l Raceway in Phoenix.

Fuller’s off-season was nontraditional to say the least. There was no time to celebrate a career year. There would be no vacations to the beach. Other than a trip home to Arkansas for the holidays and a sponsor visit to Caterpillar’s corporate headquarters in Peoria, Ill., Fuller rarely left his Las Vegas-area home other than to rehab with noted athletic trainer Dave Tomchek.

"It hasn’t been very glamorous," Fuller said. "When we went to Cat, I couldn’t even operate any of the equipment because of my knee. I didn’t get any play time. That's the story of the last three months. It’s been all work, no play this winter."

Fuller wants an NHRA POWERade world championship for his Cat team.

Fast forward to Jan. 25 at Firebird Int'l Raceway, just 11 weeks after the operation, and Fuller was able to climb into his bright yellow and black dragster for the first time. Usually, complete recovery from major knee surgery takes six to eight months, but the longtime Arkansas resident was back in his 330-mph dragster in less than three. It's not surprising, really, considering that Fuller competed in the final 21 events of the season with a torn ACL.

"The rehab process hasn’t been the best thing I’ve ever been through," Fuller said. "But I like winning races, so I want to put in the time and effort at the gym to make sure I help put our team in a position to win races. I want to be as healthy as possible this year. No more volleyball or jumping fences."

While Fuller was spending hours in the gym and therapy pool, Flynn and the Caterpillar team were plugging along at the team’s Indy race shop gearing up for another run at the title in 2008. With the majority of the ’07 team intact, the Cat crew kept busy shedding its white skin for a new, colorful yellow and black theme. The team also put together a new Brad Hadman race car that meets the 2008 chassis specifications while Flynn and tuning mate Lee Beard, crew chief on Top Fuel rookie Antron Brown’s Matco Tools dragster, worked on their engine combination for the new 90-percent nitromethane rule.

"The guys worked their butts off this winter," Fuller said. "I know they had a lot of work to do getting everything changed to all the Cat colors along with all the other off-season tasks. I’m glad we pretty much have our crew back because I have a great group of guys.

"I’m excited about working with Antron. The chemistry between the two teams is amazing. I don’t see why both of these David Powers cars won’t make the Countdown [to the Championship] this year. I think both of our cars will fly under the radar and surprise some people."

Last season, Powers was the only multicar owner to have two Top Fuel cars make the Countdown to Four; Fuller and Whit Bazemore both earned a shot to compete for the 2007 title. The past is something to be proud of, but a nearly healthy Fuller likes what he sees heading into his third full season as a Top Fuel professional.