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After qualifying third, the Abu Dhabi/Yas Marina Circuit Top Fuel dragster driven by Rod Fuller was eliminated in the final round of the FRAM-Autolite Nationals at Infineon Raceway on Sunday. The seven-time Top Fuel winner recorded a time of 4.448 seconds in the eliminations, after his all-conquering 3.873-second qualifying time on Saturday.
The elimination round at the California track saw a number of surprise results, including a defeat for defending champion Antron Brown, who recorded a time of 4.906 despite qualifying in second place in the Matco Tools/US Army dragster.
“We had a great qualifying round and it was a real thrill to qualify in third place,” Fuller said. “It was disappointing not to get a better result in the eliminations, but that’s drag racing. I’m looking forward to Denver next weekend and building on what we’ve achieved here in Sonoma.
“In the meantime, it’s been wonderful to see the Abu Dhabi Yas Marina Circuit car get so much exposure in the US. We’ve had a lot of opportunity to promote Abu Dhabi as an exciting tourist destination and talk about how we’re developing NHRA drag racing at Yas Marina Circuit.”
Race-goers at Sonoma have extended a warm welcome to the whole Abu Dhabi team. “The close-knit NHRA drag-racing community seems genuinely delighted to have a new Top Fuel player taking part in these events,” said Peter Rae, Director of Communications for Yas Marina Circuit. “Rod’s many TV and press interviews have focused largely on his life in Abu Dhabi, the creation of the Yas Drag Racing Academy, and why Abu Dhabi is racing in the USA. It has been an excellent promotional platform for Abu Dhabi and the UAE to an American audience.”
The three-day Sonoma event has attracted a crowd of 40,000 each day, many of them families with children, amid a carnival atmosphere at this iconic California track, formerly known as Sears Point. Colourful team trailers mingle with the smaller motor homes of the privateers, retail outlets selling a range of souvenirs, and displays of custom cars and dragsters from previous eras.
Fuller’s car is sponsored by the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority on a four-race tour of the US this summer. The team will race in Denver on 23-25 July, Indianapolis on 4-6 September and Charlotte, North Carolina, on 16-19 September.
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