Four-time NHRA Top Fuel winner Rod Fuller will compete behind the wheel of the yellow-and-black Caterpillar dragster for the second time this season. David Powers Motorsports and Fenton, Mo.-based Fabick Cat have partnered to back the Fuller-driven rail during the 11th annual O’Reilly Midwest Nationals, May 4-6, at Gateway International Raceway, team owner David Powers announced today. Linn State Technical College, located in Linn, Mo., also will be involved during the weekend.

 

The relationship between David Powers Motorsports and the Cat dealer groups is designed as a pilot program to increase technician recruiting. Caterpillar dealers are experiencing a shortage of technicians, and NHRA drag racing offers a technician-rich recruiting environment to find qualified candidates with experienced mechanical backgrounds. Fabick Cat is the authorized dealer for Caterpillar equipment, prime and stand-by power systems, parts and service, compact construction, and rental equipment for 99 counties in southern Missouri and Illinois. David Powers Motorsports partnered with Caterpillar and Houston-based Mustang Cat during the Houston NHRA event in late March.

 

“After the great success with the Caterpillar program in Houston, we’re now to do our second venue, this time in St. Louis,” Powers said. “For all the parties involved, Caterpillar and Fabick Cat, our hopes are to create the same result that we experienced for Mustang Cat. We learned from the Houston event and we have a few new ideas for this program.”

 

Four-time NHRA Top Fuel winner Rod Fuller will compete behind the wheel of the yellow-and-black Caterpillar dragster for the second time this season. David Powers Motorsports and Fenton, Mo.-based Fabick Cat have partnered to back the Fuller-driven rail during the 11th annual O’Reilly Midwest Nationals, May 4-6, at Gateway International Raceway, team owner David Powers announced today. Linn State Technical College, located in Linn, Mo., also will be involved during the weekend.

 

 

The relationship between David Powers Motorsports and the Cat dealer groups is designed as a pilot program to increase technician recruiting. Caterpillar dealers are experiencing a shortage of technicians, and NHRA drag racing offers a technician-rich recruiting environment to find qualified candidates with experienced mechanical backgrounds. Fabick Cat is the authorized dealer for Caterpillar equipment, prime and stand-by power systems, parts and service, compact construction, and rental equipment for 99 counties in southern Missouri and Illinois. David Powers Motorsports partnered with Caterpillar and Houston-based Mustang Cat during the Houston NHRA event in late March.

 

“After the great success with the Caterpillar program in Houston, we’re now to do our second venue, this time in St. Louis,” Powers said. “For all the parties involved, Caterpillar and Fabick Cat, our hopes are to create the same result that we experienced for Mustang Cat. We learned from the Houston event and we have a few new ideas for this program.”

 

Fuller enters the St. Louis race ranked second in the NHRA Top Fuel standings. He trails points leader Brandon Bernstein by just 19 points. Fuller earned his fourth career Top Fuel victory at the Phoenix race in late February and led the Top Fuel standings following four races. He also set career-best performance marks at the Phoenix race, 4.466 seconds at 331.61 mph. Last weekend at Atlanta Dragway, the Las Vegas racer earned his third career No. 1 qualifying award.

 

“I’m so excited to have Fabick Cat on the car,” Fuller said. “Cat is such a recognizable company around the globe. To represent them is such an honor. Hopefully, we can have more success on the track and help them reach their recruiting goals again. It would be neat to give Cat its first win in NHRA drag racing in their home state of Illinois.”

 

In just its second full season on the NHRA circuit, David Powers Motorsports features Fuller and the Matco Tools dragster of 20-time NHRA winner Whit Bazemore. The Powers cars currently rank second and fifth in the Top Fuel division. Both Fuller and Bazemore have earned pole awards this season. Champion tuner Lee Beard and Rob Flynn lead Powers’ tuning braintrust as both Fuller and Bazemore eye spots in the Countdown to the Championship.

 

“Fabick CAT is thrilled to sponsor the team of David Powers Motorsports and Rod Fuller,” Fabick CAT Marketing Supervisor Renee Famula said. “Mixing a successful race team with Fabick CAT and Linn State Technical College is the perfect way to capture the attention of many skilled technicians. We will have applications available in Rod Fuller’s pit for anyone interested in a career in the construction and truck engine fields.”

 

Fabick Cat will offer an impressive display of Caterpillar equipment at the NHRA event in St. Louis. They will have a location in the popular Manufacturer’s Midway area of the pits where fans can acquire information on the construction equipment, meet Fuller, and inquire about a career as a Caterpillar dealer technician.

 

ESPN2 will feature two hours of qualifying highlights from the O’Reilly Midwest Nationals from 5-7 p.m. (ET) on Saturday, May 5, and three hours of final eliminations coverage from 7-10 p.m. (ET) on Sunday, May 6.