Abu Dhabi: Rod Fuller, the 2007 Top Fuel Championship runner-up and manager of Yas Marina Circuit's drag race driver training, feels one of the strongest qualities among Emiratis aspiring to become drag-racers is the lack of fear and a world-class Emirati drag-racer could emerge within five years.
Speaking to Gulf News yesterday, Fuller said, "The UAE nationals have got tremendous potential. One of the things that I am most excited about is that they don't have any fear."
"Drag racing is a contest of acceleration and power. To drive a drag-race car one should not have any fear. Already Emiratis are used to the speed. And instead of focusing on speed on the streets they can bring this competitiveness to the track," said Fuller, who not only represents Team Abu Dhabi in championships but has been charged with training at the Yas Drag Racing Centre. Top Fuel dragsters are 7.5 metres long and weigh 1,100 kilograms in race-ready trim and are among the world's fastest-accelerating machines — 8,000-horsepower Top Fuel dragsters can cover 402 metres in less than four seconds at up to 500 km/h.
"I think in five years we could have a drag racing Emirati who could be competing in the championship series. Realistically I believe we can have somebody from this country in a car competing at the highest level," Fuller said.
"Our job is to make them channel their potential and make sure they understand that these cars are not only dangerous to them but also to those that are competing. Once they harness all that potential I think drag racing is a perfect fit for them," the American said.
At the inaugural Yas Drag Racing Festival on March 20 earlier this year, Fuller became the fastest man on four wheels in the UAE when he hit a terminal speed of 499.97 km/h. He covered the standing-start quarter-mile (402 metres) in 3.898 seconds in his 8,000-horsepower dragster, setting another UAE record by just 1/1000th of a second. The previous fastest time was set by his teammate Tommy Johnson Junior the previous night at 3.899 seconds.
