Slightly different from the old "Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday" slogan,
seven-time NHRA Top Fuel winner Hot Rod Fuller spent last weekend at Patten Cat's annual 'Red
Tag' sales event at the dealership's headquarters in Elmhurst, IL. Fuller had his new Vandergriff
Motorsports Top Fuel dragster on display, and spent two days greeting Patten Cat customers as they
came to the dealership to look at and buy equipment.
The reward for Fuller assisting in a weekend of equipment sales is getting to climb back in the
cockpit of a Top Fuel dragster and make his 2009 debut at this weekend's NHRA National event, June
5-7, at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, IL.
"That was a fun event," Fuller said. "Helping Cat dealers sell equipment is something that I find
very rewarding and it quantifies how the racing program pays off for dealers that sponsor us at
races. This is a great opportunity to not only showcase the sport of NHRA drag racing to Patten Cat
and their customers, but I really feel we have a chance to win this race. I've had some success at
Route 66 (Raceway) in the past and partnering with Bob (Vandergriff) is the start of something
great I believe." Many of Patten's customers had a chance to come by the dealership to meet Fuller
in an environment where 7,000 horsepower cars weren't doing burnouts or speeding along at 300 mph.
It provided an atmosphere for fans to walk right up to Fuller and have one-on-one conversations
without racing distractions.
"Having Hot Rod Fuller and his Vandergriff Motorsports Top Fuel dragster at our 'Red Tag' event was
a tremendous success," Chief Marketing Officer for Patten Industries, Inc., Bill Dears said. "Not
only was it great for our customers to meet Rod in person, but we literally had additional
contractors come look at equipment, and bring extra people with them because they heard he was
going to be here. We obviously benefited from this by showing them Cat equipment while they were on
the lot." Fuller, a Chicago native, has been a regular atop the NHRA Top Fuel points standings
since 2005. The University of Arkansas graduate has seven career wins in 18 final round
appearances. Fuller, who has seven career No. 1 qualifying awards, is a three-time finalist at
Route 66 Raceway, including the last two years. He also posted the quickest run of his career,
4.464-seconds, at the Joliet track in 2007.
In addition to Patten Cat and its Think Big educational partner, Illinois Central College,
technology partners - Sat Track GPS and Danfoss Corporation, will join Transplace of Lowell,
Arkansas to support Fuller's return to the NHRA circuit. Vandergriff Motorsports and its existing
sponsors; Speedco, Hedman Hedders, and Split Second Speedgear will complete a well rounded program
for Fuller at the NHRA race in Joliet.
