NHRA News: Lucas enters first race with eyes wide open (8/9/2004)

Lucas enters first race with eyes wide open

By Rob Geiger, NHRA.com
8/9/2004

"We're the underdogs but we might bite some people."
– Morgan Lucas

He's won eight national events and finished second in the chase for the NHRA's national championship in his Top Alcohol Dragster, but nothing 20-year-old Morgan Lucas has accomplished in his brief racing career can match the nine practice squirts he took in Joe Amato's Top Fuel dragster this weekend in Pennsylvania.

Lucas, who was selected to drive Amato's car last month after the untimely death of Darrell Russell, completed the necessary passes required to upgrade his competition license from Top Alcohol to Top Fuel over the weekend at Maple Grove Raceway. "It's the most awesome feeling in the world," Lucas said. "It's an A/Fuel car on steroids. I don't think you could ever prepare yourself for this. You have to experience it."

Morgan needed at least two runs of 5.20 seconds or quicker at 260 mph and he came through with three passes well within the boundaries. His best was a 4.76 seconds at 307 mph set Saturday morning. He followed that up with a 4.82 at 305 mph early Saturday evening, and posted a 4.88 at 297 mph Sunday before the team ran out of nitromethane. His other six passes were either planned shut-offs or tire smokers.

Lucas completes a burnout at Maple Grove.

"I think we would have stayed and run a few more passes but we ran out of nitro and there was nowhere to get any," Lucas said. "Doug Foley had a little and he brought it over in jugs or we wouldn't have had enough to even run [Sunday].

"I know I never will get tired of this feeling. It's completely awesome. Mentally, I've been trying to prepare myself for what it was going to be like but really the only advice I got that came true was to be prepared to be totally shocked. Everything else I've driven flattens out at half-track or so. This thing not only hits so hard right at the Tree but then it hits you again when the clutch locks up. It's a totally different feeling because it never stops accelerating. It's so cool and we didn't even run that quick compared to what this team has done in the past."

Maple Grove ran its regular schedule of Saturday night bracket racing and Lucas and the Amato Racing crew became the instant center of attention, giving Lucas a little taste of what life as a professional drag racer will feel like. It has also made him reevaluate his plans to finish the 2004 season driving both the Top Fuel dragster for Amato and his family's A/Fuel Dragster.

"Dad [Forrest Lucas] really wanted me to finish the year in the A/Fuel car and so did I at first, but now I see the demands of this new job might be a lot more than I expected," Morgan said. "There were people at the back of the pits every time I looked up. Some local newspaper guys came out and did some interviews. They were running Jr. Dragsters also and there were hundreds of these kids who wanted to talk with me and get my autograph on their firesuits. It was way more than I've ever experienced in my alcohol car and this was just a little weekend deal.

Lucas might scrap plans to continue running his TAD.

"One kid in particular was just so excited that we were there. He was back there all weekend and he kept talking to me, asking me to look at his little dragster. I went and had a look when we had a minute and it was a trick little ride. He was so excited."

The weekend also gave Lucas a chance to work with his new team.

"The guys were so cool," Lucas said. "Wayne [Dupuy, crew chief] and Joe [Amato] were with me every step of the way, going through what I needed to do and what to expect. Joe's advice was dead-on every time. Jim [Dupuy] seems like my big brother. He was looking out for me. All the guys were awesome and they treated me like family. I hope we race together for a long time. It's amazing how much work everyone does to get this car ready."

Now Lucas and his new team must prepare themselves for this weekend's 23rd annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway.

"I'm excited to race," Lucas said. "It'll be interesting to see what it's like with a car next to me. I know I have so much to learn. I'm definitely not as comfortable as I am in my A/Fuel car. These things are animals. It's so intense. There's no feeling like it. Everything happens so quickly, even the way it moves around.

Lucas prepares for a run.

"One time it got out of the groove and I shut it off because I wasn't sure how much driving you can do. They told me to steer it back in there just like my A/Fuel dragster and so I did the next time and it responded. I still feel like I'm steering it right now, rather than driving it, if that makes sense."

Morgan did show the benefits of being the youngest nitro driver on tour. His cat-like reflexes at the starting line ranged from .052 to .088 all weekend. The next youngest full-time Pro on tour is Rhonda Hartman-Smith, who turns 30 in September.

"I was really concentrating on my lights and I think I did okay," Lucas said. "Still, there's room for improvement. I've been thinking a lot about what I'd like to do the rest of this year. I haven't really thought about winning, although this team is capable of winning. I've been thinking a lot more about getting comfortable in the car and becoming better and better at driving.

"I know Joe and Wayne want to run at the championship next year and I don't want to slow them down or disappoint them in any way. I want to be totally ready. It's really good we have eight national events that will basically serve as a test session for next year. Maybe we can make this year's title chase a little interesting for the other teams. We're the underdogs but we might bite some people."

Related story: Lucas thrills Maple Grove fans with test passes
Related story: Amato selects Lucas to drive his car

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