NHRA News: Lucas plans to gain experience for 2005 title run (9/21/2004)

Lucas plans to gain experience for 2005 title run

9/21/2004

"I want to take these eight races to learn, to get over the little mistakes I might make, and get more comfortable in the car."
– Morgan Lucas

At the beginning of the 2004 season, 20-year-old Morgan Lucas was setting his sights on his first Alcohol dragster national championship, this after finishing second in the final standings in 2003. He had one of the top A/Fuel Dragsters on the tour, a very talented team, the financial backing, and of course, the talent to make it happen. NHRA insiders also figured that a move to the nitro-powered Top Fuel dragster category was inevitable for the up-and-coming Lucas, just not in the way the current arrangement unfolded.

That was the plan at the beginning of the year anyway.

Lucas will make his first Texas Top Fuel appearance when he competes in the O'Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals, Sept. 23-26, at the Texas Motorplex outside of Dallas. Kenny Bernstein (Top Fuel), John Force (Funny Car), and Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) are the defending winners of their respective categories of the $1.6 million race, the 20th of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag racing Series.

Following the tragic death of the talented Darrell Russell as result of injuries sustained in an accident in St. Louis, car owner Joe Amato was undecided what the future held for his Top Fuel team. After missing the next few races, Amato Racing announced they would return to competition at Brainerd, Minn., with the young Lucas behind the wheel of the Lucas Oil dragster.

While considering the opportunity to join Amato Racing, Lucas was concerned about a few of the outside factors involved with the situation. He knew there were people who would doubt his driving ability and his experience behind the wheel, or 'seat-time'. He also knew there would be some individuals upset with him just for the fact that he would be sitting in the cockpit once occupied by Russell.

"I felt that some people would understand the situation and some who wouldn't," Lucas said. "You always want something to go your way, hoping that it happens under the best circumstances. Obviously this situation did not occur under the best circumstances. However, I know that if something happened to me, I would want the team to go on. I am positive that is what Darrell would say to. There is no way I can replace Darrell. He was one of a kind. If I can be half as good a driver, but more importantly, half as good a man as Darrell was, then I'm doing alright."

With the 2004 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing season winding down, the Amato Racing team is using the last few events of the year to prepare itself for 2005, when they plan on being a serious contender for the POWERade Top Fuel title.

"I know by racing in the last eight races of the season I can't be the rookie of the year next season, but I don't care," said Lucas. "I want to take these eight races to learn, to get over the little mistakes I might make, and get more comfortable in the car, like I am in A/Fuel. I don't care about individual accolades, this is a team sport. It takes the whole team to succeed. We want to win the POWERade championship, that's the ultimate goal. That is something you do as a team, everybody wins."

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