NHRA News: Schumacher Racing acquires Morgan's Pro Stock team (6/18/2004)

Schumacher Racing acquires Morgan's Pro Stock team

6/18/2004

"With the support from Don Schumacher Racing, we can win a lot of races."
– Larry Morgan

Multi-team owner Don Schumacher announced that Don Schumacher Racing, in cooperation with Mopar Performance Parts and Dodge Motorsports, has purchased the assets of Larry Morgan's NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Pro Stock team, effective immediately.

Larry Morgan will continue as driver and 10-time NHRA champion Bob Glidden will remain with Morgan as crew chief, with Mopar remaining on board as the team's primary sponsor. With this acquisition, Don Schumacher Racing now owns and operates a total of six NHRA pro teams, with at least one team in each NHRA Pro category.

Morgan, of Newark, Ohio, joins the Don Schumacher Racing teams of Gary Scelzi in the Hemi-powered Oakley Dodge Stratus R/T Funny Car, Whit Bazemore in the Matco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge Stratus R/T Funny Car, Tony Schumacher in the U.S. Army Top Fuel dragster, and Antron Brown and Angelle Savoie in the U.S. Army-backed Pro Stock Bikes.

A pair of NHRA veterans, Don Schumacher and
Larry Morgan, announce their new deal.
Racers Edge Photography

"We want to work real hard to take this team to a new level and have it be able to go out and win every race there is to win for the balance of the year," said Schumacher, whose teams will now have bases in Ohio and Indianapolis. "The team's performance has been very close to current points leader and 2003 Pro Stock champion Greg Anderson's. We will provide this team all the necessary assistance to help it accomplish its goals and our goals and that's to win races and hopefully be in the challenge for the Pro Stock championship in 2005."

"I'm very excited about this relationship," said Morgan, currently fifth in the Pro Stock point standings. "I think we can really do well. One of my biggest problems was being under-budgeted and that is no longer the case.

"I've got the will to win, and I know that Bob Glidden does as well, and with the support from Don Schumacher Racing, we can win a lot of races, there is no question. I am very proud to be a part of the Don Schumacher Racing family."

"Larry was trying to string dollars out of quarters," said Glidden, "and you just can't do that in life, period, let alone in Pro Stock drag racing. This will certainly help the financial problems that we've had trying to make this team be competitive.

"We've been making progress throughout the year. We've come from a year ago, when if there were 35 cars at the racetrack, Larry was 36th. Recently, we've been in the top one, two or three cars in several races. I think this arrangement with Don Schumacher is going to help make further strides. I'm pretty excited about it, to tell the truth."

"It's always great when you see a win-win situation," said Paul Kelly, director of Mopar Performance Parts. "The proven results from Larry Morgan in 2004 along with the vast performance resources Don Schumacher Racing provides is a powerful combination. Having three great legends of NHRA Drag Racing as owner, driver and crew chief only adds to the rich history of Mopar in drag racing."

Morgan, 49, entered his first Pro Stock race in 1987. A drag racer since 1984, Morgan has 16 national event wins in 34 final rounds, including nine Pro Stock wins in 24 final rounds. His crew chief, the legendary Glidden, joined the team in April 2003. Glidden, 59, earned 10 Pro Stock championships and 85 national victories in his 16 years competing in that class.

Teams under the Don Schumacher Racing umbrella currently lead Top Fuel (Tony Schumacher) and Funny Car (Whit Bazemore) in the POWERade Drag Racing Series point standings. In Pro Stock Bike, Angelle Savoie stands fourth, Antron Brown sixth.

"It could grow beyond that," Schumacher said. "I still want to add one more Top Fuel dragster and one more Pro Stock car."

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