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SONOMA, Calif. -- Morgan Lucas is ready to get his racing groove back. After going out in the first round of the last five events, the 22-year old driver of the John Stewart and Ronnie Thompson-led Lucas Oil Racing team is anticipating a major turnaround as he heads into the 19th annual Fram/Autolite Nationals at Infineon Raceway on July 28-30.
"We need to get out of the slump we're in right now and Infineon Raceway is the place to do it," said Lucas, who greatly wants a to see a win light in his lane. "I had my first win ever at that track in 2002 in the Alcohol ranks and again in 2004, so hopefully we can have that same luck. Maybe this could be the race we can turn it all around."
The signs are apparent that Lucas and company need to restore the potency of his team and with the right settings and insight; progress can be made in the right direction. "We need to find the consistency in getting the car running right and qualifying better," said Lucas. "We need to get back on track as we were in the beginning of the year and the team is working towards that. This drag racing stuff, it sure ain't easy. If anyone says it is are in for a rude awakening. "It's hard and we're going through some growing pains. It's even harder keeping everyone's head in the game and the morale is one of those things you have build up. Right now we're paying our dues for the big payoff later."
One thing that Lucas can appreciate is a top-notch, first-class facility and that's what Infineon Raceway brings to motorsports. The scenic wine country setting offers the amenities of a picturesque background to the earth-shaking ultra-fast 330-mph race cars. "Bruton Smith's racetracks are beautiful and they accommodate to the racers and they take care of a lot of things, Lucas said. "Their staff is always affable and courteous to deal with and they have an interest in drag racing. It's nice to know Bruton's tracks are some of the nicest we race on and that says something about the money he's invested in the sport."
The start of the Fram/Autolite Nationals begins at Infineon Raceway on Friday, July 28 with qualifying starting at 4:00 p.m. (PDT) and 7:30 p.m. Saturday's time trials start at 12:00 p.m. for the nitro classes followed by a second session at 3:30 p.m. The race starts promptly at 12 p.m. on Sunday, July 30. www.morganlucas.com
LUCAS OIL RACING DRIVER NOTES: Morgan Lucas has five runner-up finishes, which the Riverside, Calif. driver reached in only his seventh (04 Las Vegas2), eighth (04 Pomona2), 10th (05 Phoenix), 20th (05 St. Louis) and 21st (05 Denver) starts. He finished fifth in the 2005 NHRA Top Fuel Point standings with 1,357 points after completing his first full season on the competitive 23-race NHRA circuit. He is presently eighth in the 2006 standings with 653 points and trails the championship lead by 378 points. Lucas' quickest elapsed time is 4.474 seconds, set on Feb. 12, 2005 at Pomona Raceway. He sped to his fastest top speed of 328.94 mph on May 29 in the first round of eliminations at the 2005 O'Reilly Summer Nationals in Topeka, Kansas. He won two Budweiser low qualifier awards. His first on May 14 at the Atlanta Dragway recording a time 4.541 seconds and Oct. 22 on 'The Strip' at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway setting the pace with his run of 4.508 seconds. Morgan Lucas' first Top Fuel event came behind the wheel of the Joe Amato-owned dragster at the 2004 Lucas Oil Nationals at the Brainerd (MN.) International Raceway on August 15, 2004. DOB: November 27, 1983.
Lucas Oil Racing Geared Up to Bounce Back
SONOMA, Calif. -- Morgan Lucas is ready to get his racing groove back. After going out in the first round of the last five events, the 22-year old driver of the John Stewart and Ronnie Thompson-led Lucas Oil Racing team is anticipating a major turnaround as he heads into the 19th annual Fram/Autolite Nationals at Infineon Raceway on July 28-30.
"We need to get out of the slump we're in right now and Infineon Raceway is the place to do it," said Lucas, who greatly wants a to see a win light in his lane. "I had my first win ever at that track in 2002 in the Alcohol ranks and again in 2004, so hopefully we can have that same luck. Maybe this could be the race we can turn it all around."
The signs are apparent that Lucas and company need to restore the potency of his team and with the right settings and insight; progress can be made in the right direction. "We need to find the consistency in getting the car running right and qualifying better," said Lucas. "We need to get back on track as we were in the beginning of the year and the team is working towards that. This drag racing stuff, it sure ain't easy. If anyone says it is are in for a rude awakening. "It's hard and we're going through some growing pains. It's even harder keeping everyone's head in the game and the morale is one of those things you have build up. Right now we're paying our dues for the big payoff later."
One thing that Lucas can appreciate is a top-notch, first-class facility and that's what Infineon Raceway brings to motorsports. The scenic wine country setting offers the amenities of a picturesque background to the earth-shaking ultra-fast 330-mph race cars. "Bruton Smith's racetracks are beautiful and they accommodate to the racers and they take care of a lot of things, Lucas said. "Their staff is always affable and courteous to deal with and they have an interest in drag racing. It's nice to know Bruton's tracks are some of the nicest we race on and that says something about the money he's invested in the sport."
The start of the Fram/Autolite Nationals begins at Infineon Raceway on Friday, July 28 with qualifying starting at 4:00 p.m. (PDT) and 7:30 p.m. Saturday's time trials start at 12:00 p.m. for the nitro classes followed by a second session at 3:30 p.m. The race starts promptly at 12 p.m. on Sunday, July 30. www.morganlucas.com
LUCAS OIL RACING DRIVER NOTES: Morgan Lucas has five runner-up finishes, which the Riverside, Calif. driver reached in only his seventh (04 Las Vegas2), eighth (04 Pomona2), 10th (05 Phoenix), 20th (05 St. Louis) and 21st (05 Denver) starts. He finished fifth in the 2005 NHRA Top Fuel Point standings with 1,357 points after completing his first full season on the competitive 23-race NHRA circuit. He is presently eighth in the 2006 standings with 653 points and trails the championship lead by 378 points. Lucas' quickest elapsed time is 4.474 seconds, set on Feb. 12, 2005 at Pomona Raceway. He sped to his fastest top speed of 328.94 mph on May 29 in the first round of eliminations at the 2005 O'Reilly Summer Nationals in Topeka, Kansas. He won two Budweiser low qualifier awards. His first on May 14 at the Atlanta Dragway recording a time 4.541 seconds and Oct. 22 on 'The Strip' at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway setting the pace with his run of 4.508 seconds. Morgan Lucas' first Top Fuel event came behind the wheel of the Joe Amato-owned dragster at the 2004 Lucas Oil Nationals at the Brainerd (MN.) International Raceway on August 15, 2004. DOB: November 27, 1983.
