GAINESVILLE, Florida March 10, 2015 - Tony Schumacher isn't the only Top Fuel driver entering this weekend's NHRA Gatornationals at Auto-Plus Raceway coming off a victory in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.
ProtectTheHarvest.com racer Morgan Lucas won the last time he raced, at 2014's season finale in Pomona, Calif. He returns to the seat of his Morgan Lucas Racing dragster for the first time since that event as he kicks off his part-time schedule this year.
"Shawn Langdon let me have the (Pomona) track record all winter," Lucas said with a chuckle. "But to know that we've got a car that can run with anybody else is a real pleasure. We do this part time, and we know how fortunate we are to get to do this. A lot of people look for some way to be competitive in their everyday life, and I get to do it in a 330-mph race car. It's a pretty cool thing to say."
Lucas held the Pomona elapsed time record until good friend and past teammate Langdon seized it at the Winternationals this year, but Lucas wants to make his own history as he makes his 2015 season debut.
"I'm very excited to get back in the car and make sure I can remember how to do what I used to do on a regular basis," Lucas said. "It's like riding a bike, but you've got to get in and get going on it. I'm excited to get in and get going."
Lucas will be a teammate to Richie Crampton, with crew chief Aaron Brooks tuning both cars.
"We've got a good group, a lot of the same people who were working on the car last year," Lucas said. "It makes it a lot easier and makes you a lot more comfortable knowing you've got a good group behind you. With the way Richie has been qualifying and doing at the start of the year, it gives you a lot of confidence.
"But just like we did last year, first thing is first: You've got to qualify and try to look respectable; you don't want to look like a bunch of dummies. We're representing a brand, and we've got to do a good job."
The two-car team worked well for MLR last year. In the seven races Lucas and Crampton were teammates, Lucas won two and Crampton two.
"I don't know if it was good luck or what caused it," Lucas said. "I don't know if it was because Aaron had that many more looks at the racetrack, but for us it was just an amazing year. You can't ever count on going to the track and winning. You try to win and that's what we're going to do. Both cars are competitive, both cars have good parts and good people. You've got to put yourself in the right position and hope the breaks fall your way.
"Winning races is part performance and preparation and it's also partially luck. Hopefully, we can make that business model work for us."
Qualifying sessions are scheduled for 1:30 and 4:40 p.m. PT, Friday, and 12:45 and 3:45 p.m., Saturday. Eliminations will start at approximately 11 a.m., Sunday, with both qualifying and elimination action broadcast on ESPN2.
