Best run of weekend can’t get Lucas Oil’s Morgan to second round

CHARLOTTE, NC – The way Lucas Oil Ford Pro Stock driver Larry Morgan’s Four-Wide Nationals experience went, he could only laugh after falling out on the first round.

“I picked up four-tenths on every run,” Morgan said with a laugh. “By the next run, hell, I might have been fast.”

Morgan experienced a myriad of engine problems that forced him to miss two qualifying sessions, and his best qualifying pass was made on a third engine. He qualified No. 16 and had to face No. 1 qualifier Chris McGaha, No. 8 Jimmy Alund, and No. 9 Vieri Gaines in the first round.

Morgan made his best run of the weekend, a 6.641 at 208.62 mph, but he crossed the finish line fourth, with only the top two advancing.

“We had so many issues this weekend: broken valve springs, valve guides, other stuff,” Morgan said. “Hey, I’m just glad we even made it down the track today. We rebuilt two engines and we worked until 1 o’clock in the morning two days in a row. Just wasn’t a good weekend for us.”

Morgan now has nearly two weeks to prepare for the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA SpringNationals on April 25-27 in Houston.

“We’ll go back and regroup,” Morgan said. “We hurt a lot of engine stuff this weekend, so we need to go back and fix all that so we’re good for Houston. We’ll be all right. I’m glad we have that time.”

Morgan is also glad to get out of Charlotte, as bad luck has struck him two years in a row during the Four-Wide Nationals. Last year, a fire during testing before the race forced him to work overtime during the weekend.

“It’s been a while since I had this many problems,” Morgan said. “You know, we would’ve been fine if we didn’t hurt valve springs. It just happens. I can’t blame the valve spring people because we’re turning these engines so high, it’s awful hard on them. We’ve got to make sure we stay on top of it.

“All we can do is go home, work on it, and then pick up and go to the next race.”