FireAde’s Morgan feeling no pressure heading into Gatornationals eliminations

GAINESVILLE, FL – FireAde Chevrolet Pro Stock driver Larry Morgan didn’t have the best passes in his first two qualifying attempts for the NHRA Gatornationals on Friday at Auto-Plus Raceway, but was he worried? Not in the slightest. Morgan then pulled off two good qualifying runs Saturday and is in the No. 11 position heading into final eliminations.

“I’m not doing pressure,” Morgan said. “I’ve kicked everybody’s butt out here but (rookie) Drew Skillman, and the only reason I haven’t is because he hasn’t been racing with me. None of them scare me. I do enjoy what I do and I love the people, so I’m not feeling any pressure.

“I’m going to do the best I can do for everybody who’s associated with me, especially FireAde and all their great people. I want to win.”

Morgan will square off against No. 6 qualifier Allen Johnson in the first round Sunday — not that he knew, or cared, late Saturday. Johnson’s best pass was 6.530 seconds at 212.79 mph.

“I don’t know who I race and I don’t care,” Morgan said. “I promise that I won’t be an easy one.”

Morgan and his FireAde team were working with a set of new front struts on his Camaro, and the development has been tedious.

“The new struts are good,” Morgan said. “Every run, they keep getting better. We’ll be fine tomorrow.”

Morgan’s run in the final qualifying session was 6.591 seconds at 211.33 mph and was hampered by a failing spark plug, but Morgan still managed to chuckle after his team didn’t believe he could feel it going bad.

“When I went against the chip (on the starting line), it popped on me,” Morgan said. “I thought, ‘There’s something wrong.’ And then when it ran, it ran slow. When I got back, I told the engine guy it got flat on me, and he looked at me like I’m an idiot.

“So they’re looking at the computer and say, ‘Check out No. 4. You’ve got a closed plug.’ I said, ‘I told you!’ ”

Eliminations will start at approximately noon, Sunday, with both qualifying and elimination action broadcast on ESPN2 on tape-delay basis.