Lucas draws No. 1 qualifier, Countdown contender Todd in Dallas first round

DALLAS, TX – Lucas Oil/GEICO Top Fuel driver Morgan Lucas would have much rather qualified better for the NHRA FallNationals on Saturday at Texas Motorplex, but the matchup could work out in Morgan Lucas Racing’s favor.

Lucas, competing in his sixth race this season, has a dual role during the Countdown to the Championship: He wants to win as many rounds as possible and, in doing so, help take out Countdown contenders to aid teammate Richie Crampton.

At the first Countdown event in Charlotte, Lucas struggled in qualifying, ending up No. 14, but then took out No. 3 qualifier and points leader Doug Kalitta in the first round.

That race was postponed to Dallas, a race not originally on Lucas’ part-time schedule. Lucas lost in Charlotte’s second round to eventual finalist Khalid alBalooshi and ended up No. 16 in Dallas qualifying. He draws No. 1 qualifier J.R. Todd, who is just ahead of Crampton in the Countdown standings in eighth place.

“We could easily say we were sand-bagging so we could race somebody up in the points, but we were not,” Lucas said. “It’s just the way it works out. It didn’t work out great in Charlotte, and we ended up with a great first-round run, so you never know what’s going to happen.”

Lucas made his best run of the weekend, 3.988 seconds at 250.69 mph, but alBalooshi made a run of 3.848 seconds at 319.45 mph to get the second-round Charlotte victory.

That pass also got Lucas into the Dallas field and kept Countdown contender Brittany Force from qualifying for the Dallas race. She’s just behind Crampton in points.

“I guess had we not showed up, Brittany would’ve qualified,” Lucas said. “I don’t want anything bad to happen to them, but when you think about the points, little things help. Sometimes those rounds add up to something special.”

Todd won the Dallas pole with a pass of 3.761 seconds at 319.75 mph. Lucas has had a knack of making a race-day turnaround — witness his victory in Brainerd from the No. 12 qualifying spot — and he hopes to do the same Sunday.

“You have to be in it to win it,” Lucas said. “You don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow. We’ll have to take it up there loaded and see what’s going to go down.”