Lucas Oil pro Morgan excited about start to another season
POMONA, CA – Veteran Pro Stock campaigner Larry Morgan will begin his 28th season of NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series 
competition when he climbs behind the wheel of the Lucas Oil/MAVTV Ford Mustang for the Circle K NHRA Winternationals this weekend at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.
Morgan made his first start in Pomona in 1987 and has made 414 starts since then. He has won 10 times in his long career and is among the most popular drivers in the Pro Stock pit area.
“I still get excited when the season starts up again,” Morgan said. “I may be getting up there in years, but it’s still a lot of fun to pull into Pomona for the first race. And it’ll be a thrill when we pull around the corner into the staging lanes, too. Pomona is such a great place, and I can’t wait to get started.”
Morgan finished 12th in the Pro Stock points standings last season while being one of the lone Ford competitors in Pro Stock. He built the engines in his Mustang and co-owns the team with his wife, Diane. Son Nick also works on the team in what has become a family affair for Morgan.
“I still love doing this, but, really, what else would I be doing?” Morgan said. “I’ve been doing this for so long that I don’t know what else I’d do. That doesn’t mean I don’t love it because I do. It’s a challenge for us to do it the way we do, but that’s what makes it so fun for us.”
Morgan is a former No. 1 qualifier in Pomona, earning the pole there in the second Pomona race in 1989, and he’s hoping his small team can step up during the 2014 season.
“I hope we can do a little better than last year,” Morgan said. “It’s tough to do what we do, but I’ve beaten all those guys before, and I know we can do it again. Give us a little luck and we can win some races, too.”
Qualifying begins with sessions at 12:30 and 3:30 p.m., Friday, and concludes with two more rounds at 12:30 and 3:30 p.m., Saturday. Final eliminations begin at 11 a.m., Sunday. Qualifying TV coverage airs from 8-10 p.m. Pacific, Saturday, on ESPN2. Eliminations will be shown from 5-8 p.m. Pacific, Sunday, on ESPN.
