Morgan Lucas places E3 Spark Plus dragster solidly in Atlanta field

ATLANTA – Racing for just the second time this season, Top Fuel veteran Morgan Lucas peeled off a steady pass of 3.915 seconds at 289.82 mph in his E3 Spark Plugs dragster to successfully qualify for the 35th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals.

Just making it down Atlanta Dragway became a chore for the 10,000-horsepower, nitro-powered class as temperatures and humidity soared Saturday, placing a premium on keeping the big rear tires glued to the track.

“Job 1 was getting the E3 Spark Plugs dragster into the field because this is their home race and their first with us as the primary sponsor on the car, so we didn’t want to mess up,” Lucas said. “We did that, so I’m very thankful. Hat’s off to these crew guys, who always seem to pick up right where we left off no matter how many races we miss in between starts.

“The car still has a lot to show. We did get further down the track each run, so we’re moving in the right direction. You’re certainly always pecking away at problems, and these cars tend to create new problems as soon as you correct the old ones but that’s the challenge of it all.”

Lucas ended up 11th in the field and will face longtime friend and former teammate J.R. Todd in the opening session. Todd did slightly better in qualifying sixth on the grid, posting a best pass of 3.807 at 321.35 mph.

“It’ll be fun to race J.R.,” Lucas said. “That car’s been running great and he’s a superb driver, so we’ll have our hands full, but as I said, I think we can do a lot better than what we’ve shown so far, so we’ll try to give him a race and see if we can’t score a little upset.

“As hot as it’s been, it’ll be a big crapshoot out there tomorrow. It’s supposed to be even warmer, so we’ll have to be ready for anything. I know the guys will have the car prepped perfectly, and we’ll do what we can to show off for E3 Spark Plugs.”

Eliminations kick off at 11 a.m. ESPN2 will carry Sunday’s action.