Morgan’s best run of the weekend can’t overcome Enders-Stevens

POMONA, CA – Lucas Oil Pro Stock driver Larry Morgan put a scare into Erica Enders-Stevens in the first round of the Auto Club NHRA Finals on Sunday at Auto Club Raceway.

But despite getting a jump on the points leader and making his best run of the weekend, Morgan couldn’t get to the second round. Enders-Stevens ran him down to bring an end to Morgan’s season.

“My best run of the weekend,” Morgan said. “John (Nobile) and Nick Mitsos came over here for a half-hour this morning and fixed us up a little bit. We worked on the toe-in and changed some of the rear suspension.”

Morgan’s pass was 6.551 seconds at 210.93 mph, which came after a .031-second reaction time, but that package wasn’t enough to beat Enders-Stevens’ .062 light and 6.494-second pass at 213.47 mph.

Morgan and Enders-Stevens joked at the top end about her advantage.

“I said, ‘I was going to dump you at the other end anyway,’ ” Morgan said. “We had her at half-track but she got by me.”

Morgan is a big fan of Enders-Stevens, who is battling Jason Line for the Pro Stock title.

“I wish her the best of luck,” Morgan said. “Our class needs something, and she’ll make a good champion. Her winning it would be awesome. I like Jason Line a bunch, and if either one of them would win it I wouldn’t care, but it’d be beneficial to our class if she won.”

The veteran Morgan had a difficult 2014, struggling to find speed with a small team against Pro Stock powerhouses.

“It’s been a tough one,” Morgan said. “My problem with what I do is I’m under-funded. I should be running a Stocker. No, I’m serious. Some people in Pro Stock pay their engine builders more than what I get to race. I feel good about what we did with what we have.

“But that’s not the way I want to race and it’s not the way I’m going to race from now on.”

Morgan vows to come back and compete at the highest level.

“I’m going to find the proper funding and I’m going to do it right,” Morgan said. “I think I can still drive. I don’t know if I still want to be involved in the engine deal, only because I don’t have the money to do it right.

“I’ve been very successful at spending money the last 30 years. I’m going to be very successful with my next 20 making money.”