Pro Stock driver Larry Morgan qualifies fifth in Charlotte with FireAde Camaro

CHARLOTTE – This weekend’s NHRA Carolina Nationals kicks off the 2015 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship, and FireAde Chevrolet Camaro driver Larry Morgan is off on the right foot. Going into the first race of the six-round championship battle, Morgan is sixth in the standings, just 70 points out of first place.

Morgan and his team were pleased with their achievements after four rounds of Pro Stock qualifying at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte. Morgan qualified fifth for Sunday eliminations with a 6.548 at 211.76 mph and will meet Alex Laughlin in the first round.

“I think we’ve got a good chance of winning tomorrow,” Morgan said. “We’ve made four good runs here and I think we’ve got four more left.”

The four good runs Morgan referred to include a 6.576 in the first round of qualifying on Friday, followed by his best of the weekend, a 6.548 in the second session, which cemented his place in the top half of the 16-car field.

His first qualifying pass today, run under warmer track conditions, was a 6.572, which he followed up with a 6.565.

“We came here today knowing that we were not going to run quicker than we did on Friday,” Morgan said. “It’s almost impossible with the warmer conditions, but what we could do is take today’s two runs and try to make them as consistent as we could, and we’ve done a real good job of that.”

“I’m looking forward to eliminations tomorrow,” Morgan said. “I’m going to do the best I can. As a driver I’m going to try to do all my stuff right. I think we’ll be good.”

Morgan has won twice in 2015, including at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals in Charlotte in March.

“I think all the guys who work on this FireAde Camaro and all the guys at Gray Motorsports who work on the engine did a great job. I think we’re going to do well.”

Eliminations for the eighth annual NHRA Carolina Nationals begin at 1 p.m. on Sunday.