Weekend-long improvements have Lucas ready for Gainesville eliminations

GAINESVILLE, FL – Making his first start of the 2015 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season at the NHRA Gatornationals, ProtectTheHarvest.com Top Fuel driver Morgan Lucas clinched a spot in the ultra-competitive field during the last qualifying session at Auto-Plus Raceway.

Fighting track conditions and early season kinks, Lucas found himself needing to race his way into the 16-car field heading into Q4. He made it down the track with a 3.963-second pass at 300.40 mph, good enough to secure the No. 16 qualifying spot. Lucas will line up alongside No. 1 qualifier Shawn Langdon in round one of eliminations on Sunday.

“This ProtectTheHarvest.com Top Fuel dragster is a work in progress,” Lucas said. “We only made it down the track one time successfully, but it was good enough to get us in the race tomorrow.

“We have a tough first-round matchup against Shawn Langdon but that doesn’t make a difference. We just want to go out there tomorrow and do the best we can, go down the track, and represent Lucas Oil the best way we can.”

Taking a few rounds to get acclimated again, veteran racer Lucas found himself getting back on the proverbial bike and learning how to ride it. Despite working out the initial kinks of the weekend, Lucas is finally starting feel like he’s getting back in the swing of things behind the wheel.

“I feel like an inexperienced rookie right now in the car,” Lucas said. “Hopefully, I can get my act together for the first round tomorrow because Langdon has been a hard guy for people to beat so far this season. Either way, it feels good to be back in the cockpit.”

Eliminations will start at approximately 11 a.m., Sunday, with both qualifying and elimination action broadcast on ESPN2 on tape-delay basis.