Langdon leads Lucas Oil team charge on Thunder Mountain
DENVER (July 24) -- Four clean runs on Sunday is all Shawn Langdon,
driver of the Lucas Oil/Speedco dragster, needs to make him happy.
Langdon led the Lucas Oil team charge during qualifying at the Mopar
Mile-High NHRA Nationals on Friday and Saturday at Bandimere Speedway
and will be starting sixth on the Top Fuel ladder when Sunday's
eliminations begin.
Defending NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle champion Hector Arana qualified
ninth in his class and Larry Morgan put the Lucas Oil Ford Mustang 12th
on the Pro Stock ladder.
Langdon collected his best pass during Friday's night session, a 3.982
second run at 304.94 mph in his Lucas Oil/Speedco dragster.
"The run on Friday night was our saving grace," Langdon said. "Overall,
the car has been running good. The track is pretty tricky up here. We
really don't run like this anywhere else, but we've got a handle on it."
Langdon goes against "Hot Rod" Fuller, who is competing for just the
second time this season, in the first round. Fuller qualified 11th with
a 4.113 second run at 280.06 mph.
"Rod's team has shown they can run," Langdon said. "But you've just got
to stick to your own lane. We've been trying to test different areas of
the track, because we know some areas are better than others.
"Anything can happen up here and four good, clean runs are going to win
this race."
Arana, who had a best pass of 7.319 seconds at 184.45 mph, squares off
against Matt Smith, who had a 7.316 at 182.97 mph, in a first round
battle of Pro Stock Motorcycle titans.
"We're missing the tune-up," Arana said. "We seem to have lost it for
now but tomorrow is what matters and I think we know what we need to do.
The bike is responding to what we're doing but we haven't got it where
we want it just yet.
"Everything changes up here. The RPMs, the sprocket, the gear ratios,
timing, fuel, it's all different. If we can get it to leave the starting
line and get through those first 60 feet, I think we'll be able to run."
Morgan had a best pass of 7.016 at 196.64 mph, and will be heads-up
against No. 9 qualifier Johnny Gray on Sunday morning. Gray's best lap
was a 7.002 at 197.16 mph.
-source: lucas oil racing
