At Reading Lucas in line for fifth top qualifying effort of the season

READING, Pa. (Oct. 5) - Morgan Lucas put the GEICO/Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster on the edge of a fifth No. 1 qualifier on the season Friday night at the Uni-Select Auto Plus NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway.

Morgan Lucas

Photo by: NHRA

"As good as a 3.76 is, if, A). I would have driven it straight and B). the blower belt stayed on; it would have run a 3.74 or 3.75," Lucas said. "I'm still shocked a .76 stayed No. 1 with the way other guys were running in the first session. I'm really proud of the team."

Lucas smoked the tires on the first run and he said with a weather front expected to move through eastern Pennsylvania in the next 24 hours, the GEICO team's focus wasn't on going to the top of the time chart.

"We were really more focused on getting down the racetrack," Lucas said. "We're not sure what's going to happen tomorrow, but in the end I'm really happy with the results."

Saturday's sessions will depend on how much the weather will cooperate, but Lucas said crew chief Aaron Brooks is already formulating a plan to improve on the stellar run from Friday.

"We've got to get the car to move early in the run," Lucas said. "NHRA had done such a good job with prep work on these tracks, and this track is always fast and going to just get quicker tomorrow. Hopefully we can pick it up a little in the first incrementals and step it up a little bit."

Lucas said it's been fun to see how fans have responded to the three wins and four No. 1 qualifiers he's earned so far this season.

"I talked with a fan earlier today and he was complementing our season so far," Lucas said. "It's a lot different to hear that now than in years past where you hear what becomes the same old thing of 'You'll get it' or 'You'll get there.'

"I'm not saying we're there yet, but we're a lot better than where we were. We've accomplished more in one year than I've done in the rest of my whole career."

Source: Lucas Oil Racing