Top Fuel driver Lucas ready for Sunday showdown in Seattle

SEATTLE (August 4) - With just about every run the GEICO/Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster made at this weekend's O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Northwest Nationals, the car felt more and more like the car that won twice and earned four No. 1 qualifiers for driver Morgan Lucas earlier in the season.

Morgan Lucas

Photo by: Michael C. Johnson

"This weekend has been all about regaining that consistency we had in the beginning of the season," Lucas said. "In three out of four runs between Friday and Saturday, that's exactly what we've accomplished.

"It feels good to be accomplishing goals, and if I can drive to my capability Sunday there's no reason why we can't give everyone a run for their money."

Lucas qualified No. 8 for the second race in a row with a best pass 3.864 seconds at 318.62 mph. He goes up against No. 9 qualifier David Grubnic, who qualified with a lap of 3.873 seconds at 312.42 mph.

"We would have loved to have been in that top five or six," Lucas said. "I'm not going to complain, because I feel like we're getting that car we had back."

With temperatures shooting up into the 90s, Lucas said he was impressed with the way the Pacific Raceways track held up in the heat.

"As hot as it got, the track didn't go away with it," Lucas said. "NHRA did a great job with the surface and this is the best Seattle we've had since I've been racing here."

The first round is going to feature another Morgan Lucas Racing vs. Kalitta Motorsports matchup with Brandon Bernstein taking on Doug Kalitta. Lucas said the MLR teammates can really help each other out with wins on Sunday morning.

"It's kind of a cool situation," Lucas said. "I know Brandon and Grubnic are fighting it out for position in the points and Doug and I are competing closely. We need them, they need us.

"The Kalitta guys race clean races and they're fun to compete against. It's an interesting little race within the race tomorrow."

Source: GEICO/Lucas Oil Racing