Vital Statistics
Driver:Morgan LucasDate of birth:November 27, 1983
Hometown:Brownsburg, IN
Sponsor/Car:GEICO/Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster
Crew Chief:Dickie Venables
Career Wins:13 (Top Fuel 3, Top Alcohol 10)
Career Final Rounds:20 (Top Fuel 7, Top Alcohol Dragster 13)
Career Best Elapsed Time:4.474 seconds (quarter mile)
3.814 seconds (1,000 feet)
Career Best Speed:333.33 mph (quarter mile)
316.90 mph (1,000 feet)
GEICO Top Fuel professional Morgan Lucas remembers the exact moment he choose his career path. He was just 10 years old, riding shotgun with his father Forrest in the family car, when they pulled through the gates of historic Pomona Raceway for the NHRA Finals.
"I hear this roar, this thunder, and it shook my body," Lucas said. "And we were still in the parking lot. We ran up to the stands and I saw a Top Fuel dragster go by and I was instantly hooked. It was like -- that's what I want to do."
The following year, Lucas and his hot rod-loving father came back to Pomona, where Morgan met an up-and-coming driver named Darrell Russell. It was another defining moment in his life.
"I was getting Darrell's autograph and he was so nice to me," Lucas said. "He went in his trailer and got this front wheel he had bent up at another race and asked me if I wanted it. I was blown away. He made such an impression on me. I got him to sign it and then I spent the rest of the weekend getting all the other drivers to sign it. To this day it's my most prized possession. I've been offered me a lot of money for that wheel but I would never sell it."?
Lucas started seriously formulating a path to the professional ranks that day, and soon began racing Junior Dragsters. As soon as he turned 16 he graduated to Super Comp dragsters, and a few years later to Top Alcohol Dragsters.
Perhaps by fate, Morgan's final move to Top Fuel once again involved Russell. The rising star had lost his life in a racing accident and after regrouping, Russell's team decided to soldier on. They needed a driver and Morgan's unqualified success in the developmental ranks had caught their attention.
"We were racing up in Woodburn, Oregon, when (Russell's crew chief) Wayne Dupuy called," Morgan said. "He said they wanted to keep racing and they wanted me to drive Darrell's Top Fuel car. It was one of those phone calls you never forget."?
Lucas has remained in Top Fuel ever since, becoming one of the top drivers in the sport. His first half dozen years have been dotted with impressive performances and a handful of trips to the winner's circle. Looking forward, Lucas expects even bigger and better things, especially since adding two-time champion crew chief Dickie Venables to his team late in the 2010 season.
Venables brings a sparkling resume to his the post, including two Funny Car world championships, one as crew chief for Tony Pedregon's Funny Car team and another as assistant crew chief under John Medlen when Pedregon raced at John Force Racing.
"Dickie came on board it was like a light switch being turned on," Lucas said. "We have as talented a group as we've ever had. I'm pumped, the team is pumped, our sponsors are pumped, Dickie is pumped. I know nothing in this sport comes easy, but we're on the right track for sure, and 2011 should be a career season.
"It's hard to believe it's been more than 17 years since that first race," Lucas said. "That left such an impression on me, the speed, the people in the sport. I hope I can keep that legacy going."
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
2008:
- Finished 12th in Top Fuel championship standings on the strength of three semifinal appearances
- Pulled double-duty on numerous occasions by driving his Top Alcohol Dragster at several races
2007:
- Finished 15th in NHRA POWERade Top Fuel standings
- Four semifinal appearances (Las Vegas1, Brainerd, Reading, Las Vegas2)
- Recorded win/loss record of 10-16, now has accumulated a 68 – 69 win/loss career total.
- Reset career best Miles-Per-Hour 330.47 mph at the Auto Club NHRA Finals in the fourth round of qualifying at Pomona, Ca.
2006:
- Finished 11th in NHRA POWERade Top Fuel standings
- Five semifinal round appearances (Pomona1, Atlanta, Topeka, Brainerd, Memphis)
- Raced to his 100th career round (Quarterfinals – Brainerd).
- Recorded win/loss record of 17 – 22, now has accumulated a 58 – 53 win/loss career total.
2005:
- Three final round appearances: Checkers Schuck's Kragen Nationals at Firebird Raceway in Phoenix; Sears-Craftsman Nationals at Gateway International Raceway in Madison, Ill.; and Mopar Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway in Denver.
- Finished fifth in the NHRA POWERade Top Fuel point standings with 1,357 points.
- Earned two Budweiser Low E.T. awards. He qualified his Lucas Oil Dragster in the No. 1 position at the Summit Racing Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway (May, 14) after running 4.541 seconds, 326.40 MPH. He claimed his second at the ACDelco Nationals on "The Strip" at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway rocketing down the quarter-mile to a time of 4.508 seconds, 324.36 MPH (Oct. 22).
- Set career best elapsed time: 4.474 seconds in Pomona, Calif. (Feb. 12) at the season opening CarQuest Winternationals.
- Set career best speed: 328.94 MPH at Heartland Park Topeka for the running of the O'Reilly Summernationals (May 29)
- Amassed a 29-23 win/loss record - 56 per cent proficiency record
2004:
- Began professional Top Fuel career at 23rd annual Lucas Oil Products NHRA Nationals in Brainerd, Minn., August 15, 2004.
- Earned runner-up finishes at ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals and Auto Club of Southern California NHRA Finals in Pomona, Ca.
- Set career E.T. - 4.519 ET (Nov. Pomona), MPH - 326.08 MPH (Nov. Pomona)
- Lucas finished 15th in NHRA Top Fuel category, eighth in Lucas Oil Top Alcohol point standings and third in Division 7 regional championship.
- Winner of four Lucas Oil Drag Racing series National Event titles:: Summitracing.com Nationals (Las Vegas1), Fram-Autolite Nationals (Sonoma, Ca.), Lucas Oil Nationals (Brainerd, Minn.), and Lucas Oil Nationals (Reading, Pa.).
- Earned one low qualifier National Event award: Lucas Oil Products Nationals, Brainerd, Minn.
- One divisional six event win (Seattle)
- Had Three No. 1 Qualifiers - Lucas Oil divisional events (Bakersfield, Ca, Division 7, Woodburn, Ore.-Division 6, Seattle - Division 6)
- Has a total of 10 National event alcohol wins in11 final rounds
2003:
- First full season behind the wheel of the Jerry Darien and Ken Meadows owned Top Alcohol Dragster; competed in 10 national events and seven divisional events
- Earned six low qualifier awards; K&N Filters Winternationals (Pomona), O'Reilly Spring Nationals (Houston), Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Division 7 event (Sonoma), Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Division 6 event (Woodburn, OR), Carquest Auto Parts Nationals (Seattle), and Mac Tools U.S. Nationals (Indianapolis)
- Winner of two Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Division 7 events; Firebird International Raceway (Phoenix) and Infineon Raceway (Sonoma)
- Winner of four national event titles; Mac Tools U.S. Nationals (Indianapolis), Carquest Auto Parts Nationals (Chicago), O'Reilly Fall Nationals (Dallas) and Auto Club of Southern California Finals (Pomona)
- Earned first Mac Tools U.S. Nationals title from the pole position
- Became only the third Top Alcohol Dragster driver in NHRA history to win both the national event and the Jeg's All-Stars race held at Route 66 Raceway in Chicago
- Top Alcohol Dragster Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Division 7 Champion
- Finished No. 2 in the national point standings.
2002:
- Competed in Super Comp the first half of the season posting two wins in the Super Comp Association.
- Competed in six events in the Top Alcohol Dragster class driving for Jerry Darien and Ken Meadows.
- Earned five Low Qualifier awards in Top Alcohol Dragster; Lucas Oil Northwest Nationals (Seattle), Fram/Autolite Nationals (Sonoma), Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Division 7 event (Medford, OR and Las Vegas), and the Auto Club of Southern California NHRA Finals (Pomona).
- Earned two National events wins in Top Alcohol Dragster; Fram/Autolite NHRA Nationals (Sonoma), Auto Club of Southern California NHRA Finals (Pomona), and one Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Division 7 "Summer Nights of Fire" (Pomona).
- Finished runner-up at the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Division 7 event in Las Vegas.
- Ranked 18th in the national points standing in the Top Alcohol Dragster class in 2002.
Hero: Dad, Dale Earnhardt and Boris Said
Proudest Moment: Winning the Auto Club of Southern California Finals in 2002 and setting the national elapsed time record
Marital status: Single
Education: Riverside Community College (two years)
Youngest professional driver on the NHRA circuit
Favorite TV Programs:Family Guy, NHRA Lucas Oil “On The Edge”
Favorite Movies: Super Badd
Favorite Movie Stars: Chris Farley, Mike Myers, Adam Sandler, Will Ferrell
Favorite Sport: Basketball, Football
Favorite Vacation Spot: Fiji
Favorite Food: Italian, Japanese
Favorite Groups: Incubus, Linkin Park, As tall as lions, and U2
Hobbies: Racing, Watching Indianapolis Colts football
If you weren't racing: Working for the Family
Youngest professional driver on the NHRA circuit