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Wed, Sept. 3rd 2008
The U.S. Nationals always delivers. The “Big Go” was just that. I couldn’t even begin to share every storyline and incidental development I personally witnessed over the weekend.
But I can state without question that one of the most indelible images I will definitely carry away with me is the look of total and unmitigated disappointment and frustration on the face of Morgan’s dad, Forrest, as he stood at the starting line during eliminations on Monday and watched the racers which carry Lucas Oil sponsorship losing in the sport’s biggest race.
Do you think Mr. Lucas is passionate about his involvement in NHRA POWERade drag racing? Trust me, he is wound up completely tight out there.
Morgan didn’t qualify in Top Fuel so that set the tone for the whole weekend. A DNQ effectively ended his shot at the Countdown to 1, a week after I predicted in ESPN The Magazine that he would successfully slip his way in. I made several visits to Morgan’s pit on Saturday and Sunday to offer my sympathies and try to cheer him up but kept missing him by a few minutes. The vibe down there wasn’t very cheery as you can imagine. It’s the second time in as many years that Team Lucas didn’t advance into the Countdown to 1 and it’s no fun realizing there are six races left in the season and you have no chance at the championship.
That’s why when J.R. lost in Round 1 of Top Fuel, Gary Densham lost in Round 2 of Funny Car, Hector Arana lost in Round 1 of Pro Stock Motorcycle (and missed making the Countdown to 1), and only Larry Morgan remained alive with his Lucas Oil Dodge in Pro Stock, Morgan’s dad was less than delighted. Let’s face it, the Lucas family has sunk some pretty deep roots in Indianapolis. Their race shop is located in nearby Brownsburg and the new stadium where the Indianapolis Colts are playing their home games is now named Lucas Oil Stadium.
I’m sure there were some pretty important VIP’s visiting the race this weekend as guests of the Lucas family and it wasn’t a very festive performance for most of the Lucas Oil teams throughout eliminations.
(BTW, I’m in my hotel room as I write this and “Days of Thunder”, the NASCAR movie starring Tom Cruise, is showing on Versus. Can someone explain to me why the yellow flag never comes out no matter how many race cars crash, flip, and get stuffed into the wall throughout the entire course of that flick? Just curious.)
I would be remiss if I didn’t make mention of the genuinely surreal season Tony Schumacher is having. OK, I mentioned it. I won’t elaborate on what he’s done in ’08 because its being reported, discussed, analyzed, evaluated, and exalted with little restraint all over the motorsports media. Tony’s a great champion but there’s not much I can add.
So, what do I think was the most compelling story at Indy this year that didn’t get adequate coverage by the media? I would have to say there are two.
Doug Kalitta losing in the final round to Schumacher was covered, but I didn’t hear much about the deep and intensifying disappointment that Doug has frequently suffered at the hands of Tony. Doug has never won the U.S. Nationals. He has two runner-up finishes there now. His uncle, Connie, won Indy once, in 1994. Scott, Doug’s late cousin, never won the “Big Go”. Doug lost what would have been his first POWERade championship in 2006 when Tony pulled off that phenomenal final round miracle in Pomona.
And Monday, Tony did it again.
And the second story would be Ron Capps. He’s in his 12th season in the category and has never won Indy. He’s won the U.S. Smokeless Showdown a couple of times, but never the U.S. Nationals. He lost in the first round on Monday. His tuner, Ed “The Ace” McCulloch, has won Indy 6 times—5 in Funny Car and once in Top Fuel. How disheartening do you think it is for Ron to have missed that first Indy win for 12 consecutive years?
Morgan has won Indy in Top Alcohol Dragster so he can appreciate the pride and respect other racers afford you when you’ve been to a U.S. Nationals winner’s circle. For Ron, he has to be wondering if his turn in the Indy limelight will ever come.
Get ready for Charlotte in two weeks. That race is going to be a monster.
Bet on it.