Volume IX, Issue 8, Page 10

Morgan Lucas, team manager and driver of the Lucas Oil Top Fuel car


James Drew photo

Morgan Lucas was still steamed from his missed qualifying opportunity on Friday night and when I asked him if there was a way to resolve those issues he had this to say.  “Yeah, it’s called pulling our head out of our ass. I mean we started a top fuel session at 8:30 (p.m.) and we have a curfew at 10 (p.m)... there’s an average time needed for a qualifying session to happen. You come here and you know that it’s always typical for this track to have Friday night oil-downs. Don’t plan for that, plan ahead of it – don’t do that, be smarter than the track.  All the teams agree, we’d rather have it fair than not, and there’s ten cars that didn’t go down the track (tonight), ten guys that have got sponsors that didn’t get to (see him) run.” 

What about the next level for Lucas?  “You don’t want my real answer to that, I’d get in trouble.  The politically correct answer is for NHRA to actually talk to the teams, maybe even do it one on one, talk to the crew chiefs,  talk to the people to find out what the problems are and (how to) resolve them.  Do you think NASCAR or anybody else hasn’t done that?  They (NASCAR) went to the people who are putting on the show and asked them what they want. 

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“Ask them how to make the show better so they (NHRA) can provide a better show,” Lucas continued. “If they work with us, we can give them something better.  For instance, in qualifying be smarter than the situation.  To keep people from bitching, take an average of all four sessions and that’s what you qualify with.  You insure more cars going down the track they are going to pedal it, it’s going to be like raceday all day, every day and the fans will get a better show, NHRA will get a better show and we are going to get more of an even playing field.  It’s just being smarter than the program and making the whole deal the best that we can, and there are some areas that are lacking.  There’s a need for better planning, better PR, better everything.  We  (pro teams) are free labor for them (NHRA) and we are putting on the show.  This sport has so much potential and I don’t think that (those who) are running the thing are on top (of that) .”

Rod Fuller, current NHRA Top Fuel points leader and driver of David Powers’ unsponsored Top Fuel team


Todd Dziadosz photo

Rod Fuller felt the next level was getting a better TV package. “It’s pretty stale right now and I’m a big drag racing fan, not only a driver but a fan and I have a hard time watching it on TV. It seems really choppy. If you make it to the finals you get less coverage than you do being in the first round, and I don’t understand that. I think they need to build more drama for the guys who make it that far (to the finals). Interview both drivers, make it play into the fact that these two cars made it to the finals and these cars need to address the drama in the sport and grab people’s attention. 

There’s no reason we can’t take a big chunk out of those NASCAR guys

“I know we can never bring the excitement these cars have on the track in person, but we could be doing a lot better job on attracting people not only to the cars, but also to the drama of the drivers and I think that’s what the next level of the sport is.  We’ve got a great program on-track and I think NHRA has a lot of things ahead of them to make this sport great.  There’s no reason we can’t take a big chunk out of those NASCAR guys.” 

“If people and corporate America isn’t tuning in…you know corporate America still thinks drag racing is small time, like when I used to go out and go bracket racing and those guys still think it’s like that.” Fuller continued, “It’s our job to get them out here, but it’s also NHRA’s job to help promote our sport and make them (sponsors) more knowledgeable.  We’ve got a sponsor like POWERade and they do nothing to promote and activate our sport and other racing series (sponsors) are doing everything they can with on-spot promotions, in-store shelving, commercials and that’s what separates us.  We’ve got one of the top sports out here, but we don’t have anybody pushing it.”

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