Morgan making ground in points and performance
DON SCHUMACHER RACING 2004 NHRA POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES Round 14 of 23 CARQUEST AUTO PARTS NHRA NATIONALS PACIFIC RACEWAYS KENT, WASH. Race Dates: July 23-25, 2004 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Judy Stropus, 203-438-0501; cell 203-243-2438 LARRY MORGAN MAKING GROUND IN POINTS AND PERFORMANCE KENT, Wash. (July 21, 2004) - Larry Morgan came close to winning his first Pro Stock event of the year last Sunday at the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals at Bandimere Speedway, outside of Denver, when he faced dominating points leader Greg Anderson in the final round of eliminations. He came up short for the win, but he and crew chief Bob Glidden served notice that they're coming on strong at the end of the 2004 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series season after joining Don Schumacher Racing, and it won't be long before the Team Mopar Dodge Stratus sits in the winner's circle again. Morgan's Dodge, admittedly, was not at its peak performance last Sunday, yet the Newark, Ohio, resident gave Anderson a run for the laurels, finishing just .0234 of a second behind the points leader and moving into fourth in the point rankings. Last year at the CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals, Morgan was also runner-up to the defending Pro Stock champion. But this weekend, Morgan feels the Hemi power in his Stratus has the edge. "To be honest with you," he said, "I think we're going to run better here than we did in Denver, because I think the Hemis run a lot better at sea level than they do up at altitude. "If everything goes our way, we'll win the race. I'm looking forward to it," he added. But can he overcome the Anderson supremacy? "Yeah, we can beat him," he declared. "We're right there with him right now. I believe we have more power than he does. We just have to get our car together, make it a lot better. "We're making ground. We are surely making ground on him. I can guarantee we're going to beat him. When? Pretty quick, I'd say; hopefully this weekend." The newly-resurfaced quarter-mile at Pacific Raceways will help, he said. "That was an issue for us in the past. It was as bad for us as it was for the Fuel cars. The new pavement should be good for us. The smoother the track the better. I'm looking forward to it." Pro qualifying is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. PT on Friday, July 23, and on Saturday, July 24, at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. PT. Final eliminations will begin at 11 a.m. PT on Sunday, July 25. ESPN2 will air qualifying on July 24 at 7 p.m. ET. NHRA2Day is scheduled for July 25, at 8:30 a.m. ET, and coverage of final eliminations will air at 8 p.m. ET on July 25 on ESPN2. LARRY MORGAN QUICK FACTS: * Qualified 14th at 2003 CARQUEST Auto Parts Nationals, runner-up to Greg Anderson * Currently fourth in Pro Stock points, two final rounds, no wins in 2004 * Last win was in Sonoma in 2002 * Born in Utica, Ohio; resides in Newark, Ohio. * Age 49, married to Diane, two sons * Entered his first Pro Stock race in 1987 * A drag racer since 1984, has 16 national event wins in 35 final rounds, including nine Pro Stock wins in 25 final rounds * Crew chief Bob Glidden joined the team in April 2003 * Glidden, 59, has earned 10 Pro Stock championships in his 16 years competing in that class and claimed 85 national victories before retiring as a driver in 1997 ***