Another top-qualifying run for Lucas in Reading; Langdon gains ground

READING, Pa. (Aug. 20) -- For the second weekend in a row, NHRA Top Fuel driver Morgan Lucas has the quickest car on the property as his GEICO Powersports/Lucas Oil dragster blistered Maple Grove Raceway Friday night with a 3.867 at 307.37 mph, which was more than two hundredths of a second quicker than his nearest rival.

Lucas' teammate Shawn Langdon also got in some good work on the rain-abbreviated opening day of the 25th annual Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals, posting a sixth-best 3.933 at 310.84 mph in his Lucas Oil/Dixie Chopper dragster. Due to rain, only one of two scheduled sessions was completed. The lost round will not be made up.

"After sitting around all day waiting for a chance to run I'm so glad we had a big pass like that," Lucas said. "These fans deserved it after staying through all that mess. Hopefully, that number stands. It all depends on the weather.

"The team is working really well together right now and we're not making any mistakes. The playoffs are on everyone's minds but I just want us to stay focused on the next pass down the track. You can't take anything or anyone lightly out here. After last year (failing to make the playoffs), I'm just so happy we're in the mix and that I'll be walking across the stage at the award's banquet. Everything else we do will be icing on the cake.

"People are talking about how much better we've been running the last two weekends but really we've been super-close all year long. We've just had a problems with the engine dropping cylinders but now that Jimmy (Walsh, crew chief) has that problem fixed the car's been responding to everything we ask it to do. It's awesome right now."

After a weekend of experiencing the same problems with dropped cylinders in Brainerd, rookie-of-the-year candidate Langdon was pleased just to have his car make it down the track with no issues.

"I'm so relieved and happy right now," he said. "This was a great start to the weekend for us because none of us know if it's going to rain tomorrow or what. At least we have a good baseline to run from no matter what happens.

"It was just a nice, clean run. I know we have a lot more in there so we can step on it now. We just wanted to be safe and make sure it went down the track this time."

Qualifying resumes Saturday with two sessions scheduled to begin at noon and 3 p.m., weather permitting.

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Contact: Geiger Media at 281-354-5769 or rob@go2geiger.com.

Please visit www.geicogarage.com for more information on Morgan Lucas.

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