Morgan Lucas confirmed that he will be driving a Top Fuel dragster for his parents but the second car sponsored by Evan Knoll is up in the air.

“We owe it to the great sponsors like Evan Knoll and Dixie Chopper to keep things going and give them a great season instead of the crappy one we’ve had,” Lucas said. “We’ll chase the points and do it the right way. We have two teams that could actually pursue and finish in the Countdown. We can contend for the championship. That’s a big statement to make, but I think we that have that. I think we have shown that in the last few races. Right now, I can say that I am as excited as I have ever been and having stability is important.

“I am the kind of person that hates not knowing what is going on. My dad is finally starting to come along because of the ups and downs we’ve had. It has been hard for him because of the money he’s got invested. He’s finally stepped in and got more involved. It has shown a difference lately. The more he’s involved means the better this is going to get. The more excited he gets is going to mean the better it is for everyone in the long run.”

Earlier in the weekend, Lucas received a gut-punch with the announcement of teammate Melanie Troxel’s defection to the Funny Car ranks to drive for Mike Ashley’s expanding team.

“Melanie is a big name to replace,” Lucas said. “She is a great driver and she has many positives working in her favor. She has a great attitude.”

So who would be at the top of his wish list as a replacement for the vacated seat? Lucas said he has some candidates in mind but it all depends on the involvement of sponsor Evan Knoll.

“My buddy J.R. Todd isn’t sure what he’s doing. I’d like to be able to help him,” Lucas said. “There are guys like Spencer Massey, Sean Langdon and lots of other racers who want to improve themselves and would be a good fit for the situation. There are some real marketable people out there. There are some talented female racers out there too.

“Evan is the one that will have to make that decision. It’s his money going into that car and we need to represent that Vietnam Veterans/POW-MIA car the best we can. I think there are a lot of ways to do that. I just think we need to sit down and hash it all out. I’m sure there will be a lot of resumes coming my way.”

Lucas said he may compete in the Lucas Oil Top Alcohol Dragster division, but he can’t help but evaluate talent because of his role as a team manager.

“You always have to keep your eyes open,” Lucas said. “I have been lax in a lot of areas and I plan on doing a lot of revamping for next year. Things can really get hectic and crazy if you don’t have the right personnel. You have to build a good support system just like anything else. It’s like a family, you have to have a great and supportive spouse and in my case, supportive parents. You have to approach it like a big family. I have a lot of great people. There’s a lot of areas that could use some help. We’re going to make that a priority this winter.”

Lucas said that managing the team was a major undertaking for him. He said his limited business experience made it like a sink or swim scenario.

“I knew going into the deal that I was going to be over my head,” said Lucas. “I didn’t have a lot of business experience. There were a few of the negative keyboard crew chiefs that never had many positive things to say. I always did my best to look past what those people say.

“I’m learning and making steps in the right direction with my personal life and how to be stern in decision-making. The perfect example is Latrell Preston, C.F.O. of Torco Race Fuels and how he handles things. He’s a busy guy but he still gets the job done. He treats people with great respect and class. You just have to make the tough decisions and live with them.

“Some things have been right and some things have been wrong. Those things are in the past and we are looking toward the future and moving on.”

Lucas said the recent Reading situation was a stressful one for him.

“From a team owner’s standpoint, stepping aside was the smart business move we needed to make,” Lucas said. “There were a lot of things on the table and I spoke with the crew chiefs and put it on the table. I tried to give my crew a heads-up about what might happen. I talked to them and they said they wanted a heads-up race. They both agreed that if they couldn’t win, they didn’t deserve to be there. It was a situation where I was damned if I do or damned if I don’t.”

Lucas said he made the final decision based on what he felt his fallen friend Eric Medlen would have done. Medlen was killed in a testing accident in March.

“I have always tried to adopt the spirit of Eric Medlen and what would he do in a situation like that,” Lucas said. “You want to talk about a guy that was always honest and straight up when it came to doing the right thing. It was him. The more I can live like him, the better I will be. One day I will be in Heaven with God and Eric.

“That’s a great statement to make and I’m not there yet, but I am working on it. One of these days I can be half the person he was.”

Lucas said that he’s using his experience in day-to-day life to find a better baseline. He said he’s taking advice to remain calm in high stress situations. For him, keeping his mind at an idle – or 500 rpm as he says – is what works for him.

“You know we have all kinds of advisors on the race cars, but one of the things I cherish the most is my spiritual advisor that brings me Bible verses and explains things in a simple sense to me,” Lucas said. “It just enables me to keep my head in check when it gets tough out there. I am blessed to have a great support system.”