LUCAS DELIVERS FOR FAMILY
![0933-03193.jpg 0933-03193.jpg](/sites/default/files/images/stories/august2009/nhra_brainerd/saturday/low_qualifier/0933-03193.jpg)
“This morning Jimmy (Walsh) said we can either hop it up or we can tone it down but I think we should go down the track and see where it will take us,” said Lucas after claiming the pole for his family sponsored Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainard Int'l Raceway. We did exactly that and went an 86 and I thought we left a little bit out there in the middle of the track.”
Lucas capped a single qualifying session with a highly respectable 3.868 second run at 307.16 mph, the fourth of his career and the second this season.
It was a matter of choices. You could go for it all if you thought the rain was going to wipe out the final qualifying session or you could hold back hoping the rain would do the same.
“This morning Jimmy (Walsh) said we can either hop it up or we can tone
it down but I think we should go down the track and see where it will
take us,” said Lucas after claiming the pole for his family sponsored
Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainard Int'l Raceway. We did exactly that
and went an 86 and I thought we left a little bit out there in the
middle of the track.”
Lucas capped a single qualifying session with a highly respectable
3.868 second run at 307.16 mph, the fourth of his career and the second
this season.
If there is anything to karma, Lucas should be handing the Wally to his
mother tomorrow. Five years ago, he won in the Top Alcohol division on
the same day he made his Top Fuel debut. Winning on Sunday would bring
a breathe of reality to his dreams.
“I daydream about that day that I can do that,” said Lucas, before
bringing himself back to reality. “It’s very nice to dream about but
it’s going to take a lot to win this race. Especially with the weather
conditions and all, you can’t really get a good read on what it’s going
to be like. Yesterday it was muggy and hot and everybody showed in
their performance. Then today it was a lot better, much more normal
conditions like some of the other tracks we have been to before this
one. I think there is a really good chance that we can come out and
show what we’ve got tomorrow but we’re going to try and do this as a
team and maybe try and get both cars to the final round. If Sean
(Langdon) wins I’ll be happy and if I win he’ll be happy. We’re really
starting to act like a team and it shows.”
Lucas will start the day in a unique matchup of ages, he being the
youngest on the circuit and his opponent, Chris Karamesines, being the
oldest.
“Actually racing the Greek is going to be kind of cool. I’ve never
raced him in a qualifying session much less an elimination round so
this is going to be kind of cool. It’s fun and unique opportunity for
me to do what I need to do so the bottom-line is we have to race the
track tomorrow, we’re not racing the Greek, we’re racing ourselves. I
think that goes with everything else that you are doing. You can’t go
up there and step on your own toes you have to have the car and setup
ready to do what it needs to do to win that round but the bottom-line
is the track is going to be tricky with the rains and the rubber is
going to be different. That first round is going to be exciting to
watch, there is going to be a lot of fun racing tomorrow.”
It might be exciting on the race track tomorrow, but for Lucas one of
the joys of coming to Brainerd is experiencing the “zoo”, an area of
campers where the partying is almost non-stop and almost anything can
happen. Then again, that is almost what Lucas is hoping for, that
anything can happen, including his first Top Fuel career win in a race
sponsored by his family's business.
Advertisement