Lucas Heir Determined to Succeed as a Driver
Lucas Oil in Corona is a major motor sports sponsor that’s also stepping up its promotional effort in pro football. But none of that guarantees victory for Lucas heir Morgan Lucas, an NHRA drag racer who has a home in Riverside.
The 22-year-old driver is still looking for his first top-fuel victory after 33 career starts as the National Hot Rod Assn. heads to Gainesville, Fla., this weekend for the ACDelco Gatornationals.
Lucas is sixth in the Powerade top-fuel points standings after the first two races of the season in Pomona and Phoenix. But because it’s early in the year, he is only 60 points behind leader Melanie Troxel.
“Our intentions are to make [elimination] rounds and let the points fall where they may,” Lucas said. “The competition is just so tight, there’s no room left for any mistakes.”
Lucas is the son of Forrest and Charlotte Lucas, who own Lucas Oil Products Inc., a maker of lubricants and additives for the automotive and trucking industries.
It owns Morgan’s team and has several other NHRA sponsorships, including one of the sport’s series, the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, and the Brainerd, Minn., event called the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals. It also sponsors a NASCAR Busch Series car.
This month, the company also landed the naming rights to a proposed 63,000-seat stadium in Indianapolis that will be the new home of the Indianapolis Colts starting in 2008.
The deal, valued at $122 million over 20 years, already has prompted some Indianapolis locals to dub the stadium “the Luke.” Forrest and Charlotte Lucas are both Indiana natives.
But it was in Pomona where Morgan Lucas got the drag-racing bug at age 10. His father took him to the NHRA World Finals and, while there, he got an autographed wheel from driver Darrell Russell, who became one of Lucas’ favorite drivers.
Over the next decade, Lucas worked his way up through drag racing’s ranks. Then, in a cruel coincidence, Lucas got his opportunity to join the sport’s top-fuel ranks because Russell was killed in a racing accident in June 2004.
Russell’s team owner at the time, drag-racing legend Joe Amato, picked Lucas to replace Russell. Then this year, Forrest and Charlotte Lucas formed a team with Morgan as the driver.
In this year’s first race in Pomona, Lucas beat rookie Hillary Will and Rod Fuller in early eliminations but then lost to Troxel. In Phoenix, he eliminated Doug Kalitta but lost to Larry Dixon.
“We know we have a quick race car,” Lucas said. “Being only 60 points out of the lead, we’re more determined than ever to perform well.”
Elsewhere
* Irwindale Speedway will try a second time to start its season Saturday night a week after its opening event was postponed because of bad weather.
The night also includes a rescheduling of “Shav Glick Night,” honoring The Times’ longtime racing writer who retired Jan. 16.
A variety of NASCAR-sanctioned races also is planned, including super late models, late models and figure-8s. Jesse James, host of Discovery Channel’s “Monster Garage” series, is among the scheduled entrants in the figure-8 race.
* The Vintage Auto Racing Assn. plans to hold its Route 66 Classic and Formula Festival on Saturday and Sunday at California Speedway in Fontana.
The event includes races of vintage sports cars on the track’s road course, and four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Al Unser Sr. is scheduled to appear, according to the group’s website. Admission is $10 for the weekend, kids under 12 are free with a paid adult and the gates open at 8 a.m.
* Denver Nugget forward Carmelo Anthony joined with veteran Indy Racing League owner Ron Hemelgarn to co-own a team this year that will field an IRL car driven by rookie P.J. Chesson.
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Times correspondent Steven Herbert contributed to this report.
