Morgan Lucas admits his role in learning the family business is clearly defined.

"Right now I am in the middle of an apprenticeship, trying to learn everything," said Lucas. "When I look at the big picture, and you draw a circle on a chart, I'm the little dot in the corner as far as my knowledge of the big picture. I have a lot to learn. I love what I am doing and getting to meet and talk to customers. I'm making up for lost time in learning the business when I was so busy drag racing. I'm not saying I regret it; it's just time for me to get my hands dirty in a different way."

Morgan Lucas admits his role in learning the family business is clearly defined.

"Right now I am in the middle of an apprenticeship, trying to learn everything," said Lucas. "When I look at the big picture, and you draw a circle on a chart, I'm the little dot in the corner as far as my knowledge of the big picture. I have a lot to learn. I love what I am doing and getting to meet and talk to customers. I'm making up for lost time in learning the business when I was so busy drag racing. I'm not saying I regret it; it's just time for me to get my hands dirty in a different way."

Lucas, who raced full-time Top Fuel for the last nine seasons, is accepting new roles across the board. He is now a full-time student of Lucas Oil, full-time father and racing, well ... he's a part-timer.

"The full-time [racing] life consumes you," Lucas said. "This is obviously a lifestyle with your friends and family [on the tour]. When you're driving out here all the time you are always focused on driving and when your next autograph session is scheduled or making sure everything is right."

Lucas heads back to work this week at the Lucas Oil offices, fresh off a win at the rain-drenched Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd, Minn. He sees drag racing from a different angle now.

"For me now, I pay more attention to the financial side of it," Lucas said. "I keep an eye on what is going on with the business end of it. I focus and get my head right for driving when I am creeping up on that time. [Being off the full-time tour] allows me to keep my head on straight in other parts of my life whether it's being a father or a student of learning Lucas Oil products. It's been nice."

Winning the race could make for second guessing, but Lucas is content to stay the new course.

"There's part of me that misses the full-time," admitted Lucas. "Basically, it's all I've known for the last ten years. At the end of the day, I really don't miss it. I'm getting to watch my kid grow up. I still get to come out and have fun, get to see my buddies from Brownsburg. I have the best of both worlds right now. I cannot say it's something I miss on a regular basis."

In just a short time into his apprenticeship, he's learning the challenges of the business side which makes the racing wheels turn. His father Forrest and his faithful employees are quickly bringing the next generation up to speed. He's quickly learning the differences.

"I'll be honest here, I haven't fully discovered all of what it takes to run a family business," said Lucas. "There's so much to learn in this Lucas Oil enterprise. All the great people who work there that do so much for me, I'm still trying to establish relationships.

"Drag racing is interesting in that you get money to promote a product, and you get X number of checks per year and that money gets put right back into the race car. On the other hand, in the oil business you are trying to equate volumes and margins, different things where you are trying to make a lot more money than you are bringing in. Drag racing is not a normal business practice. It's definitely not as profitable."

This is not to say Lucas sees the sport exclusively through another set of eyes, the number-crunching angle which doesn't always make drag racing look good on the bottom line. However, for Lucas, the decision to fund only one team was predicated by the need to diversify the company's marketing reach. Marketing the company is a decision that requires objectivity.

"I cannot say that it is an issue with the sport and the return," said Lucas. "What it is, Lucas Oil is spread out so much in all forms of motorsports and marketing across the country, and the world ... every once in a while you want to diversify your company. You want to find new avenues of creating revenue. For us, these budgets aren't cheap. They are $3 Million per year to chase a championship and from a business standpoint, that's $3 Million you could put towards growing your business in a different way.

"Since we have the Geico dragster and the Lucas Oil series, it's almost like we are saturating this sport. Maybe [racing part-time] is a way we can have our cake and eat it too."

Lucas isn't ruling out a return to full-time driving in the future, nor does he know if he'll ever be the head of Lucas Oil. He would like to race the full tour again and admits he'd like for his dad to know he has aspirations of carrying on the family's business legacy in a leadership role.

"I don't know that I will ever be the head of Lucas Oil products," said Lucas. "I hope my dad sees that I have a desire to be in some fashion a decision-maker within the company someday. So, I cannot say whether I will come back [racing full-time] or not.

"When you look at the Greek, he's 80-something years old and running down the drag strip having fun. As long as I can keep my brain sharp, I can come back at any time and run again -- sort of like my second childhood when my kid goes off to college. As of right now, there's no long-term plan and I will keep on having fun doing what I am.

"When I come out here I am keeping my name relevant in promoting Lucas Oil and all the while racing with my buddies. My wife and son will be out here with me in the back half of the year. It adds to the family dynamic we have over here [in NHRA drag racing]."

Receiving Sunday's trophy from his mother Charlotte Lucas was a pretty dynamic experience for the apprentice. 

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