MORGAN LUCAS HEADED NOSTALGIA FUNNY CAR RACING
Technically, Morgan Lucas is headed Nostalgia Funny Car racing.
Lucas, the next generation of the Lucas Oil empire, unveiled a Vega Funny Car in the company's PRI Show display over the weekend. The car was built in his shop in an effort coordinated by recently christened NHRA Rookie of the Year Richie Crampton.
Technically, Morgan Lucas is headed Nostalgia Funny Car racing.
Lucas, the next generation of the Lucas Oil empire, unveiled a Vega Funny Car in the company's PRI Show display over the weekend. The car was built in his shop in an effort coordinated by recently christened NHRA Rookie of the Year Richie Crampton.
"I can't say we are going all-out Nostalgia Funny Car racing," admitted Lucas. "I can say we did build a car out of our Morgan Lucas Racing shop and it has Lucas Oil products on the side, so I guess by proxy, we are going Funny Car racing."
Lucas credited Crampton with the vision for the classic Funny Car, in which his driver built the car from scratch with initial assistance from veteran chassis man Brad Hadman. Crampton mounted the body.
Lucas said Crampton was making an investment in his future by building the car which started well before his promotion from crewman to driver.
"Richie is such a great craftsman," said Lucas. "We started to do this as an investment. He just wanted a race car to drive."
With Crampton expected to race full time on the NHRA Mello Yello Series, it remains to be seen who will drive the car.
"I don't know; I do know I plan to get my license in it," Lucas said. "Richie will likely be the guy unless he doesn't have time; and then we will look for a driver. I'm halfway afraid to drive the car because the paint looks so nice. I don't want to go out and start scratching it up by hitting cones and walls. It's the prettiest car we have in our shop. It has the right parts to perform. It's a toy. It's a very expensive toy."
Lucas believes the ironic part of the whole situation is he has no driving experience in a Funny Car, after growing up with the belief the floppers would be his destiny.
"My only Funny Car experience is doing the bottom end on Jason Rupert's Funny Car and driving it back after the run, while its being towed," said Lucas. "That's pretty much the extent. I love Funny Cars and honestly as a kid that's where I expected to end up. Then I realized I was getting too tall and my mother is terrified of them. I'm thankful for this because as I have been on fire in a dragster, I'm scared of what it would be like in a Funny Car."
Lucas is quick to point out to those who eat, sleep and drink this style of throwback racing that they shouldn't expect this team to be like a big show effort coming to take over the Nostalgia Funny Car arena.
"For all of those people taking Nostalgia Funny Car so serious, they don't have to worry about us," Lucas said. "We are planning to come out with the intent of not hurting anything, grilling hamburgers and hot dogs, maybe having a few cold ones at the end of the day, and just smelling nitro."
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