ST. LOUIS (Sept. 24) - Lucas Oil Pro Stock driver Larry Morgan has yet to win an NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series event at Gateway Motorsports Park, but he has plenty of memories of the track.
Morgan, who will race in the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals this weekend at Gateway, laughs when he recalls a race there in the 1990s when he worked with the late Buddy Ingersoll.
"We weren't qualified, but we were more than capable of qualifying," Morgan said. "We were down to the last pass and I told Buddy, 'I've got a set of carburetors that I want to put on.' "
Ingersoll called Morgan "Shaker" back then.
"When we first started racing I had this four-cylinder, and it shook the flywheel loose all the time," Morgan said. "To the day he died he called me 'Shaker. ' "
Ingersoll was puzzled as to why Morgan would suddenly put on new carbs.
" 'Shaker, ' you really think you ought to do that?" Ingersoll said.
"Listen, you've got to not be afraid in this business," Morgan replied
"If it doesn't work, I swear to God I'm going to kill you," Ingersoll said.
Morgan laughs when he remembers Ingersoll's threat.
"Thank God, I went out there and hauled ass," Morgan said. "I went way up in the top half. That's how good it was."
Another memory comes from a race in 1976, before Morgan began his Pro Stock career.
"Back when I first started racing, I built this Nova," Morgan said. "It was an AHRA race, and I had just started dating Diane (who is now his wife). I was in a two-barrel (carburetor) class, and they wanted me to run it in an automatic class. I never drove an automatic in my life. One guy ran a tenth quicker than me, and there was no way I could beat him.
"The guy who was with me said, 'Put a four-barrel on.' I said, 'I can't do that.' "
Morgan eventually relented and put on the illegal carb, but he learned his lesson.
"God took care of me," Morgan said. "When I went up to make the run, the car wouldn't start. I'm in the car trying to start it, and it was going click, click, click, click.
"The tech director was up in the staging lanes and said, 'Take the hood off and I'll get it started.' "
But Morgan knew he had a secret.
"Don't take the hood off!" Morgan screamed. "You can't get to the starter."
The moral of the story?
"I realized right then you really couldn't cheat," Morgan said.
Pro Stock qualifying sessions are scheduled for 2:45 and 5:15 p.m., Friday, and 1:15 and 3:45 p.m., Saturday. Eliminations will start at approximately noon, Sunday, with both qualifying and elimination action broadcast on ESPN2 on tape-delay basis.
