REJUVENATED LARRY MORGAN BACK IN PRO STOCK CONTENTION HEADING TO NHRA KANSAS NATIONALS

TOPEKA, Kan. — It can be amazing what one win can do for a team. In the case of Pro Stock driver Larry Morgan, it has him feeling like a contender again.

The longtime Pro Stock veteran got back in the win column for the first time since 2009 when the Newark, Ohio native won the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals in Charlotte. The victory in Morgan’s new FireAde Chevrolet Camaro rejuvenated the entire team and Morgan is anxious to see what else he can accomplish during the 2015 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season.

Next up is this weekend’s 27th annual NHRA Kansas Nationals at Heartland Park Topeka and Morgan, currently seventh in points, fully expects to compete for the event title.

“Switching to a Chevrolet and getting horsepower from Gray Motorsports has put us on a level playing field with everyone else,” Morgan said. “Now we go into races knowing we have a great chance to win. We proved that in Charlotte. No one is overlooking us anymore.”

Spencer Massey (Top Fuel), Courtney Force (Funny Car) and Allen Johnson (Pro Stock) were last year’s winners of the popular Memorial Day weekend event that will once again be televised nationally on ESPN2. It is the eighth of 24 races in a 2015 season that has a chance to be a turnaround year for Morgan and his team.

The victory at Charlotte provided a massive spark, but Morgan has continued to show signs of progress in hopes of making the Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship playoffs for the first time since 2012. Morgan has posted back-to-back quarterfinal showings leading into Topeka, a good indication that Morgan may be on the right path as the regular season schedule begins to heat up.

“I welcome it,” Morgan said. “I love racing so let’s do it every weekend. We had a car to win in Atlanta but the driver screwed up. That’s the easiest thing to fix. I can’t wait to get back in there and race. Atlanta was really hot also and we didn’t miss a beat. Nick (Morgan, son/crew chief) and the guys did a great job of adapting to those conditions. It’ll probably be hot in Kansas too so we’re very upbeat.”

Morgan lost on a holeshot to eventual event winner Jason Line in Atlanta, but even in the slim loss Morgan found out yet again he has a car capable of going rounds on Sunday. The team also had the fastest qualifying speed last weekend, running 211.89 mph.

In addition to switching to a Chevrolet Camaro and getting power from Gray Motorsports, the third major factor that Morgan credited for his resurgence this season was the support of FireAde.

“Three wonderful things happened for us (this year),” said Morgan, who has 11 career wins. “Ron Thames and FireAde came on board as our title sponsor. In this day and age, getting a sponsor like FireAde to come into the sport is a real big deal. Ron believed in us and we are certainly doing all we can to pay him back. It’s working. Sales and awareness of his products are skyrocketing. It’s a real success story and we love ’em.”

Every edge is important in a tight Pro Stock field – one that has seen five different winners in 2015 – that will once again be on display in Topeka. Defending Pro Stock winner Johnson will be looking for a fourth career Topeka win, while Greg Anderson has a successful pedigree in Topeka with four career victories. Las Vegas and Houston winner Erica Enders is looking for her 15th career victory and first at the NHRA Kansas Nationals.

Line, who won the most recent event in Atlanta to take over the points lead, Vincent Nobile, Shane Gray, Jonathan Gray, V Gaines and Chris McGaha also figure to be major factors in the 200-mph factory hot rod category. That makes for a difficult challenge in Topeka for Morgan, but the Pro Stock veteran has always enjoyed racing at Heartland Park.

“There’s history there,” said Morgan, who has one win and four final round appearances in Topeka. “We’ve always run well in Topeka for three decades now. You got real people up there; good, hard-working people and they love their racing. I like places where the fans are knowledgeable about Pro Stock and they certainly are in Topeka.”

In Top Fuel, Massey scored his second win at Topeka a year ago, defeating 2013 world champ Shawn Langdon. Three-time Top Fuel world champ Larry Dixon has two wins at the facility, while others to watch in the Top Fuel field include 2013 Topeka winner Langdon, 2012 world champ Antron Brown, who won last weekend in Atlanta to move into the points lead, defending and eight-time world champion Tony Schumacher, 2006 Topeka winner Doug Kalitta, Las Vegas winner Richie Crampton, 2014 Topeka No. 1 qualifier Brittany Force, Steve Torrence, Dave Connolly and J.R. Todd.

The 16-time Funny Car world champion, John Force, has nine wins in Topeka, and his daughter Courtney raced to the 100th victory by a woman in Mello Yello Series history a year ago. John Force Racing teammate Robert Hight has two career victories and Cruz Pedregon has four career wins at the track. Class stars also include points leader Ron Capps, this season’s Gainesville winner, Jack Beckman, who won the Charlotte event in March, defending world champ Matt Hagan, Alexis DeJoria, Del Worsham, two-time world champ Tony Pedregon, Tim Wilkerson, who won last weekend in Atlanta, and Chad Head.

As always, fans will have the opportunity to interact with their favorite drivers as they’re granted an exclusive pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet. This unique opportunity in motorsports gives fans direct access to the teams, allowing them to see firsthand the highly-skilled mechanics service their hot rods between rounds, and get autographs from their favorite NHRA drivers.

Mello Yello Series qualifying begins Friday, May 22, with sessions at 4:30 and 7 p.m. The final two qualifying sessions will take place Saturday, May 23, at 1:30 and 4 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. on Sunday, May 24.

To purchase general-admission or reserved seats, log on to www.NHRA.com/tickets or call (800) 884-NHRA (6472). Children 12 and younger are admitted free to general admission areas with a paying adult. For more information about the NHRA visit www.NHRA.com.

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NHRA KANSAS NATIONALS FACT SHEET

WHAT: 27th annual NHRA Kansas Nationals, the eighth of 24 events in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. Drivers in three categories – Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock – earn points leading to 2015 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series world championships.

WHERE: Heartland Park Topeka. From Kansas City, take the Kansas Turnpike (I-70) to the Topeka Boulevard exit and travel south to the track. From Wichita, take the Kansas Turnpike (I-335) to the Topeka Boulevard exit and travel south to the track.

COURSE: Championship drag strip; Track elevation is 980 feet above sea level; Track direction is north to south.

WHEN: Friday through Sunday, May 22-24

SCHEDULE:

FRIDAY, May 22 – LUCAS OIL SERIES qualifying

MELLO YELLO SERIES qualifying at 4:30 and 7 p.m.

SATURDAY, May 23 – LUCAS OIL SERIES eliminations

MELLO YELLO SERIES qualifying at 1:30 and 4 p.m.

SUNDAY, May 24 – Pre-race ceremonies, 10 a.m.

MELLO YELLO SERIES eliminations begin at 11 a.m.

TELEVISION:

Saturday, May 23, ESPN2 will televise two hours of qualifying coverage at 6 p.m. (ET).

Sunday, May 24, ESPN2 will televise three hours of eliminations coverage starting at 10 p.m. (ET).

SATELLITE (Digital HD feed):

Saturday, May 23, 8:30 – 9 p.m. (ET), AMC 9 / Transponder 07C

Sunday, May 24, 6:30 – 7 p.m. (ET), AMC 9 / Transponder 07C

(3840 MHz, horizontal; Data Rate: 40.46147055 Mbp; Symbol Rate: 29.27 Ms; FEC: ¾; Bandwidth: 36 Mhz)

Video news release contains race action highlights each day and winners’ interviews on Sunday.

2014 EVENT WINNERS: Spencer Massey, Top Fuel; Courtney Force, Funny Car; Allen Johnson, Pro Stock.

MOST VICTORIES: John Force, 9, FC; Scott Kalitta, 6, TF; Warren Johnson, 5, PS, Cruz Pedregon, 4, FC; Greg Anderson, 4, PS.

TRACK RECORDS:

Top Fuel – 3.745 sec. by Morgan Lucas, May ’12; 329.75 mph by Brittany Force, May ’14.

Funny Car – 4.043 sec. and 315.56 mph by Courtney Force, May ’14.

Pro Stock – 6.566 seconds by Jason Line, May ’12; 211.30 mph by Greg Anderson, May ’12.

NATIONAL RECORDS:

Top Fuel – 3.701 sec. by Antron Brown, Oct. ‘12, Reading, Pa.; 332.18 mph by Spencer Massey, April ’12, Charlotte, N.C.

Funny Car – 3.965 sec. and 324.12 mph by John Force, Feb. ’14, Pomona, Calif.

Pro Stock – 6.455 sec. by Jason Line, March ’15, Charlotte, N.C.; 215.55 mph by Erica Enders, May ‘14, Englishtown N.J.

TICKETS: For tickets call (800) 884-NHRA (6472). Tickets also available online at www.NHRA.com/tickets.

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NHRA MELLO YELLO DRAG RACING SERIES WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS STANDINGS

GLENDORA, Calif. — Point standings (top 10) following the seventh of 24 events in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series –

Top Fuel: 1. Antron Brown, 567; 2. Tony Schumacher, 514; 3. Spencer Massey, 475; 4. Doug Kalitta, 445; 5. Shawn Langdon, 437; 6. Richie Crampton, 427; 7. Larry Dixon, 389; 8. Clay Millican, 363; 9. Steve Torrence, 360; 10. J.R. Todd, 355.

Funny Car: 1. Ron Capps, 523; 2. Matt Hagan, 502; 3. Del Worsham, 435; 4. Robert Hight, 428; 5. Tommy Johnson Jr., 424; 6. Jack Beckman, 413; 7. John Force, 407; 8. Tim Wilkerson, 387; 9. Alexis DeJoria, 361; 10. (tie) Courtney Force, 356. Cruz Pedregon, 356.

Pro Stock: 1. Jason Line, 624; 2. Erica Enders, 592; 3. Greg Anderson, 555; 4. Chris McGaha, 464; 5. Rodger Brogdon, 460; 6. Drew Skillman, 392; 7. Larry Morgan, 375; 8. Vincent Nobile, 369; 9. Shane Gray, 348; 10. Allen Johnson, 335.

Pro Stock Motorcycle: 1. Eddie Krawiec, 286; 2. Andrew Hines, 212; 3. Hector Arana, 201; 4. (tie) Hector Arana Jr, 195; Karen Stoffer, 195; 6. Scotty Pollacheck, 175; 7. LE Tonglet, 165; 8. Angelle Sampey, 161; 9. Shawn Gann, 155; 10. Jim Underdahl, 128.