[coverattach=1]DALLAS (Sept. 25) -- Top Fuel teammates Morgan Lucas and Shawn Langdon are off to their most promising start of the 2009 season, beginning the second event of the six-race Countdown to 1 playoffs by qualifying in the lofty second and fourth positions at the Texas Motorplex near Dallas.
Lucas made the most impressive charge of the day, powering to a 3.859 at 313.58 mph to place his GEICO Powersports/Lucas Oil dragster second on the provisional Day 1 grid. Langdon wasn't far behind, making a nice, clean pass down the 1,000-foot course to post a fourth-best 3.872 at 311.56 mph in his Lucas Oil/Mach 1 Global Services rail.
"To have two cars capable of running for the race title is very exciting," Lucas said. "I need to give a lot of credit to these two crews because they gave Shawn and I a great pair of racecars. We went straight down the track in both sessions and we've earned a really nice vantage point.
"Shawn's coming off his best race of the season and we need to keep him in the spotlight because the rookie-of-the-year voting is going to be very tight. I think he's proven he's the best young driver in the sport but we'd still like to see him go rounds at every one of these five remaining races. He has the ability to get it done, no doubt."
In the heat of the day, Lucas opened with a 3.987 at 296.83 mph. Langdon started off with an off-pace 4.552 at 168.24 mph. But once the sun went down, the elapsed times quickly dipped into a more respectable zone.
"We were just a little too aggressive in Round 1 and the track wasn't there yet," Langdon said. "It really came around by the evening round and we put up a great number for the conditions that were there. The guys behind us got a break because there was a couple of delays that allowed it to cool off even more and it was cool to see Morgan's guys take advantage of that.
"It'll be hot again tomorrow and I really don't see us losing these spots. We should be able to get a really good head start on a Sunday tune-up. Our entire team is pretty pumped up after getting to the final last weekend. I'd love to get them a win this time around."
Sarturday's final two qualifying sessions are scheduled to begin at noon and 3:15 p.m.
Lucas made the most impressive charge of the day, powering to a 3.859 at 313.58 mph to place his GEICO Powersports/Lucas Oil dragster second on the provisional Day 1 grid. Langdon wasn't far behind, making a nice, clean pass down the 1,000-foot course to post a fourth-best 3.872 at 311.56 mph in his Lucas Oil/Mach 1 Global Services rail.
"To have two cars capable of running for the race title is very exciting," Lucas said. "I need to give a lot of credit to these two crews because they gave Shawn and I a great pair of racecars. We went straight down the track in both sessions and we've earned a really nice vantage point.
"Shawn's coming off his best race of the season and we need to keep him in the spotlight because the rookie-of-the-year voting is going to be very tight. I think he's proven he's the best young driver in the sport but we'd still like to see him go rounds at every one of these five remaining races. He has the ability to get it done, no doubt."
In the heat of the day, Lucas opened with a 3.987 at 296.83 mph. Langdon started off with an off-pace 4.552 at 168.24 mph. But once the sun went down, the elapsed times quickly dipped into a more respectable zone.
"We were just a little too aggressive in Round 1 and the track wasn't there yet," Langdon said. "It really came around by the evening round and we put up a great number for the conditions that were there. The guys behind us got a break because there was a couple of delays that allowed it to cool off even more and it was cool to see Morgan's guys take advantage of that.
"It'll be hot again tomorrow and I really don't see us losing these spots. We should be able to get a really good head start on a Sunday tune-up. Our entire team is pretty pumped up after getting to the final last weekend. I'd love to get them a win this time around."
Sarturday's final two qualifying sessions are scheduled to begin at noon and 3:15 p.m.
