Since he was 12 years old, drag racer Morgan Lucas has enjoyed a special relationship with the city
of Seattle and Pacific Raceways. Growing up on the west coast, the city was a popular destination
for his family and as rabid race fans they always picked the weekend of the NHRA Northwest
Nationals as the best time to visit.
Once he started drag racing himself, the track became a favorite, and for whatever reason, the now
25-year-old Lucas always seems to leave his mark on the facility.
"I look forward to racing every day of my life but without question there are some tracks that you
like more than others and if you had a choice you'd race there more than once a year," Lucas said.
"For me, Seattle is one of those places.
"I remember being here in 1995 when Ron Capps was driving Roger Primm's Top Fuel dragster and he
won the race. I thought that was so cool because he was a So-Cal guy like me. It's really when I
decided I wanted to drive a Top Fuel car one day."
Behind the wheel as he worked his way up through the ranks, Pacific Raceways became a place for
numerous "firsts" for the rising star.
"I made my Top Alcohol (Dragster) debut there in 2002," Lucas said. "I was on top of the world that
weekend. In 2004 at this race we announced I was turning pro and would be driving Joe Amato's Top
Fuel dragster. That was the biggest day of my life.
"That same year our Top Alcohol Dragster was just perfect when we went to the divisional race at
Pacific Raceways. We could do no wrong. We earned the pole by like a tenth of a second and won the
race. Those were both firsts for me also.
"Can you tell that I like Seattle?"
As a professional racer, Seattle marks the middle point of the three-race Western Swing, a stretch
of consecutive races in Denver, Seattle, and Sonoma, Calif., which oftentimes define a driver's
championship intentions.
"The Western Swing is my favorite time of the year," Lucas said. "In fact, from Denver through
Indy, I'm usually smiling. I just love this part of the schedule and with the playoff system we
have now it leads up to the time when we decide our champions so it's become even more special."
