The 30,000-plus baseball fans attending Wednesday night's Minnesota Twins game against the Kansas
City Royals will get a high-octane taste of NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing with a big prerace car
display and autograph party on the Metrodome Plaza.
In support of the 28th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals, which run Friday-Sunday at Brainerd
International Raceway, Lucas Oil Racing will display a variety of hot rods that's sure to get the
attention of the stick-and-ball set. In addition to an interesting collection of racecars, Team
Lucas racers Morgan Lucas, Shawn Langdon, Larry Morgan, Hector Arana, and Brad Plourd will be on
hand to meet fans, sign autographs, and explain the world's fastest sport to a different audience.
"This is going to be an exciting deal," said Lucas, team owner and Top Fuel driver. "Last year we
had a similar display in downtown Minneapolis during the lunch hour and I really think we got a lot
of people's attention. Now we're taking it all right to the world famous Metrodome to introduce
some of those baseball fans to drag racing.
"I know one thing for sure about Minnesota -- the people up there love their sports. We hope that
by bringing our racecars right there to the baseball game that people will be fired-up enough to
come on up to Brainerd and watch the races."
Fans entering the baseball game will see the actual racecars that will zoom down BIR in 3.8 seconds
at 315 mph. Cars on display include Morgan Lucas' GEICO Powersports/Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster,
Langdon's Lucas Oil/Dixie Chopper Top Fuel dragster, Morgan's Lucas Oil Dodge Stratus R/T Pro
Stocker, Arana's Lucas Oil Buell V-Twin Pro Stock Motorcycle, Charlotte Lucas' Lucas Oil Super Comp
dragster, and Langdon's identical Lucas Oil Super Comp dragster, which will be driven by Plourd in
Brainerd.
"This is a huge race for Lucas Oil and my mom and dad," Lucas said. "This is an event we have
circled on the calendars every year. Our company knows the value of cross promoting with other
sports like we do with the Indianapolis Colts and this prerace party with the Minnesota Twins at
the Metrodome is a logical extension of that thought process.
"I think that people who like sports tend to enjoy all kinds of sports. Maybe this display will
remind them that we're in the area and that they should come out and check out the races."
The car display and autograph session will take place from 5 p.m. until the game starts with the
first pitch at 7:10 p.m. The display is open to the public free of charge. Fans do not have to
attend the baseball game to view the cars or meet the drivers.
