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U.S. Nationals Pre-Race
Quotes
Compiled by Ian
Tocher
9/2/04
Indianapolis Raceway Park (IRP) is all set
to host the 50th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals
this weekend and already racers in the pro
ranks are weighing in with comments about “The
Big Go” in NHRA and team press releases.
TOP FUEL
“I’m coming to Indy as both a
rookie and defending event champion, all at
the same time. It’s pretty wild to think
about it that way.” — Morgan
Lucas on entering the U.S. Nats as a Top Fuel
rookie, but also attempting to defend his 2003
Top Alcohol win
“As soon as the car starts up, nobody
can talk to me at that point. That’s
my world and my time. I’ll be ready when
the engine fires. There are less distractions
at this race then there are at Pomona for me
because I grew up in Los Angeles. I don’t
feel like I have a home court advantage or
anything since I live in Indy. It’s like
all the races, you just try and go out there
and do well.” — Larry Dixon on staying
focused at the biggest race of the year
“Dicko says if we win this race, it
will salvage our season.” — Dixon
again, a two-time winner already in 2004, on
the opinion of his crew chief Dick LaHaie about
the U.S. Nats
“My father, Dennis, who is an integral
part of this team, won Top Fuel here in 1977
and he will be here for the 50th-anniversary
festivities. I want a trophy to match his and
I want him to see me do it.” —
David Baca on maintaining the family tradition
“Of course every driver’s dream
is to win at Indianapolis Raceway Park. If
you could only win one event, that would be
the victory that would have the most prestige.
And it would be the best gift I could give
my father for his birthday, which falls on
Monday of the race this year.” —
Brandon Bernstein on the little extra motivation
he has to do well in eliminations
“My dad (team owner and crew chief Connie
Kalitta) got his only win at Indy 10 years
ago against Eddie Hill in 1994. I’ve
won a couple of championships and those are
great, but I’ve never won Indy. It’s
the one event that every driver wants to win.
It would be great to celebrate the tenth anniversary
of Dad’s win by winning it this year
and really solidify my return to drag racing.” —
Scott Kalitta on yet another family connection
to the Indy winner’s circle
“He was hard to beat that day. He beat
me off the starting line and outran us. We
ran pretty good (4.931), but he ran better
(4.892). Some guys have a knack for winning
at Indy and Ace was one of them. I think he
knows how to win Indy, and I hope we can combine
to do it.” — Doug Herbert on racing
his now-crew chief Ed “The Ace” McCulloch
in the Top Fuel final at Indy in 1992
“Indy has been extremely good to me,
and I don’t know why. We try hard to
win every race, but for some reason when I
pull in the IRP gate, I get goose bumps. Why
is it special? I don’t know, but it is.
It would be very gratifying to win this time.
I owe it to Doug. We haven’t had a good
year. We haven’t performed up to expectations.” —
McCulloch, who won Indy five times as a Funny
Car driver and once in Top Fuel, referring
to the team’s struggles in eliminations
this year
“It’s looking like a championship
for me is out of reach this year so I would
like to win Indy. After the POWERade championship,
Indy (the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals) is what
everybody talks about.” —
Cory McClenathan, a two-time winner at Indy
(1996, 1999), on the importance of the race
“My approach this year is to keep it
simple. Indy always tends to be a bit overwhelming,
but, with all that’s going on for us
this year, I need to just stay focused and
try to relax as much as possible.” —
Doug Kalitta, still very much in the championship
hunt in second place, on the importance of
not losing sight of the big picture
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