Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Team owner Schumacher expands his options

Thursday, June 24, 2004 | 8:56 a.m.

Brian Hilderbrand covers motor sports for the Las Vegas Sun. His motor sports notebook appears Friday. He can be reached at bh@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4089.

NHRA multi-team owner Don Schumacher now has all the bases covered.

Prior to last weekend's K&N Filters SuperNationals in Englishtown, N.J., Schumacher purchased the assets of Larry Morgan's Pro Stock team and now has at least one entry in each of the NHRA's top four professional categories.

Morgan, who will continue to drive the Dodge Stratus under the Don Schumacher Racing banner, joins Gary Scelzi and Whit Bazemore (Funny Car), Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel) and Angelle Savoie and Antron Brown (Pro Stock Bike) in Schumacher's stable.

"I'm very excited about this relationship," Morgan said after the deal was completed. "I think that we can really do well. One of my biggest problems was being under-budgeted and that is no longer the case.

"I've got the will to win, and I know that (crew chief) Bob Glidden does as well. And with the support from Don Schumacher Racing, we can win a lot of races, there is no question."

Although Greg Anderson again is running away with the Pro Stock category this season, Schumacher said he expects Morgan to contend for the championship next year.

"We want to work real hard to take this team to a new level and have it be able to go out and win every race there is to win for the balance of the year," Schumacher said.

"The team's performance has been very close to current points leader and 2003 Pro Stock champion Greg Anderson's. We will provide this team all the necessary assistance to help it accomplish its goals and our goals and that's to win races and hopefully be in the challenge for the Pro Stock championship in 2005."

Morgan's first race under the Schumacher banner did not go as well as he would have liked. Morgan lost in the second round to eventual champion Jason line after apparently burning a piston in his first-round race.

"In the first round, we hurt the motor and didn't realize it," Morgan said. "We didn't get a computer readout on it; had we gotten that, we would have noticed that we didn't have any vacuum and that usually indicates that there's a piston out of it.

"We didn't run all so good (in the first round). We kind of thought it was the run, so we left it as it was. After I had done my burnout (in the second round), I only had five inches of vacuum ... (and) I knew we were wounded. We just got caught with our pants down and without the computer that we rely on so much."

Despite the second-round loss, Morgan remained fifth in Pro Stock points.

"If I had known that I was gonna win every Father's Day, I would have started having kids when I was a teenager," Dixon quipped.

Dixon snapped an 18-race winless streak when he defeated Cory McClenathan in the final at Englishtown. It was Dixon's 34th career victory.

Line's first career victory came last month against his teammate, Greg Anderson, at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Ill. This time, Line didn't have to worry about facing Anderson (who suffered a rare first-round loss) in the final.

"The biggest surprise of the day is Greg losing in the first round -- not so much me winning," Line said. "Although I am stunned the second (victory) came this quickly.

"My first win was a little bittersweet because I beat Greg in the final and it ended his quest to win six in a row; that would have been quite an accomplishment. This time, I didn't need to worry about it. Greg was right there rooting me on and he helped prepare the car all day."

Anderson's early exit Sunday marked his first first-round loss of the season and his first since April 2003 -- a span of 28 races.

Luke Winters (Thunder Division) and Stephanie Crifasi (Lightning Division) won in NHRA Junior Dragster competition.