LARRY MORGAN |
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PHOTO: RICK BELDEN |
Morgan believes no good deed goes unpunished, and if Biegun is guilty of anything, it’ s in wanting to provide another place for drag racers to race.
“ The guy wants to do something nice, and everybody wants to drag him down and beat him up on the way down,” Morgan said.“ I can tell you right now; I don’ t care who it is, it shouldn’ t have to be like that.”
The name alone, Morgan says, causes many to paint Biegun with the same brush as those who owned the series before him. Morgan says Biegun is willing to step up to the plate and make right for the sins of others, but to do so the road must run both ways.
“ He told me,‘ If we go out there, and they support us, and we make money, I will make sure every one of them that’ s owed money gets their money back,’” Morgan conveyed.“ And he doesn’ t have to do that. But that’ s what he said he would do. In other words, if we go out there and make $ 100,000, he said he would spend every cent of that to pay those guys back, providing they support him.”
Morgan said if Biegun is willing to come out and pay a debt he doesn’ t legally owe, racers should be willing to give the series a chance. Morgan hopes for a chance, but isn’ t holding his breath.
“ The people who did get paid, not a frigging one of them has come to support the ADRL,” Morgan said.“ So what the hell’ s the sense of doing it?
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That’ s the way I look at it.” Morgan is content with starting anew and building his own brand of stars.
“ What I can do is guarantee if you come, you will get your money. I will guarantee that,” Morgan said.“ I was in Martin, I was in Rockingham; that guy paid every person there and then lost $ 28,000 or $ 30,000 each race. So I can tell you this much, he is into making something out of this. And he’ s been very successful with every business he’ s got. I spent days down there at his shop, or at his businesses in Michigan. He’ s got a very well-groomed operation, and I believe he can do that to the ADRL.”
Morgan said there’ s a need for a show-based entertainment program such as the new ADRL, and it has shown with good attendance at the first two events, held in Rockingham and most recently in Martin, Michigan. He’ s also planning on continuing his core divisions like Pro Modified and possibly a Pro Stock division.
“ Anything to put on a show, we are going to consider it,” Morgan explained.“ We’ ve got the Nostalgia Pro Stock cars for the rest of the year, and I’ ve got to tell you, they put on a hell of a show. We are going to bring in competition, but the fans want guys that want to put on a show.”
Morgan said, case in point, his Nostalgia Pro Stock racers distributed more than 1,200 handout cards during the two-day race, confirming the fans are enjoying the variety. With this said, he’ s even considering nostalgia Funny Cars and
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Dragsters.
“ I think that there’ s something there,” Morgan said.“ Are we competing with NHRA? Not a frigging chance. We don’ t want to. I’ m a racer of NHRA. It ain’ t about a big d *** contest here; we don’ t care about that. All we want to do is make it where people come in and enjoy with their family, racing. And that’ s what we’ re here for. It’ s not any of that craziness.”
Morgan understands there’ s a consensus the ADRL will eventually try to go head to head with its spinoff, the Professional Drag Racers Association.
“ No. No. No,” Morgan reiterated.“ We’ re not going head-to-head with them. We don’ t even have a program like they’ ve got. We put on shows with jet cars, and some Pro Mod cars have come in. There are cars from all over the country coming. Got a little bit of everything, and I’ m telling you, the fans loved it.”
The next scheduled event on the ADRL tour is September 8-9, 2017, at Dragway 42 in West Salem, Ohio. Morgan said the presale ticket counts are already strong.
All Morgan is asking is to put the past in the past, and help the new ADRL provide another place for the racers to race.
“ Jeff Biegun’ s a good man and a good family man, and that’ s what we need right now to run the drag racing series,” Morgan said.“ It’ s such a political game these days. I just want it to be good for everybody.”
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July 2017 |
DragIllustrated. com | Drag Illustrated | 89 |