Drag Illustrated Issue 123, July 2017 | Page 87

LARRY MORGAN L arry Morgan has been around long enough in the business to understand there are times when opportunity falls into your lap. Mor- gan, the seasoned Pro Stock racer from Newark, Ohio, with a never-end- ing propensity to tell you about the world as he sees it, will never forget when the opportunity to become a race series president fell into his lap. “It was what had to be 130-degrees, and I was laying on my back fixing a broken air conditioner unit,” Morgan proclaimed without hesitation. Jeff Biegun, Morgan’s sponsor through his rac- erdirect.net company, called on his driver for a favor. With sweat stinging his eyes, shirt dripping wet with perspiration, a wrench in one hand and his cell phone in the other, Morgan listened as Biegun proposed he should be the leader of his newest property. It would have been easier for Morgan if Biegun had asked him to take over the operations of a rocket science firm. Biegun simply stated, “I want you to be the president of ADRL.” Morgan understood without hesitation the magnitude of the situation. He was to take lead- ership of the American Drag Racing League race series which had a bad reputation of misman- agement, and reportedly unpaid racers. With- out hesitation Morgan responded, “I don’t know whether I’m president material.” Morgan had no real option other than to ac- cept the proposal considering the appointment had been leaked on social media before he was asked. Being loyal to his friend, Morgan accepted the challenge. “I told him that I’d help him out, whatever it took to help him do the right thing for the racers and the fans,” admitted Morgan. “I told him I’d do it as long as I can help.” Morgan figured his four decades of drag racing experience qualified him to understand the men- tality of drag racers. He also understood the drag racers who had watched the ADRL shipwreck over the last five years were not in the mood to be patronized. Morgan figured if Donald Trump could get elected president of the United States, and do the job, he could at least try. “Well, I don’t want to use the Trump-type ap- proach necessarily, but I will tell you that I hate bullshit, so I’m going to make sure that we clean up all the bullshit all the time,” Morgan said. “I don’t want to walk around with a frigging fire hose all the time, putting out internet fires on websites. I don’t want to do that. “I want to make this series where it makes sense to the racers, and it makes sense to the fans and the people that own these race cars. I want to help them do the right thing. That’s what I want to do. And that’s what my full intentions are; to do that.” Morgan understands he’s got a tough row to hoe, complete with convincing a drag racing world dead-set against the latest reincarnation July 2017 PRESIDENT MATERIAL While Larry Morgan hadn’t served in a race official capacity prior to being named the reformed ADRL’s new president, the outspoken Ohioan has spent decades behind the wheel and in the shop as a veteran Pro Stock racer turned Pro Mod rookie, often openly criticizing race officials along the way. This new opportunity allows Morgan to put his ideas to use for the benefit of racers and fans alike. of the original eighth-mile doorslammer drag racing series founded by Kenny Nowling. He understands there are racers who are slow to forgive a grudge, and he understands the men- tality, to a point. “I just want to go out there and fix the problems with racing in general,” Morgan said. “That’s what I want to do. That being said, with all the baggage that’s with it that I don’t care for, I guess that comes along with it.” Morgan understands not paying racers is an unpardonable sin in motorsports, but would like to clear the air on the misinformation float- ing around. “If everybody knew the facts, not the alternative facts, then everybody would think differently about it,” Morgan said. “Jeff Biegun bought the name from Larry Jeffers, and I saw the contract yesterday. They said he did not assume any of the debts. That’s how I read the contract. That’s how a lawyer would read this contract. And the people that get on the internet, they see it differently. And I understand that people feel differently about it, as what I would.” DragIllustrated.com | D r a g I l l u s t r a t e d | 87