Baytown: David Baca final summary

Tire Smoke, Morgan Lucas End David Baca's Day in Houston

BAYTOWN, Texas, April 10, 2005 - David Baca fell victim not only to Morgan Lucas Sunday but to a Houston Raceway Park racing surface with one good lane and one not so good lane during the first round of the O'Reilly Spring Nationals.

Traction was definitely more consistent in the left lane, which produced all eight winners in the opening round.

Baca, starting 13th in the Baca Motorsports Top Fuel dragster, had no choice but the right lane. Lucas, No. 6, picked the left, and sailed flawlessly down the 1320 feet, winning with at 4.540 seconds, 325.30 mph.

Baca stepped off the throttle as soon as his car's large rear tires began spinning and smoking, coasting to the finish line in 8.422 seconds at 98.04 mph.

"Only two cars got down the right lane in that round," said Baca, of Brentwood, Calif. "We had high hopes coming in here. We wanted to rebound here. There was a positive for us -- we didn't hurt any parts."

Baca's team won't have to wait long to go after that rebound. The SummitRacing.com Nationals is scheduled April 15-17 at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

-bm-