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On Tuesday, Morgan made a handful of test runs with his quickest elapsed time being 6.500 seconds at 211.47 mph. Thursday’s testing produced the first 500-inch Ford Pro Stock 6.4-second pass with a 6.498 second run.

“That was a good run and probably the straightest run I have ever made,” said Morgan, who made his NHRA Pro Stock debut in 1987. “I figure that is worth a little bit. I’m fine with the way my car ran. I just wanted to make sure it went straight, and it went right down the line. I was happy with that car.”

Following his test runs Tuesday, Morgan put his car in the trailer and began working on tuning up his other Ford Mustang he is going to lease out to up-and-coming Pro Stock driver Buddy Perkinson. Perkinson, 20, is planning on running a limited NHRA national event schedule this season.

Morgan, who finished 13th in the points last season, made test laps in his other Ford Mustang Wednesday and Thursday at Bradenton’s track.

“I’ve been trying to get this other car all straightened out for him (Perkinson) to run,” Morgan said. “He (Perkinson) is trying to put together a deal to run this year and I wanted to test that car to make sure it would get some runs on it to make sure it would go straight because Buddy was fighting it at Pomona.”

Morgan said his best elapsed time Wednesday in his other car was 6.56 seconds twice.

“On Wednesday it was quite a bit warmer than it was Tuesday when I made that 6.50-second run in my other car,” Morgan said. “We just need runs on this (second) car. That is all we need.”

Morgan said he has no other plans to test his primary Ford Mustang prior to the season-opening Winternationals Feb. 9-12 in Pomona, Calif. Morgan’s primary sponsor this season is Lucas Oil.

“Actually I love to do this so much (make test runs), I would make runs all week here (at Bradenton), but I’m done with my car, I’m ready,” said Morgan, whose team doesn’t have the big budget as some of the other NHRA Pro Stock operations. “I think we are a top half car and we ought to be able to do well (this season). It’s kind of hard running with the big money guys, but we are going to do the best we can do and I think we will be all right. There’s no sense of worrying about what they (the bigger budget cars) do.”

Back at the start of the 2010 NHRA season, Morgan made the switch from Dodge to Ford, and he has no regrets about his decision.

“I think that was one of the best things I have ever done in my career,” said Morgan, who has won 10 career NHRA national events, the last coming in 2009 at the fall event in Las Vegas. “I think the Ford Mustang is a very good car and I think we are going to do well this year.”