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Seventh Heaven For Morris
Runner-up finish in final race gives national points leader another Late Model championshipRADFORD, Va. - For once, Philip Morris didn't need to win.
The Ruckersville, Va., driver finished his NASCAR Whelen All-American Series season with a second-place finish to Wayne Ramsey of Amherst, Va., in the Adam Construction 150 at his home track, Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Va. It was enough for him to claim his fifth straight Late Model championship at the track and seventh overall.
In the process, Morris strengthened his hold on first place in his bid for a third national championship. Morris unofficially improved his NASCAR Whelen All-American Series points total to 841. He entered the weekend with a 19-point cushion over second-place Keith Rocco of Wallingford, Conn.
"I want to say every year that it's the best and that it's the most special, "said Morris, the 2006 and 2008 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national champion. "But this has got to be the best. The competition was the hardest and toughest and strongest every week.
"It's been an amazing year. The best one yet."
Rocco failed to improve his total when he finished third in the Sunoco Modified division at Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway Thursday. Weather washed out Rocco's final two opportunities at Stafford (Conn.) Motor Speedway on Friday and Waterford (Conn.) Speedbowl on Saturday and left him with 816.
Nick Joanides of Woodland Hills, Calif., and Bill Leighton of Omaha, Neb., entered the weekend tied for third with 803. Joanides ran twin Super Late Model features Saturday at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale (Calif.). Joanides finished fifth in the first feature and runner-up in the second at Toyota Speedway, unofficially increasing his total to 810 and earning his second straight ACDelco Super Late Model Division track at Toyota Speedway. Leighton, who wrapped up the dirt Late Model championship at I-80 Speedway in Omaha last week, had his final race at Junction Motor Speedway in McCool Junction, Neb., rained out Saturday night. Leighton claimed the Junction track title as well.
All points totals are unofficial until released by NASCAR Points & Membership Department, after verification of results and car counts on Wednesday.
Track, state and province, and the national champion earn invitations to the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Awards Banquet in Concord, N.C., Friday, Nov. 13.
The NASCAR Whelen All-American Series champion also earns a secure spot in Camping World Series race at the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown, to be held at the Toyota Speedway Jan. 29-30, 2010. As the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Virginia state champion, Morris has already locked in a spot in the Late Model race. As state champions, Rocco (Connecticut), Joanides (California) and Leighton (Nebraska) also earned secured spots in the Late Model event.
Philip Morris and team celebrate his seventh Late Model division title at Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Va. Jason Christley/NASCAR
In his previous two national championships, Morris won the season finale to claim the title by just two points. Saturday night, it was the track title on the line as Morris entered the race with a slim two-point lead over Frank Deiny Jr., the 2004 track champion.
Deiny's night when sour on a Lap 60 spin. He fought back to finish 10th, but Morris' runner-up finish allowed him to claim the title by 18 points.
"It's been uphill the whole way, but that's the way we like it," Morris said of the season that saw him endure a winless streak from June 1 to Aug. 1. "We like to earn it. We like to work hard for it. And my guys worked hard for it.
"I just want to thank Motor Mile for giving us a place where we can compete for a national championship, for giving us this competition. It's huge. Frank is an incredible competitor."
Morris qualified fifth and Deiny ninth in the 30-car field. They each moved up two spots on the pace laps when third-place qualifier Mike Looney pulled off the track with clutch issues.
Morris was able to move to second on Lap 6 and took the lead away from pole sitter Dane Rudolph on Lap 31. While Morris cleared Rudolph and quickly opened up a lead, Deiny was stuck in fourth behind Doug Godsey.
Deiny finally got under Godsey for third on Lap 60, but as they went into Turn 3, Godsey got into the back of Deiny and spun him around. The two traded paint several times under caution, with Deiny returning the favor by spinning Godsey around in Turn 2.
When racing resumed, Deiny was able to get back up to 15th by Lap 75, but damage to his race car limited him to only being able to pick off five more spots in the second half of the race.
Morris led until Lap 110, when Ramsey drove underneath him. A green-white-checkered finish extended the race to 155 laps and gave Morris one last chance, but Ramsey was able to drive away again. It was the fourth win in 10 starts for Ramsey, the 2008 Late Model champion at South Boston (Va.) Speedway, who has driven a limited schedule at South Boston and Motor Mile this season.
Davin Scites finished third, followed by three-time track champion Chad Harris and Kelly Kingery. Danny O'Quinn Jr., the 2006 NASCAR Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year, finishes 17th, while Godsey ended up 25th.
Morris won his first Motor Mile track championship in 1997 and his second in 2001. He has won it every year since 2005.
"It's a huge year for us and it couldn't get any better," Morris said. "The car was great tonight. I thought I could win the race. Then when Ramsey got up there, I knew I was in trouble. I wanted to win for my fans and my crew, but that's all I had."
Philip Morris gives his wife, Donna, a kiss in Victory Lane as they celebrate the track title. Jason Christley/NASCAR
The finish was his 20th top 5 in 27 starts - nine of them wins.
A driver’s best 18 results are counted toward their state and national points totals. Deadline for races to count toward NASCAR championship points standings is Sunday, Sept. 13.
Under the points structure for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series, the race winner will receive two points for every car in the event up to 23 cars. Second place will receive two fewer points, and so-on through the field. For example, if there are 23 cars, the winner receives 46 points, second gets 44 and third 42. If there are 15 cars, the winner receives 30 points, second gets 28 and third 26. Race winners receive an additional five bonus points.
POST-RACE VIDEO OF MOTOR MILE LATE MODEL CHAMPION PHILIP MORRIS IN VICTORY LANE | POST-RACE VIDEO OF MOTOR MILE RACE WINNER WAYNE RAMSEY IN VICTORY LANE | POST-RACE INTERVIEW OF TOYOTA SPEEDWAY SUPER LATE MODEL CHAMPION NICK JOANIDES WITH BLOGGER HADDOCK IN THE PADDOCK
MOTOR MILE SPEEDWAY
LATE MODEL DIVISION CHAMPIONS
 |
|
| Year | Champion |
|---|---|
| 2009 | Philip Morris |
| 2008 | Philip Morris |
| 2007 | Philip Morris |
| 2006 | Philip Morris |
| 2005 | Philip Morris |
| 2004* | Frank Deiny Jr |
| 2003 | Jason Merriman |
| 2002 | Chad Harris |
| 2001 | Philip Morris |
| 2000 | Chad Harris |
| 1999 | Tink Reedy |
| 1998 | Rick Sigmon |
| 1997 | Philip Morris |
| 1996 | Chad Harris |
| 1995 | Jeff Agnew |
| 1994 | Jeff Agnew |
| 1993 | Paul Radford |
| 1992** | Jeff Agnew |
| 1991 | Jeff Agnew |
| 1990 | Ronnie Thomas |
| 1989 | Danny Willis |
| 1988*** | Timothy McGuire |
*Changed name from New River Valley Speedway
**Changed name from Pulaski County Speedway
***Track paved in 1988
