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CHAMPIONS PROFILE: Family keeps Morris moving forward

The sheer statistics border on the absurd.

In the last 10 years, 203 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Model races and an astounding 90 victories. Ten career track championships, eight of which have come at his home track of Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Va. And three national championships in the last four seasons.

Yet, Philip Morris remains remarkably nonplussed about the whole affair.

“I feel if I start looking at the numbers or start congratulating myself, that will be the end of it for me,” Morris said. “Whenever I’m done racing, we can enjoy what we’ve accomplished. That’s been my mentality my whole time.

“I’m sure there are some cool things as far as stats, but I’ll enjoy that when I hang my helmet up.”

That doesn’t figure to be any time soon, as the 44-year-old Ruckersville, Va., driver is just hitting his stride.

BEHIND THE SCENES OF A CHAMPIONSHIP
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Morris finished the 2009 season with his seventh Late Model championship at Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Va. Combined with his performance at South Boston (Va.) Speedway, Morris collected nine wins, 20 top fives and 23 top 10s in 28 starts to outdistance runner-up Keith Rocco of Wallingford, Conn., and Nick Joanides of Woodland Hills, Calif., for NASCAR’s top short-track honor.

Morris finished with 841 points, pulling away from Rocco (816 points) and Joanides (813) over the final month of the season.

“I thought the first we won would be the best,” Morris said. “When we won last year by two points, I thought that was going to be unstoppable. Having this year go the way it did, this is definitely the most gratifying, the hardest earned, and I thought, the most competitive. This was the best one yet.”

Morris previously won the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national championship in 2006 and 2008. He is just the second driver in the history of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series, which dates back to 1982, to win multiple championships. The late Larry Phillips of Springfield, Mo., won five titles between 1989-1996.

Although he had success early in his career, winning a pair of dirt track titles before transitioning to running asphalt Late Models – winning rookie of the year at Motor Mile in 1995 – it’s been the last four seasons in which he’s really established himself not just merely as an outstanding driver, but one of the best short-track Late Model drivers in the history of NASCAR.

He’s dabbled in the national series, with 12 NASCAR Nationwide Series starts and one NASCAR Camping World Series Truck start, but he has found a real home running a Late Model every weekend. While the competition keeps driving him, it’s the ability to share his racing passion with his family and friends that keeps him coming back.

“This is why I am able to compete,” Morris said. “My relationship with my family is crucial for me to be able to race. If I had to sacrifice it, I would have to find another avenue in racing.

Morris and his wife Donna have three children: Allison (15), Blake (12) and Tye (3). Tye was even able to star with his father in the NASCAR Home Tracks television spot earlier this season. Morris’ crowning moment this season came when he clinched the track title at Motor Mile on the final weekend, and amid the sea of well-wishers in Victory Lane, he was able to put his arm around his wife and give her a kiss while holding the trophy up high.

“That’s the true victory – having everybody with me and celebrating with me,” Morris said. “I don’t think I would be as driven to chase championships and titles, and even race, without their support.”

A LOOK BACK
Morris Claims Third National Title In Four Years
Seventh Heaven for Morris
Title Tilt At Motor Mile
Morris Moves Closer To Title
Morris Chasing One More Goal
Rocco Closes Ground On Morris
Morris Gambles On Third Title
Morris back on top of national standings by slimmest of margins

Before breaking through in 2006, Morris had some close calls.

He finished second to David Blankenship at South Boston in 1998. Under the old format, only track champions were eligible for the regional and national titles. Morris’ final total, though, would have put him second in the nation behind Nebraska’s Ed Kosiski.

In 2001, Morris won the Blue Ridge Region and finished second in the nation to Connecticut’s Ted Christopher. He was 14th overall in 2003 and ninth in 2005.

Then came his remarkable breakthrough in 2006, when he won the final race of the season at Caraway Speedway to claim the national championship by just one track position. After finishing third the next year, Morris was back on top in 2008. Once again, he needed to win the final race of the season – this time at Motor Mile – to claim the ultimate prize.

“There’s nothing quite like coming through in the end in the last race,” Morris said. “That’s why I look forward to it. It’s not easy. It takes a toll on your body and nerves. But the reward is so great, it’s worth it.”

This season, Morris was able to clinch the national title prior to the final race of the season, but that doesn’t mean it was easier. He started out his title defense in dominant fashion with six wins and two seconds in his first nine races.

However, from May 23 to Aug. 1 – a span of 13 races – Morris went to Victory Lane just once. He had seven finishes outside the top five and four of worse than 10th.

In the last six races of the season, just when the hopes of a repeat title seemed to be slipping away, Morris turned the heat back up. He had two wins, two seconds and a third to reclaim the top spot in the national points standings. Behind car chief Neil Perkins, crew chief Chad McCoy, and driving cars he owned in addition to equipment owned by Jim Dean, Morris also earned his third straight NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Virginia state championship.

He did have a title on the line in his final race of the season at Motor Mile. Morris finished second in the last feature to hold off a challenge from Frank Deiny Jr. and claim his fifth straight track title. Morris had entered the event with just a two-point lead.

In addition to his success at Motor Mile, Morris also won the track championship in 2003 at South Boston (Va.) Speedway.

With championship sponsor Clarence’s Steakhouse already committed to be back on the car in 2010, Morris is already looking at continuing his historic run.

“I feel like as long as we can win races, and win championships in this series, we have to keep moving forward,” Morris said. “If we can rewrite record books and add championships, that’s what I want to do.”