Pace Laps – Short Track – Morris out of a ride

Pace Laps – Short Track – Morris out of a ride

The Late Model racing season kicked off at South Boston Speedway with the NASCAR Whelen Late Model 300 presented by Danville Toyota. C. E. Falk took the win, giving himself a leg up on the rest of the Late Model crowd toward the Virginia Triple Crown Series title. While Falk’s win was the final story, it was far from the biggest story of the weekend. A car count that was less than anyone anticipated was certainly a surprise but it wasn’t even the big news. Four-time and defending NASCAR Whelen All-American National Champion Philip Morris was conspicuous by his absence.

Not only was this weekend’s race the beginning of the hunt for the National Championship, but it was also a $10,000 to win event and it was the first of the three race series that is the Virginia Triple Crown. Having the defending track champion and National Champion miss the race was a complete shock to everyone around the sport. While the whole story is far from known, the public statements released blame the development on a lack of funding. Jim Dean, Morris’ car owner, stated that a driver development deal, that was going to help fund Morris’ ride, fell through at the last minute which led to him not bringing a car to the track for the champion. Dean did have a car at the track for Darrell Gilchrist, ironically with Clarence’s Steakhouse, Morris’ longtime sponsor, on the hood. Dean claims there are no problems between he and Morris, that this was purely a financial decision.

For those who are not familiar with local short track racing, this would be the equivalent of Tony Stewart not showing up at Daytona last month but Jon Wes Townley showing up at the track with a #41 Office Depot Chevrolet. This story is far from over and further details will almost certainly come out in the months ahead. One thing is for sure, the Late Model world in the Southeast has not had a buzz like this swirling around in a long time.

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