PHILIP MORRIS EARNS HIS SECOND NASCAR WHELEN ALL-AMERICAN SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP

Source: nascar
Date: 09/18/2008

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida — Late-season pressure doesn’t seem to phase Philip Morris.

For the second time in three years, Morris won his final Late Model feature on the very last weekend of the season to win the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series championship by the slimmest of margins.

Morris’ victory at his home track of Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Va., on Sept. 13 gave him the precious points needed to secure the 2008 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series championship.

The Ruckersville, Va., driver won the title by two points over runner-up Brian Harris of Davenport, Iowa, 955 to 953. Morris becomes only the second driver in the history of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series program to win the title more than once. Morris also won the championship in 2006. Larry Phillips of Springfield, Mo., won five championships between 1989-96.

“This means everything,” said Morris, who was third in the national standings last year. “It was just a hard fought year with a lot of sacrifice. We tested almost every week – sweating in the grueling heat, trying to win this thing. From Day 1, we were watching the national points. It was a lot that went into it and to culminate it with the national championship is just awesome.

“We’ve been trying to win the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series championship since 1998. When we finally one one in 2006, I thought nothing would top that. Until today. And then I realized this was even bigger.”

Morris received the official word in a congratulatory phone call Wednesday afternoon from NASCAR Managing Director of Racing Operations George Silbermann. Morris’ coronation will take place at the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Awards Banquet on Friday, Nov. 7 at the Rio All-Suite Hotel in Las Vegas.

“To get that call from Mr. Silbermann saying we were the 2008 national champions made everything worthwhile,” Morris said.

The margin of victory matched Morris’ 2006 title run, when he beat out veteran Dirt Late Model driver Joe Kosiski, of Omaha, Neb., by two points (1,114-1,112). Morris won his final race that season at Caraway Speedway in Asheboro, N.C., a track he hadn’t visited prior to the finale.

Under a different points system, Barry Beggerly edged Dennis Setzer in 1993 by the similar margin of one position on the track.

Under the current points system, a driver’s total is based on a driver's top 18 finishes for the year at any NASCAR-sanctioned track. A driver receives two points for every car they beat – up to 25 cars – with a five-point bonus for wins.

Morris finished the season with 14 wins, 23 top fives and 26 starts. He also won his sixth Late Model division championship at Motor Mile, a .416-mile asphalt oval.

“I really enjoyed our last race at Motor Mile,” Morris said. “I wanted to win our national championship there. It was probably the hardest race we had there all year long. We never knew, even on the final lap, if we’d get the win. But we knew we had to win.

“It was great to earn the championship in front of my hometown fans. And it’s going to be great to represent Motor Mile Speedway at Las Vegas, because it’s just a first-class facility.”

Harris had 20 wins, 35 top fives and 36 top 10s in 38 starts while running his dirt Late Model at three Iowa tracks: West Liberty Raceway, Farley Speedway and Dubuque Fairgrounds Speedway.

Marty Ward of Greenville-Pickens Speedway in Greenville, S.C., finished third with 927 points. Keith Rocco, who races at three Connecticut tracks (Waterford Speedbowl, Stafford Motor Speedway and Thompson International Speedway), finished fourth with 880 points. Jeff Strunk of Grandview Speedway in Bechtelsville, Pa., rounded out the top five with 868.

Andy Eckrich, who raced on a weekly basis against Harris in Iowa, finished sixth. Jason Gilbert of Altamont Motorsports Park, Coleman Pressley of Greenville-Pickens Speedway, Nick Joanides of Toyota Speedway at Irwindale (Calif.) and David Roberts of Greenville-Pickens Speedway round out the top 10.

The NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national champion also earns a secure spot in the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown, to be held at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale (Calif.) Jan. 23-24, 2009.

FEATURE DIVISION

National Top 25 NASCAR Leaders

PosDriver Name Home Track Starts Wins T-5 T-10 Pts

1 Philip Morris Motor Mile Speedway 28 14 23 26 955

2 Brian Harris West Liberty Raceway 38 20 35 36 953

3 Marty Ward Greenville-Pickens Speedway 24 13 22 22 927

4 Keith Rocco Waterford Speedbowl 49 11 32 38 880

5 Jeff Strunk Grandview Speedway 20 4 19 19 868

6 Andy Eckrich Dubuque Fairgrounds Speedway 38 6 31 35 862

7 Jason Gilbert Altamont Motorsports Park 21 10 17 20 844

8 Coleman Pressley Greenville-Pickens Speedway 29 7 25 28 838

9 Nick Joanides Toyota Speedway at Irwindale 21 10 17 19 826

10 David Roberts Greenville-Pickens Speedway 28 3 20 24 815

For additional information, contact:

Jason Christley, NASCAR Public Relations, (386) 947-6788 or jchristley@nascar.com

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