Philip Morris is on top of the world. He’s just won his fourth NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national championship. He’s the defending champion for next Sunday’s Virginia is for Racing Lovers 300 at Martinsville Speedway.
But one thing is for certain, the veteran Virginia driver refuses to become over confident, cocky or lazy. It’s all business all the time for Morris.
“If you start relishing what you’ve done and you get satisfied, well, that’s all you are ever going to do,” said the 46-year-old Morris, who arguably has been the top weekly racer in the country for more than a decade.
“The guys I race with now, all the guys that are stepping up and breaking records, if you get satisfied then they are going to leave you behind. I don’t want to look back at what I’ve done until I hang the helmet up.”
He’s won hundreds of races, has those four national championship trophies and is one of only two drivers to have won the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 300 twice. But motivation is not a problem headed into next Sunday’s race, the biggest NASCAR Late Model Stock car race in the nation.
“I really didn’t want to bring it up, but I’ve never won this race (the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 300) the same year as winning the national championship and I’ve been here three other times in that situation,” said Morris. “The fact that I didn’t doesn’t take away from those years, but how much better would it be than to be here celebrating winning a national championship and this race.”
Morris certainly has to be the favorite headed into the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 300. In addition to everything else he’s done this year, his Clarence’s Steakhouse Chevrolet was the fastest car in an open practice session for the race last week. But again, he downplays his practice results and plays up the quality of competition he faces.
“The competition level here week in and week out is so much more advance than what I see in other parts of the country. That’s the headline I see here … Virginia drivers are coming to the front,” Morris said, referring to the fact that drivers from two other Virginia tracks, Lee Pulliam at Motor Mile Speedway and C.E. Falk at Langley Raceway finished in the top five in the national standings.
“I’m certainly going to be looking at my competition from this season in the race, but if history has anything to do with this race, you’d better be watching out for the guy you’re not looking for because there’s always somebody that’s going to step up. I’ve lost to so many excellent drivers here. I’ll try to take what I’ve learned from my losses and try to be that person who does a little something extraordinary in the race.”
Morris and about 90 other drivers will roll into Martinsville Speedway on Friday for a day of inspection and practice. Practice will begin late in the afternoon after inspection is completed. The grandstands are open at no charge on Friday.
Practice and time trials are scheduled for Saturday, October 8. Only the fastest 22 cars will make the field through qualifying with the remainder of the 42-car field filled through four 25-lap heat races beginning at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, October 9. The top five finishers from each heat race will transfer to the 200-lap feature.
Tickets are $20 for adults and children 12-and-under are free for the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 300 on October 9. Tickets for qualifying on October 8 are $5. Tickets for qualifying day are on sale at the ticket office only.
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