Morris Hits The Road For National Title
Holds lead over Rocco in Whelen All-American Series battle
NASCAR PR
Philip Morris pursuit of a fourth NASCAR Whelen All-American Series will take him on the road.
The Ruckersville, Va., driver extended his national points lead to 10 over Keith Rocco with a win in the season finale at South Boston (Va.) Speedway this past Saturday. It was Morris’ 19th victory of the season and capped off a second track title at one of nine tracks that have been part of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series for all 30 years.
Now Morris will turn his attention to taking his asphalt Late Model to chase points elsewhere.
Motor Mile in Radford, Va., is an option. Morris has seven track titles there but has three seconds and a 15th in four starts there this season. Lee Pulliam, who finished second to Morris at South Boston, has already clinched the Motor Mile title and welcomes the challenge.
“I'm pulling for Keith Rocco all the way,” said the Semora, N.C., driver, who is third in the national standings and has 17 wins. “I just want to win the race Saturday night. We're just going to defend our home track and keep Philip from getting that win.
“It will just be a good hard race at Motor Mile.”
Morris has 19 wins, 22 top fives and 24 top 10s in 27 starts at South Boston, Motor Mile and Langley Speedway in Hampton, Va.
Rocco finished seventh at Waterford (Conn.) Speedbowl in his only asphalt Modified race last weekend. The Wallingford, Conn. driver has 23 wins, 35 top fives and 42 top 10s in 46 starts at Waterford, Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway, Stafford (Conn.) Motor Speedway, and Monadnock Speedway in Winchester, N.H.
Under the points structure for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series, the race winner receives two points for every car in the event up to 20 cars. Second place receives two fewer points, and so on through the field. Race winners receive an additional five bonus points. For example, if 20 cars are in the field, the winner receives 45 points, second place 38 and third, 36. If there are 15 cars, the winner receives 35 points, second 28 and third, 26.
A driver’s best 18 results through Sept. 18 are counted toward their state and national points totals, and the champions are decided on overall points total. Once a driver reaches 18 starts, their total increases incrementally as they replace some poorer runs with better results.
Thirteen of Morris’ wins have provided him the maximum 45 race-points. Rocco has 10 wins that were worth 45 points.
Morris’ two worst finishes among his top 18 were each worth 38. He can only improve his points total by winning a race which has 17 or more NASCAR-licensed competitors.
Rocco’s two worst each netted him 39. He can only improve his points total winning a race which has 18 or more NASCAR-licensed competitors.
For Rocco to catch Morris, he would need Morris to remain winless in the final two weekends, and Rocco would need the following:
•
Two wins with a maximum field of 20 cars.
Two wins with a maximum field of 20 cars.•Or three wins, one with a maximum field, one with at least 19 cars and one with at least 18 cars.
Or three wins, one with a maximum field, one with at least 19 cars and one with at least 18 cars. Pulliam has 755 points on the strength of his 17 wins, 26 top fives and 28 top 10s in 30 starts at Motor Mile, South Boston and Caraway. Eight of his wins have been worth 45 point.
CE Falk III, the Late Model champion at Langley Speedway in Hampton, Va., is fourth with 11 wins in 23 starts. He has 713 points. Brad Leighton is fifth at 594 points and 10 wins in the dirt Late Model divisions at Adams County Speedway in Corning, Iowa, I-80 Speedway in Omaha, Neb., and Junction Motor Speedway in McCool Junction, Neb.
Ryan Preece (Riverhead (N.Y.) Raceway, Stafford and Thompson) is sixth, followed by Woody Pitkat (Stafford, Waterford and Thompson), Brandon Davis (Toyota Speedway at Irwindale (Calif.)), Nate Monteith (New Kingsport (Tenn.) Speedway and Motor Mile) and Frank Deiny Jr. (Caraway, Motor Mile and South Boston).
Track, state and provincial champions and the top-three finishers in the national standings earn invitations to the 2011 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Awards Banquet at the Charlotte Convention Center at the NASCAR Hall of Fame on Friday, Dec. 9.
NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Top 25
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
DRIVER
Philip Morris
Keith Rocco
Lee Pulliam
C E Falk, III
Bill Leighton, Jr
Ryan Preece
Woody Pitkat
Brandon Davis
Nate Monteith
Frank Deiny, Jr
Burt Myers
J Herbst
Andrew Kosiski
Travis Braden(R)
Lee Tissot
Adam Royle
Natalie Sather
Todd Korish
Jeff Pearl
Micah Brown
Donald Mahaffey, Jr
Greg Edwards
Daniel Pope, Ii
Taylor Miinch(R)
Dylan Lupton
TRACK
Motor Mile, S Boston, Langley
Monadnock, Thompson, Stafford, Waterford
S Boston, Motor Mile, Caraway
S Boston, Langley
I-80, Adams, Junction
Thompson, Riverhead, Stafford
Stafford, Thompson, Waterford
Toyota
Kingsport, Motor Mile
Motor Mile, Caraway, S Boston
Bowman
Lacrosse
Junction, I-80
Columbus, Kil-Kare
Greenville, Kingsport
Raceway, Elko
Langley, S Boston
Lacrosse
Waterford
Junction, I-80
Columbus, Kil-Kare
Langley
Motor Mile, Kingsport
Toyota
Toyota
STARTS
27
46
30
23
25
31
26
17
24
23
18
17
29
30
22
30
24
17
18
25
32
15
22
17
17
WINS
19
23
17
11
10
7
5
9
10
1
4
5
3
12
5
10
0
1
2
2
5
3
3
1
4
TOP 5
22
35
26
20
24
25
20
15
21
17
13
12
15
28
18
26
14
11
8
12
23
14
18
11
12
TOP 10
24
42
28
22
24
28
23
15
21
21
16
16
26
29
20
27
18
15
17
20
30
15
21
15
13
POINTS
782
772
755
713
694
623
623
619
606
603
592
589
577
575
547
541
540
537
532
532
529
525
525
525
524
If Philip Morris is to win another National Championship, he'll have to do it on the road. (Speed51.com Photo)
