Story by: Kenny Lang(Photos Not Available)

South Boston, VA-Philip Morris is, according to all accounts and records, a slow starter. He is defying the norm in 2009 as he has three wins in his three starts this season.

Morris continued his white hot beginning to what he hopes is a third NASCAR Whelen All-American Series title by winning his second race of the season at South Boston Speedway on Saturday night April 11th.

Morris, from Ruckersville, VA, won the GE Tile Pole Award with a 15.712 second lap. Deac McCaskill, Nick Smith, Dustin Storm and Justin Johnson rounded out the top five in the twenty-three car starting field. The top sixteen qualifiers were separated by a scant three tenths of a second.

McCaskill jumped to the lead when the green flag dropped on the race with Morris, Smith, Storm and Michael Hardin running in the top five.

Morris did not waste time showing his muscle as he worked his way past McCaskill on lap nine. The racing was hot and heavy up front with young hot shoe Nick Smith making the pass on McCaskill at lap sixteen.

Lap twenty three brought Eddie Johnson, Justin Johnson and David Quackenbush by Hardin. The lap twenty five top ten consisted of Morris, Smith, McCaskill, Storm, Eddie Johnson, Justin Johnson, Quackenbush, Hardin, Lee Pulliam and Dude Gibbs.

The race was clean and green until lap forty-three when the car of Tim George, Jr was sent to the spin cycle by McCaskill. A lot of lead lap cars were having trouble negotiating around George.

Josh Oakely was the newest face cracking the top ten when the field went back to green flag racing at lap forty eight. Shortly after the restart, Pulliam and Oakley made their way by Hardin with good close racing the norm through the field.

The race settled in and the running order at the half way point was Morris, Smith, Storm, McCaskill, J. Johnson, E. Johnson, Quackenbush, Pulliam, Oakley and Jonathan Bailey.

McCaskill started a free fall through the field at lap eighty when J. Johnson made his way past. E. Johnson and Pulliam made their way past McCaskill by lap ninety-six.

Caution was shown for only the second time during the race at lap 101 for debris on the track. McCaskill hit pit road for a much needed chassis adjustment during the yellow.

The heat was really turned up after the green flag came back out on lap 106. Smith, who had been lurking behind Morris the entire race, started putting heavy pressure on the defending national champ at lap 118. Two laps later Smith was on the inside of Morris heading into turn one. Morris powered by Smith from his outside position and kept the young gun at bay.

The lap 130 top ten running order was Morris, Smith, Storm, J. Johnson, E. Johnson, Pulliam, Oakley, Bailey, Dane Rudolph and Jonathan Cash.

McCaskill decided to give up the fight on lap 138 as he headed to the pits for the night.

The last caution of the evening flew on lap 144 after Storm put George in the spin cycle again on the back stretch. George looked to be holding up the third place Storm when Storm moved him. Simultaneously in turn three Smith made contact with Gibbs and Smith was done for the evening from the contact with the turn three wall. With Smith in the pits and Storm going to the end of the lead lap cars because he was involved in the yellow flag, J. Johnson assumed the task of trying to get by Morris during a green, white, checkered finish.

It was to no avail and Morris pulled away comfortably on his way to win number three of 2009. J. Johnson, E. Johnson, Pulliam and Oakley rounded out the top five finishers. Bailey, Rudolph, Cash, sixteen year old Kenny Forbes and Storm were sixth through tenth.

Pit notes: A scuffle on pit road after the race had an unknown member of the DA Motorsports team of Nick Smith sucker punch driver Dude Gibbs. There were many punches thrown in the fight, with at least one person seeking medical attention from track Emergency Medical personnel. I even noticed a jack handle being held in the air. Things seemed to settle down when this occurred.

Official Race Results:
1 – 26 Philip Morris
2 – 6 Justin Johnson
3 – 57 Eddie Johnson
4 – 3 Lee Pulliam
5 – 8 Josh Oakley
6 – 89 Jonathan Bailey
7 – 18 Dane Rudolph
8 – 90 Jonathan Cash
9 – 03 Kenny Forbes
10 – 16 Dustin Storm
11 – 27 Tommy Lemons
12 – 22 Laura Hayes
13 – 7 Dude Gibbs
14 – 91 David Quackenbush
15 – 88 Nick Smith
16 – 24 Tim George, Jr.
17 – 08 Deac McCaskill
18 – 77 Michael Hardin
19 – 64 Rick Gdovic
20 – 74 Ronald Hill
21 – 21 Bruce Anderson
22 – 17 Jimmy Rice
23 – 80 Chad McCoy
24 – 71 Jeff Oakley