RUCKERSVILLE, VA :: Philip Morris won’t be missing the season opener at South Boston Speedway this year, and he hopes he won’t be missing a lot of races.  Last year, the four-time NASCAR Whelen All American Series National Champion found himself without a ride for much of the season, but he came roaring back to the Late Model Stock Car scene late in the season, ending his season standing next to another Martinsville Speedway Grandfather Clock.

Morris has not yet secured sponsorship to run the full season but he will start the season at South Boston on March 9th.

“We’re going to run the first race at South Boston and build from there,” Morris stated.  “We’ve got a pretty good shot at winning the South Boston track championship.  Kowalsky and Hedgecock are working on the car and engine.  We’ve got as good of a shot as most.”

With the limited schedule at Motor Mile Speedway, Morris feels there’s more opportunity to race at more racetracks this season.

“There’s an opportunity to run so many races this year,” Morris said.  “You can catch Motor Mile or South Boston.  We could run 38 races.  There are so many chances to race this year, it just takes sponsorship dollars.  We have the primary sponsor but we’ve got to get a few more on hand.

“I just got back from Africa.  I’m just now getting adjusted to the timeframe.  There’s not much time.  We’re going to roll right on in the schedule and run a few races and see where we want to go and what we want to do.  It’s wide open.  My son is also interested in running some races so we’re getting a car ready for him as well.

“Four weeks in, we’ll know what we can afford to do.”

Morris feels confident entering the new season after some solid runs when he was finally able to return behind the wheel of his orange and white no. 26 racecar at the end of the 2012 season.

“We ran good at South Boston and Motor Mile last year,” Morris mentioned. “We learned some stuff at Martinsville that will help us at South Boston.  I’m excited to see the changes on the weekly program and to see how we run weekly.  I’m pumped about the big races but they’re farther away.  They’re something we can work towards though.”

Morris is currently unsure if he will run for the NASCAR Whelen All American Series National Championship, a title he’s won four times in his illustrious Late Model career.

“I would let the sponsor decide if we’re going to do that much racing,” Morris mentioned.  “I would love to run for the National Championship but it’s not totally in my control.”

Morris also opened up about how he got in to racing.  After being introduced to racing at a young age, he decided to purchase a racecar after he got out of college and went racing.  From there, the rest is history.

“I was introduced to racing when I was five years old going to dirt tracks with my family,” Morris explained.  “My dad and granddad raced.  At some point, they got away from racing.  As soon as I went to a race as a spectator, I knew I wanted to get involved.  So I do what they do now, helped out and ended up building a car.  Next thing you know, you’re running a dirt late model.  I got in to it the way most guys got in to it.  I invested a lot in to it.  Just about every penny I made, I put in to my racecars.  It’s something you love to do.”

With the season opener at South Boston approaching on Saturday, March 9th, fans will be treated to a classic rivalry once more as “King Morris” will return to his Clarence’s Steakhouse throne and duel once more with the reigning NASCAR Whelen All American Series Champion, Lee Pulliam.