As the 2019 season for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Model Stock Cars dawned at South Boston Speedway on Saturday afternoon, a spark ignited in the Philip Morris pit area and it led to crew chief, Forrest Reynolds leaving before the race.
Morris seemed unstoppable last year as he drove to 23 victories and his fifth NASCAR Whelen All-American Series National Championship. Over the winter Reynolds and his team at Reynolds Racing Chassis built a brand new car for Morris to drive this season.
Despite the success, turmoil within the team had been brewing and nearly spilled over last fall at Martinsville Speedway. At Martinsville, Reynolds and engine builder Darrell Poe got into a heated exchange that led to Poe taking a swing at Reynolds. The flame between the two wasn’t completely extinguished but it wouldn’t show up again until yesterday.
Once the team arrived at South Boston for the season-opening race, Reynolds said he knew they had a problem.
“The car was noticeably down on power,” Reynolds told RACE22.com. “We busted our ass on that new car all winter and showed up with a dud.”
Reynolds felt as if the engine that Poe built for the team was the problem and felt like he couldn’t help them make the car any better without addressing the engine issues.
“I didn’t feel like there was anything I could do to have the fastest car there so I left.”
Reynolds left the track over the issues he thought were with the engine. Poe for his part says that he’s known for some time that Reynolds didn’t want to work with him.
“It had been told to me that Forrest didn’t want to race with me,” Poe told RACE22.com. “I’ve known him for a very long time since he was a kid. He’s a very good chassis builder. But, he’s the kind of guy where it’s never his fault.”
After Reynolds left the track, rumors began circulating through the pits like wildfire over what had happened with most calling it a split between Morris and Reynolds. When the race was over and Morris had won the second of twins at South Boston, we asked him about the perceived split.
“Forrest left,” Morris told RACE22.com. “We didn’t part ways. We got too much business together and I’m too big a fan of Forrest Reynolds. I wouldn’t part ways with him. He’s a great racecar driver. He’s a great builder.”
In Reynolds absence, Morris was put in a position that he’s all too familiar with having worked on his own cars for years before this partnership with Reynolds. Morris played crew chief and with some of his parts in the trailer that Reynolds left with, he had to borrow a spring and a gear to get his car ready to battle in twin 100-lap races.
Morris finished third in the first race and started fifth in the second race and got the lead and was never challenged to open the season with a victory. Reynolds said he was glad Morris won.
“I’m excited he won and I’m sure everyone watching could tell it was all driver,” commented Reynolds. “I never questioned whether Phil could win but it wasn’t the fastest car there and it easily could’ve been with a different engine.”
Poe says that without Reynolds there the team worked together and got the speed they were looking for.
“We didn’t give up,” Poe commented. “We rebounded without Forrest. We worked on the car and made it better and ran the fastest lap in both races. It’s a brand new car and it just needs some changes. I think once Forrest left and we worked on the car as a team it got better.”
“I wonder if all the competitors thought that Philip was down on power in the second race,” Poe quipped. “I think things just got the best of Forrest and I hope it’ll all work out because when we’re working together we’re pretty good. I know I do my part. I know Philip can do his part very well and I think Forrest is capable of doing his part as well.”
When the dust settled on the day, Morris was in victory lane without Reynolds and Reynolds was at Hickory Motor Speedway helping to dial in his newest customer Justin Carroll who raced to two third-place finishes in twin races.
Morris says it’s all just a misunderstanding and that he wants to keep Reynolds as a part of his team.
“It’s just, ran into a couple of misunderstandings today. Nothing we can’t work out. Don’t know where we would be without him. Owe him a lot. That last championship, taking a 53-year-old guy to a national championship, that’s pretty big stuff.”
Morris reached out last night but Reynolds says he doesn’t know what’s going to happen moving forward.
“I haven’t talked to Phil about anything so I don’t know what he wants to do,” Reynolds said. “I’ve got too much respect for Phil to leave him hanging.”
Poe said that he’s willing to continue to work with Reynolds but that he’s disappointed in how things went down yesterday.
“I’ve always been willing to work with Forrest,” Poe stated. “But, we’ve got to work together. I’m willing to work with whoever. I know Philip was very upset and disappointed about it and I am too.”
Together they have been nearly unstoppable but what will the future hold if one of these pieces isn’t a part of the team any longer? Only time will tell but Morris’ plan to compete in 30+ races and go for his record-breaking sixth NASCAR Whelen All-American Series National Championship will march on in two weeks at South Boston.
RACE22.com’s Andy Marquis contributed to this report.
