Philip Morris has been a traveling man this season even more so than in past seasons. He’s stuck to the four Virginia NASCAR Whelen All-American Series tracks but he’s had to work to figure out each week, which track will have the highest car count.
It seems this season that Dominion Raceway has been a sure thing bet for car count and this weekend was the same as 18-cars lined up for the first of twin races and 17 in the second. Both races featured the highest car count in the region and gave Morris a maximum opportunity to gain points.
Morris did his part too. He qualified on the pole before he was inverted to fifth after the track brought out a dunking booth and put race director Chris Steffi in it for drivers to determine the invert by how many tries it took to dunk him. Morris hit it on the fifth try and was inverted to the fifth starting position.
He wasted no time heading for the front of the field despite five cautions in the first seven laps. Morris took the lead from Tyler Hughes on lap 24 and it was over from there. He went on to win over Hughes, Doug Barnes, Sergio Pena and Davey Callihan.
In race two, the invert was eight as mandated by NASCAR Whelen All-American Series officials but after Hughes and Callihan both had issues he was moved up sixth for the start. From there he’d have no issues once again getting to the front and took the lead from Chandler Sherman on lap 14 and set sail to victory once again. Barnes, Hughes, Alex Brock and Timmy Phipps completed the top five.
Cover photo by Dinah Mullins.
Race Results:
Race #1
1 – Philip Morris #01
2 – Tyler Hughes #8
3 – Doug Barnes #88
4 – Sergio Pena #01
5 – Davey Callihan #13
6 – Jeff Oakley #11
7 – Alex Brock #9
8 – Chandler Sherman #18
9 – Michael Hardin #7
10 – Timmy Phipps #4
11 – Owen Smith #36
12 – Mike Ganoe #82
13 – GR Waldrop #02
14 – Blake Morris #72
15 – Colby Stottlemyer #19
16 – Jason Pittman #51
17 – Logan Jones #75
18 – Eric George #17
Race #2:
1 – Philip Morris #01
2 – Doug Barnes #88
3 – Tyler Hughes #8
4 – Alex Brock #9
5 – Timmy Phipps #4
6 – Jeff Oakley #11
7 – Michael Hardin #7
8 – Sergio Pena #01
9 – Chandler Sherman #18
10 – GR Waldrop #02
11 – Blake Morris #72
12 – Mike Ganoe #82
13 – Jason Pittman #51
14 – Colby Stottlemyer #19
15 – Davey Callihan #13
16 – Owen Smith #36
17 – Eric George #17
