Morris wins in Martinsville

Published 10:24 pm Tuesday, October 23, 2012

(Bill Carr/MotorSports News Service) Philip Morris and family celebrate on the stage with the Ridgeway Grandfather clock and the check for $25,000 that he won at Martinsville Speedway.

Philip Morris won the Virginia Is For Racing Lovers 300 lap Late-Model Stock Car race in Martinsville on Saturday, taking home a check for $25,000 and the traditional Ridgeway Grandfather Clock as his prizes from the richest late-model stock car race in the nation.

The clock will have company, as Morris already has two others he’s won in previous outings.

Morris had been out of Late Model Stock Car racing for most of this year when his previous car owner decided to split up sponsorship amongst several drivers. Morris, who has won three national championships, held off the reigning national champion Lee Pulliam through the last six laps to get the win.

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A total of 80 drivers tried to qualify for the 150-lap feature event by racing their way into it. Four 25-lap heats resulted in 32 drivers getting slotted for the main race. A last-chance, 50-lappper placed 10 more drivers in the final field of 42 cars for the feature event. All told, there were 300 laps of racing.