December 24, 2024 | By Lyndal Scranton

Morton's personal racing heroes offer double inspiration

WHEATLAND, Mo. — Whether JC Morton is representing one of his racing idols while driving his USRA B-Mod or chasing checkers behind the wheel of a Late Model, the Springfield driver is looking forward to another season of double duty at Lucas Oil Speedway.

Morton earned his third Lucas Oil Speedway track championship in the Clear Creek Golf Cars USRA B-Mods in 2024 while driving a Terry Phillips Bloodline chassis. With two feature victories and seven top-fives in 11 events, Morton cruised to the title by 145 points over Logan Smith.

“We teamed up with Terry Phillips a season and a half ago and to turn around in my first full season with him, to win a championship, it’s good,” Morton said. “We’ve been close several times and lost by a couple of points here, by five points there, in the last 2-3 seasons. To be able to come out on top and to be in the Bloodline house car, that’s huge.”

The 34-year-old Morton also was a contender in the Hermitage Lumber Late Model portion of the Weekly Racing Series as he wound up third in points behind Aurora’s Justin Wells, another iconic Ozarks-area racing veteran.

“I’ve watched Justin race since I was a kid,” Morton said of Wells. “To be in a position I’m in, to be able to race with him, is a pretty cool deal. It puts it into a pretty full-circle perspective.”

Morton knows it won’t be easy, but he has a goal of chasing two championships next season, in his Bloodline B-Mod and the Rocket-chassis Late Model owned by brothers Larry and Dale Moon from Sedalia.

A hint of what could happen came in 2023 when Morton won features in the B-Mod and Late Model divisions on the same night. He wound up second in the B-Mod points and sixth in Late Models that season. The 2024 season wasn't quite as good in the Late Model.

“We had plenty of top-five finishes in the Late Model, just didn’t get any wins,” Morton said of the past season. “I missed the first point night for the Late Models, as they started a week early. That’s a 100-point swing when you miss a night, so it put me behind the 8-ball a little bit.

“Larry, the car owner, is pouring everything he can into it to make it better. We made a bunch of moves in the off-season to improve. We should come out strong. He’s constantly on the phone with Rocket and trying to fine-tune to get it better.”

Finding a way to derail Wells, who won 11 features last season in running away with a second straight track championship, is the tricky part. But Wells has indicated he might not run for another points title, which could open things up.

Having Phillips, a Dirt Late Model Hall of Famer in his corner, is a great benefit for Morton. While Phillips no longer competes in the Late Model division, Morton said he’s a tremendous resource if he has questions, no matter the car.

“He’s got a vast knowledge there,” Morton said. “He’s not in the technology side of it like he used to be, because he’s not racing them anymore, but he’s still able to make a phone call or a text and is able to find out what’s happening. It helps.

“I try not to push him a whole lot on that because he’s not 100 percent involved on my Late Model world, but he still has so much knowledge. Like I think it was the USMTS race at Lucas last season, he made some suggestions (about the Late Model) and it was a lot better for us the second night.”

No matter what happens in the Late Model, Morton is a proven champion in the B-Mod and figures to only get better the more experience he gets in the Bloodline chassis with Phillips in his corner.

“He’s been around it so long and he’s so good, it’s hard not to take what he says and try it,” Morton said of Phillips. “He’s had so much success and has been an idol for me since I was a kid.”

Morton said he looks forward to winning as many races as he can in 2025 after scoring 10 feature victories overall last season.

“The more races we’re winning, the more cars we’re gonna sell,” Morton said of the B-Mod. “Then I’d like to capitalize on the Late Model deal, hit all the points shows and hopefully we can knock off a championship there.

“It would be even cooler to have two championships. We’ll just have to see how the season goes. We’d like to knock out two championships, but will just show up week in and week out and see how many races we can win.”

Things can get hectic while competing in two divisions. Morton gave his long-time B-Mod crew of dad Gene, Danny Fender and Rich Cooper a lot of credit.

“They know what to do and I can bounce back and forth pretty easy,” Morton said. “The Late Model crew, I have the two brothers and another brother, Gary, and one of their sons will help once in a while. But yeah, every once in a while it will get hectic, if we tear one up and we’re rushing around, but for the most part, it’s not too bad.

“When it gets hot, it’s a little more demanding - especially when we’re racing back-to-back. I try to stay hydrated.”

Morton, who turns 35 in January, laughed while saying he still considers himself youthful. He credits daughters Zoey (12), Emmy (4) and son Huddy (four months) with keeping him on his toes and wife Destiny for keeping everyone pointed in the right direction.

“I’m getting a little older and it does catch up with you at the end of the night,” he said. “My girls keep me young. As long as I can keep up with them, I’ll be OK.”

Sponsors on Morton’s cars include Bloodline Race Cars, Yeoman Race Cars, Big Time Bail Bonds, R & R Graphics, Wehr’s Machine, Integra, CPD Race Shocks, Keyser Manufacturing, Quarter Master, Sedalia Electric Motors and TNT Quick Time.

"Without all of them we wouldn’t be able to get up and down the road and race as much as we do," Morton said.

Gift cards, season pass renewals available: Time is running short, but Lucas Oil Speedway is offering gift cards in any amount which would make terrific Christmas presents. The gift cards and can be used in various ways from tickets, to concessions to the Track Treasures Gift Shop in 2025.

Season passes for the 2025 season, good for admission to all dirt-track events, also are available at a $50 discount for renewals through Dec. 31. Those renewals are $700 for adults and $600 for seniors (ages 62 and over). After Jan. 1, 2025, renewals will be $750 for adults and $650 for seniors (62 and over).

New season-pass buyers maybe purchase passes starting on Feb. 1, at $750 for adults and $650 for seniors. Meanwhile, renewals for Show-Me 100 three-day reserved passes will be Jan. 1st through 31st with new Show-Me 100 passes going on sale Feb. 1.

Contact Admissions Director Nichole McMillan at (417) 295-6043 or email her at nmcmillan@lucasoilspeedway.com for more information.

Weekly racing in the Pitts Homes and Realty Weekly Racing Series will feature five divisions - Hermitage Lumber Late Models, Arctic Food Equipment USRA Modifieds, O'Reilly Auto Parts USRA Stocks, Clear Creek Golf Cars USRA B Mods and Hickamo Country Store Super Stocks.

The 2025 season is scheduled to fire up March 22nd with March Full Body Madness after Open Test & Tune on March 15th.