Donavan finishes 2nd in Ritter Technologies 75!  July 22, 2007 - The Morgan Motorsports team returned to Slinger Speedway on Sunday July 22nd for our second race after almost a two year break.  It was a perfect day for racing and the Morgan Motorsports team had high hopes for a good run.  Many changes were made during the week to the car and Donavan said the car was 100% better then it was during it's first race three weeks ago. 

Donavan went out to qualify and was disappointed when he placed 14th with an 11.707.  With the handling issues he experienced last week, he drove conservatively for qualifying and felt he could have done better.  However, placing 14th in time still locked us in to the 75 lap event sponsored by Ritter Technologies Parker Store.  And it turned out luck was on our side when they inverted 14 cars for the main event, placing the D92 car on the pole. 

Before the evening's events were underway, Donavan had the opportunity to give rides to several people in the Ritter Technologies Parker Store two-seater car.  One of them was a soldier who had just returned from Iraq.  The other person was affiliated with Ritter Technologies.  And the third person was Chris McIntee, son of Pat McIntee who runs a Sportsman car at Slinger.  Chris won the ride in the race car when his ticket was drawn during intermission.

After the intermission with rides for kids in race cars, the feature event lined up.   The green flag was thrown and Donavan dropped into second place within one lap of the race.  By lap seven, he was on the tail of the leader, Josh Bauer, and looked to the inside to see if he could take a shot at the pass.  Josh's car was stronger so Donavan settled back into second and the two cars pulled away from the field.  By lap 29, they began to lap cars.  The event ran caution free and Donavan brought home a strong second place run, a full straight away ahead of the rest of the field. 

2004 was the last time our team had a second place finish so it felt like a win to us.  This was only the second race this car has seen at Slinger Speedway and after a long break in the racing scene, the team was extremely happy to bring home a second place finish.

we're not sure when we'll be back again but the team is looking forward to racing the car at least one more time this year.  Thanks again to Tom at Ritter Technologies for sponsoring the evening's activities.  And thanks to Mike Vogt for hauling the car to the track and to Conrad for letting us drive it!  

We're racing again for Ritter Technologies night!  The Morgan Motorsports team will be returning once again to Slinger Super Speedway on Sunday July 22nd for an evening of racing sponsored by Ritter Technologies Parker Store.  Ritter Technologies was a dedicated sponsor of the Morgan Motorsports team for nine years of racing in a Late Model.  They have Served the Industry since 1951 with world class products and solutions in Hydraulics, Pneumatics, Lubrication, Filtration, and Fluid Connectors.  We'd like to thank Tom Savignac at Ritter for offering us the opportunity to promote their company this Sunday.  And to Conrad for letting us borrow his car again! We're hoping for a much stronger run then our return to Slinger two weeks ago.  See you there!


Results from our return to Slinger!   July 1, 2007 - The Morgan Motorsports team was excited to return to Slinger Super Speedway on Sunday July 1st for the Keith's Marina Firecracker 75.  It had been almost two years since our last race in October of 2005.  The weather was perfect for racing and we looked forward to returning to the track we called home every Sunday night for over 10 years. 

Donavan figured he'd be a little rusty after his break in racing but after his first hot lap session, he quickly remembered how much fun it is to drive a car that works.  The car was fast and he had high hopes he would qualify his way in to the 85 lap feature.  However, those hopes faded fast as he went out to scuff the new tires in preparation for qualifying.  The car was so loose he spun out just trying to scuff the tires.  He said he heard a clunk in the rear-end when he pulled onto the track that session.  When he pulled into the pits,  the team worked feverishly to determine if something broke on the car.  After finding nothing, he went out to qualify.

The car acted the same way and Donavan almost lost it in turn two on his first lap of qualifying.  It was extremely loose for all three laps so his fastest lap was an 11.681 which placed him 26th in time out of 48 cars.

We didn't make the show and would have to run in the 30 lap semi feature.  The team went to work on the car to try and tighten it up for the Semi.  An invert placed us in the front row for the race which would give us a chance to advance to the feature with a top two finish.  But Donavan wasn't comfortable with the car going into the race, knowing how it wanted to spin out during all three laps of qualifying.

The green flag flew and we battled side by side with the 28 car of Mark Bitzan.  But not for long as the event's first caution flew on lap one when cars scattered in the middle of the field in turn four.  After the field was cleared, racing resumed and we battled side by side for three more laps.  Mark didn't give us much room and his car appeared to be more ill-handling then ours.  Coming into turn four on lap four, the two cars touched and both spun in the middle of the turn.  Luckily Donavan was able to keep the car down low and the field behind them made it past without damaging either car. 

Both cars went to the rear and the race seemed to get even crazier after that.  Donavan elected to stay in the back, not wanting to risk destroying the car which still was battling a loose condition.  We crossed the line in the 13th spot at race end.

Our return to racing reminded us of how quickly your hopes can go from high to low..  one minute the car is working great, the next minute it goes sour.  But we still had fun and are thankful Conrad gave us the opportunity to try our luck once again at the world's fastest quarter mile.  We also would like to wish Todd Behling a speedy road to recovery..  our return to the action just wasn't the same without the familiar Doooonnnnaaavvaaaaannn Moooorrgaaaaaann yelled into the mic!!!!

Donavan plans a return to Slinger!
June 21, 2007 - After nearly a two year break from racing, Donavan will be returning to Slinger to race in the Firecracker 85 on Sunday July 1st.  He will be piloting Conrad's second car, a Lefthander that he purchased in the Winter from Dan Lensing.  The car has never done a lap at the the world's fastest quarter mile oval, but we're hoping it'll perform well at the track.  Wish us luck!

The 2007 Season
April 2007 - It's hard to believe we're approaching our second race season as race fans vs. a race team.  It was just a year ago that we decided to call it quits and take a break from the racing scene.  We're once again looking forward to being race fans for the 2007 season while we stay busy working on our new house.  Watching from the sidelines has been hard at times but we are enjoying a break from the craziness that racing brought into our lives.  We hope everyone has a safe and luck-filled race season.  Especially Conrad who is busy building a second car that he purchased from Dan Lensing this winter.  Hopefully this will be his come-back year and he'll be back in victory lane again.  We'd also like to wish good luck to Scott Ascher who has made the leap from a Mid-Am/Midwest Sportsman car to a Limited Late Model and also to Rob Braun who has done the same.  Best of luck everyone!
 
What have we been up to this summer?
August 18, 2006 - It's been a long time since we've updated our website and we figured perhaps a few of our fans would be interested in what we've been up to this summer.  After five months of trying, we finally sold the race car this week.  It was hard to see it go but was also just as hard to see it sit there not being used.  Donavan said he felt like a drug addict with a pile of drugs in front of him-  seeing that car sit there in the shop.  We still have some misc items to sell, including the race motor.  Earlier in the summer we sold our truck and trailer.  They were the first items to go. 

Our summer has been very busy, despite the extra time on our hands from not racing.  Our family has spent a lot of time on the water in our new boat, a 2003 Skeeter Fish/Ski boat with a Yamaha 150 on the back.  We went on one camping trip and now we're planning to purchase a new house.

We miss our racing family but are glad we can still keep in touch with the sport through Conrad's racing operation.  Although, we wish he was having a better season. Watching his struggles reminds us of the struggles we had the past few seasons.  We're looking forward to what the future holds and who knows-  maybe we'll even have the chance to drive again someday.  We hope everyone's having a great summer!

Bad luck ends our season!  October 1 and 2nd - 35 Super Late models made the trip to Lake Geneva on October 1st and 2nd for a weekend of racing action.  The land the track sits on is slated for a condo development within the next few years.  This year's fall classic may have been one of the last opportunities to win the much sought after trophy. 

Saturday featured a day of qualifying for all divisions as well as heat races and race of champions.  However before the super late models had a chance hit the track, the races were canceled.  A car in the modified division wrecked on the front stretch, hitting the wall and taking down a good portion of the fence.  On impact, pieces of the fence and debris from the car ejected into the stands, injuring six fans.  A slew of emergency personnel were called to the scene.  After what seemed like an eternity, we were finally informed that none of the injuries were life threatening.  We hope everyone involved in this scary incident has a speedy recovery.

The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo qualified seventh in time, which locked us in to the 75 lap feature event on Sunday.  Sixteen cars were locked in by time and eight advanced in to the show through qualifying races.  An eleven car invert placed us in the fifth starting spot, third row inside.  The field went green but not for long as the first caution flew on lap one.  After the caution flew, it took the track officials about 20 yellow flag laps to get the field sorted out and back in order before we could go racing again.  Apparently there was a discrepancy in the order of the cars and a lot of time was wasted sorting that out.  And time was of the essence since the black clouds were already rolling in.  The field returned to green but again within one lap, the yellow flew for a spin in turn four.  It seemed we'd never get this race started.  Racing finally resumed but only until lap 24 when it started down pouring while we were running in the sixth spot.  Everyone scrambled to get their cars covered and we were now under a rain delay.  The track was dried just in time for a thunderstorm to make it's way to the track.  The cars were already lined back up to go racing but we were now under yet another rain delay.

Two hours later, we finally went back to racing.  The field lined up in single file for the start of the race, with lap cars in-between.  Unfortunately for us, the two lap cars were in-between fifth and sixth place, directly ahead of us.  The field went green and within the first half lap, we got around the first lapped car.  It took about three laps to get around the second lapped car and we then were able to set our sights on breaking into the top five.  The field ran without incident for the next 30 laps and we again began approaching lap traffic.  Entering turn three, we moved to the outside of the #7 car of Don Turner which was several laps down.  As we passed him in the middle of the corner, he drove straight into our door causing Donavan to lose control of the car and spin while exiting the turn.  Donavan was so upset, he stopped by the officials to complain about a lap car taking him out.  But it was ruled a racing incident and we returned to green at the back of the field.  A very frustrated Donavan drove his heart out after the incident and ended up gaining quite a few spots back.  If the race had been longer, he probably could have returned to the top ten.  But we fell short of a top ten finish by a few cars and ended up twelfth.  We were disappointed with a good run being ruined by a driver who obviously has troubling controlling his race car.  We’re glad this season is over and are looking forward to a fresh start in 2006.  The season ended much better than it began with improved qualifying times and race finishes.  We’re excited about racing a full season in a chassis that is consistent and has the potential to once again put us back in victory lane. 

Thanks to everyone who supported us this season!  We couldn’t have done it without each and every one of you! 

Finally- a top five finish!  
The fans piled in to Slinger Super Speedway Sunday night for the event that earmarks the end of summer.  The Port-a-John 100 has always been a fan favorite with great racing and a show of fireworks.  The weather was excellent and we were excited to race our second race in the new car.

Donavan was very happy with the car after the practice session and the improvement in the chassis set up showed when we timed in sixth in time with an 11.499.  In the past five seasons, we ran many fast dashes and won quite a few each season.  This is the first fast dash that we qualified for all year.  The top six cars in time lined up for the six lap event and we were placed in the pole position, inside front row.  The green flag flew but the yellow lights never went off, signaling the drivers to go green.  The driver on the outside got in the gas but we did not since the lights were still yellow.  This caused a chain reaction forcing the cars behind us to slam on the brakes.  The race was re-started.  The green flag flew and we hoped we could jump into the lead on the first lap of the race.  Unfortunately, we weren't able to secure the lead and ended up running side by side for every lap.  It was a close finish but we lost the battle by a nose and ended up second at the line.

After a great fireworks show during intermission, the cars lined up for the 100 lap feature event.  The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo was placed in the fourth starting spot, outside second row.  The green flag flew and the car was working great.  By lap three, we were able to use the entire track while running in the third spot.  There were many battles going on during the first 20 laps of the race and we had to defend our position several times.  On lap 24, a car used the outside lane to battle for the third spot.  Three laps later, he took over the spot and we dropped back to fourth.  A few laps later, a car ahead of the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo got loose and we were stuck behind him as he tried getting the car gathered back up.  We lost two spots as a result.  The event's first caution flew on lap 33 when a car had mechanical problems.  We returned to green in the sixth spot and ran nose to tail with the top five cars in the race.  On lap 56, we used the inside lane to regain the fifth spot which is where we crossed the line at race end.

Finishing in the top five is where we wanted to be all season.  Our team is excited to finally be in contention to win a race again and we have high hopes for the 2006 season.  We owe a big thanks to everyone who has supported us this season, our sponsors, crew, and fans.  We could not have done it without each and every one of them.

This Sunday is the season championship race at Slinger Speedway and will be our last race at the track until 2006.  The Charcoal Grill of West Bend and 5 Corners Dodge of Cedarburg Present Salute the Military Armed Forces and Season Championship Night at Slinger Speedway. ALL UNIFORM MILITARY Personnel with an ID will be admitted to the race at No Charge!

See a 75 Lap Late Model Feature along with Midwest Modified, Midwest Sportsman, Complete Car Care Slinger Bee’s, Thunderstocks, Figure 8’s, Port A John Speedway Guest Cars and One on One Spectator races. Plus Limited Late Models! Gates Open at 4:45, Time Trials are at 5:15 and Racing Starts at 7:00 pm.  We hope to see you there!  


Donavan finishes 8th with the new car!  
The team worked feverishly on the new car Friday night, all day Saturday and again on Sunday to get it ready to race at Slinger Sunday evening.  The motor was dropped in, the car was lettered and we were back to the track for the Behling Racing Equipment 60 lap feature.

Practice went well and Donavan was very excited after he scuffed the new tires and the car appeared to be on a rail.  However, we were disappointed in our qualifying efforts when we timed in 11th in time with an 11.562.  That position however, worked to our advantage when we were placed in the front row for the 60 lap feature event.

Starting on the outside for the race, the green flag flew and we hoped the new car would take us tovictory lane.  Unfortunately, we were unable to take the lead in the race and dropped into the second position when the car in the inside lane took the top spot after the first completed lap.  The car was tight in the corners and on lap 5, we lost a spot, dropping back to third.  By lap 20, we lost several more positions as Donavan struggled to get the car to turn from the middle of the corner and off the corner. 

He adjusted the brakes during the event’s first caution period on lap 29 but it didn’t cure the problem.  By race end, we lost another spot and crossed the line in the eighth position.

Overall, the team was happy with how the evening went in the new car.  The car was consistently tight the entire race which means we should be able to easilyadjust for that for this weekend.  We were right there with the cars in front of us during the entire race so even though the handling of the car was not that great, we were able to stay on the tail of the cars after they passed us. 

We’re very hopeful about the potential of this car for this weekend’s big labor day race at Slinger.  Port-A-John presents The Port-A-John 100 Late Model Race along with a 60 Lap $3000 to win Midwest Sportsman Race and a Huge Ground and Aerial Fireworks Display. Rain Date is Monday September 5th.

General Admission Gates Open at 4:45, Time Trials are at 5:15 and Racing Starts at 7:00 pm.

We hope to see you there!

Donavan wins the semi and finishes 9th in the feature!  August 7, 2005 - Qualifying 23rd in time with Conrad's car, we missed our first regular event feature race in over two years.  The top two cars in the semi transfer into the feature so we still had hope we would make it in.  Lining in the third starting position, second row inside, we quickly went to work on the lead after the green flag dropped.  On lap 7, we took over the top spot and remained there until lap 30 when we crossed the line, winning our first semi feature since our rookie days.

We transferred to the feature and started in the 19th spot.  The green flag flew and within 6 laps, the Thrivent Financial 92 car gained three spots.  By lap 15, we gained two more spots and were running in the 14th spot.  We were excited to be passing cars for once instead of being the one to get passed!   On lap 16, a car spun out in turn four and we made contact with it as it slid down the race track.  We sustained damage to the right door of the car but did not have to relegate to the pits.  We went back to green in the 14th spot .  We advanced several more positions by race end and crossed the line in the 9th spot.

Donavan records a sixth place finish in the Ritter/Parker 75!   July 24, 2005 - After struggling most of the season in our Howe car, the team decided it was time for a change.  We took a vote...  should we change the driver or the car?  It was a split decision so we flipped a coin and it landed in Donavan's favor.  We decided to give him another chance but this time it would be in a different car.  (Just kidding Donavan!)  So, we returned to Slinger Speedway on a hot and steamy day for the Ritter Parker Store 75, sponsored by one of the first sponsors who supported the Morgan Motorsports team.  We are very lucky to have had Ritter Technologies/Parker Store on our car for the past NINE seasons!  We credit them for much of the success we have had in years past.  We're looking forward to having more in the near future and the Ritter/Parker 75 race on Sunday gave us a glimpse of what's to come.

Driving the Thrivent Financial 92 car owned by his Father, Conrad Morgan, Donavan qualified ninth in time with an 11.616.  For the first time all season, we were placed in the front row for the feature event.  The green flag flew and we ran side by side until lap 2 when we were able to secure the lead.  Cars were on our tail but as each lap advanced, we began to grow our lead against the rest of the field.  By lap 15, we had a three car length lead and by lap 20 it grew to over six cars.  Unfortunately, our lead was erased when the caution flew on lap 23 for a spin in turn four.  We had a good restart when the green flag few again and we shot out into the lead.  Another 20 laps went by until the second place car gained ground on us and he was glued to our bumper.  The car got loose off turn two on lap 43, allowing the #1 car of David Prunty to nose his way into the inside lane to make a bid at the top spot.  We ran side by side but the cars handling was not as good as David's and we lost the spot two laps later.  On lap 47 we lost another spot and a few laps later we dropped into fourth.  The event's final caution flew on lap 70 while we were running in fourth place.  The car was not as good when we returned to green and we lost two spots on the last lap, crossing the line in sixth place.

Leading over half the race was so encouraging to our team and gives us high hopes for our future at the track.  The team traveled to Edgerton on Monday evening to look at a 2005 Lefthander Chassis.  The car has three races on it and is in mint condition.  We are also planning to travel to Indiana this Saturday to look at another chassis with only a few races on it.  We're hoping to make a decision after that trip.  As of now, our tentative schedule is to take the Howe car to Madison Speedway on Friday August 5th.  We would have liked to race Madison this Friday but the Super Late Model division is not running that night.  Conrad Morgan has also asked us to run his 92 car on Sunday the 7th at Slinger Speedway.  If we don't have our own Lefthander by then, we'll probably go with that plan.  We'll update you as we learn more this weekend!  

The Slinger Nationals and what happens next! After our disappointing run in the Slinger Nationals, we have decided to skip Slinger this weekend and tentatively will be traveling to Madison International Speedway Friday night to test the Howe car on a flat track.  We were twenty-fifth in time for the Nationals, missing the show by nine cars.  The last chance race was lined up by qualifying times so we were placed in the fifth row inside for the 30 lap event.  The top four cars transfer to the feature.  The green flag waved and we got trapped behind a slow car, losing many positions.  The car felt good for the first 1/3 of the race but began getting extremely loose in the corners.  We were unable to transfer to the feature and were placed in the semi instead.  

We started on the front row outside for the 35 lap race.  The green flag flew and Donavan quickly jumped out into the lead.  The car was great for the first 10 laps of the race and then it started to become loose again in the turns.  On lap 12, the second place car made a bid for the spot  and we lost it one lap later.  As the laps wound down, the car became harder to drive and we lost a few more spots, crossing the line in the fifth spot.

We've been back at Slinger for three weeks after the car was straightened by Howe in Michigan.  We've come to the conclusion that this chassis may never work at Slinger because of it's high banks.  So the team has decided to test it out on a flat track so we're traveling to Madison International Speedway Friday night, July 22nd to see if we have better luck.  

We are also talking about our future at Slinger and whether or not we can return with this chassis.  We have been making some calls about purchasing a Lefthander chassis which is a proven chassis at that track.  Almost every week this season, there has been a Lefthander in victory lane.  We are also in discussion with Conrad about driving his Lefthander chassis for the Ritter/Parker Store 60 on Sunday night July 24th.  Stay tuned for details on that.    

Donavan finishes fifteenth in Coke 60!  July 10, 2005 - The Morgan Motorsports team returned to Slinger Super Speedway on Sunday, July 10th for the Coke 60 presented by Subway.  We were really hoping the car would be better than it was for the big fourth of July show the week prior.  We placed 14th in that event but the car was not as good as we hoped it would be.

For the second week in a row, we qualified fifteenth in time.  We were in the show but had to start deep in the field for the 60 lap race.  The team made some adjustments to try and tighten the car up for the race.   We were excited when the green flag dropped and the car actually felt good.  We were able to keep up with the field in front of us.  On lap 15, the car still had bite in the corners but was starting to become loose off the corner.  By the event's third caution on lap 30, the car was now tight in the middle of the corner and loose off the corner.  We were in the twelfth spot but Donavan decided to pull off the track during the caution to check the tire stagger and make any necessary adjustments to try and make the car better.  We'd lose a few spots but it would be worth the attempt to try and improve the car.  

We returned to green just in time and did not lose a lap.  The car was great for about five laps and began to fade again.  We remained in the 15th spot for the remainder of the race.  The team is finally feeling assured that we're on to something with the set-up that we ran last night.   Everyone is excited to return to Slinger for the 26th annual Slinger Nationals Tuesday, July 12th.  We had some stagger issues this Sunday and last Sunday which significantly affects the car.  Hopefully we won't have issues with tires and we run well in the 250 lap show featuring several Dale Earnhardt's son Kerry Earnhardt.  Along with Earnhardt, visiting NASCAR stars Ron Hornaday, Kenny Wallace, Todd Kluever, and Dick Trickle are set to challenge top Midwest late model drivers and defending Nationals champions.  The top 16 cars in qualifying will make the race.  Four will transfer in through a qualifier and four more will make the show through promoter's choice.  It'll be a tough show to make but we're feeling confident our qualifying efforts will be much improved from the past few weeks.

Spectator gates open at 3 p.m. with qualifying beginning at 4:30 pm and events to follow. The 250 lap Late Model feature will follow the preliminary events which include Midwest Sportsman races. Fans will also be treated to an autograph session with the NASCAR stars and former Champions. The rain date is Wednesday, July 13th.

Eric Fransen to drive the 92 car this Sunday! Friday, July 1, 2005 - Eric Fransen, former regular at Slinger Super Speedway will race the 92 car this Sunday in the Keith's Marina Fireworks Extravaganza 85.  Eric was third in points last season at Slinger.  He had three feature wins and thirteen top five finishes.  Eric drove for Sonya and Danny Delkamp until he moved to North Carolina to work for an Ray Everham Busch team.  He recently moved back, opening up the opportunity for him to wheel the Thrivent Financial 92 car this Sunday while Conrad is recovering.  We're excited to compete against him once again at Slinger.

Conrad is injured in race incident! Sunday, June 18, 2005 - Donavan's Dad, Conrad Morgan was injured Sunday during the More than Millwork Father's Day special.  It happened when a car spun on lap 23, causing cars to scatter across the race track.  Conrad stopped but another car did not and he drove into the left front of Conrad's car.  During impact, Conrad held onto the steering wheel and the force of the impact caused his elbow to hit the edge of the seat and dislocate his elbow.  He was in severe pain so he was rushed to the hospital where they did x-rays and confirmed that he fractured is ulna.  The ulna is the  bone that connects the pinkie to the elbow.  He will receive a cast on the arm this Tuesday.  If you'd like to send cards or emails to wish him well, you can email us at racer@donavanmorgan.com and we will pass them on.  Or you can mail cards to Donavan Morgan, 34131 Davies Drive, Oconomowoc,  WI  53066.  We're pretty sure he'll have plenty of time to read them since he'll most likely miss the next few months of the race season.   We wish him a speedy recovery!

The team is taking a few weeks off! June 5, 2005 - After changing the set-up in the car to a conventional race set-up for Sunday's Enders Construction 75 lap race at Slinger, we were anxious to find out if our qualifying efforts would improve as well as finding out if the car would remain a consistent race car during the race.  Well, much to our disappointment, our qualifying efforts were once again not very good and we ended up 14th in time.  Not feeling very confident with the changes made to the car, Donavan decided to keep his chin up and see how it would perform during the race.  Once again, the car was terrible and we were not competitive in the race.  We finished 16th which is about where we've finished in the races we've ran so far this season.  Last season we felt the car was much more competitive at Slinger.  We qualified in the top six, eight times at Slinger.  Qualifying in the top six places you in the opening event, the fast dash and wee ended up winning three of them throughout the season.  

The team is stumped as to why the car's performance is so poor.  At the end of the season last year, we came very close to winning a race with it at Slinger.  This season, we have been lapped by the leader in every single race we've finished.  So the team has made the decision to strip the car down to it's bare chassis and take it to Howe Racing in Michigan to have it checked out.  If the chassis is bent, we might finally have an answer as to why this car has not performed well this season.  We had a racing incident at the end of last season in Lake Geneva where we were hit extremely hard in the right front tire.  We've measured everything there is to measure and don't feel that the car was bent in that incident.  However, we are not willing to waste any more time this season chasing a car that does not perform.  So we need to dig for something big that may be wrong.  The team will begin stripping the car Wednesday night and on Monday it will be taken to Michigan.  Therefore, we will most likely miss the next two weeks of racing.  Also, the motor was puffing out smoke during practice and during the race on Sunday.  So that will be sent to B & B Race Engines in Appleton to get checked out.

If the chassis is bent, it will be repaired and we will cross our fingers that it will finally perform for us at Slinger.  If it's not bent, we will have a big decision to make on whether to return with that car or pursue purchasing a different chassis.  We will let you know as soon as we some information to pass along.  We hope everyone understands why we need to make this move...  it's in the best interest of our team, our sponsors and our fans.  Stay tuned!

Another bad night for the team! May 29, 2005 - We sure haven't had much good news to report on yet this season.  The Morgan Motorsports team returned to Slinger Super Speedway Sunday, May 30th for the Memorial Weekend 80 lap special sponsored by E.H. Wolf and Sons.  After a full day of practice on Thursday, we were anxious to see how the car would react with new tires bolted on.  We had intended to practice Thursday with new tires but ran out of time. 

After several practice sessions, Donavan wasn't very comfortable with the feel of the car.  The engineers from Howe asked that he try and keep the car as close to the set-up used on Thursday for qualifiying and for the race.  So we did.  However, our lap times were slower in qualifying and we ended up sixteenth in time.  Starting 16th in the field of 20 cars, the field went green and within several laps Donavan realized the car was handling worse than ever.  We struggled coming off the corners and on lap 6, the car behind us grew impatient and nudged us in turn two as we exited the corner.  Donavan lost control of the car and we made contact with another car.  He relegated to the pits and we retired for the evening.

Last season we had some good finishes with this Howe chassis however, this season we haven't even broken into the top ten.  Also, our qualifying efforts have dropped off significantly since last season.  The team has decided it may be time to sell this car and move on to a chassis that has been proven to work at tracks in Wisconsin.  The team traveled to Bristol, WI on Tuesday evening to look at a Lefthander Chassis.  The car was raced last year at Slinger and finished 2nd in points.  But before purchasing a different chassis, we decided to make a drastic change to the set-up of the Howe car and give it one more shot this weekend.  The team is putting a set up in the car that we used to run in our 1999 Howe Chassis that we won eight races with during four years we owned it.  The SS Chassis that we run now is designed to run a much more complicated set-up.  The set-up we are putting in the car for this week is more conventional, just like our old chassis.  We're really hopeful to run well this weekend.  If not, we'll be making a very big decision in the next few weeks.  

Thank you to everyone who has stood behind us during the rough start to this season...  sponsors, crew members, fans, etc.  We know we're capable of winning races, we just hope we can do it soon!  Hopefully it'll be this weekend in the Ender's Construction 75 lap feature. 

Donavan pulls off early and still finishes fourteenth!  After a busy week repairing the car from last week's crash, the team returned to Slinger Super Speedway for the Alan Kulwicki Memorial sponsored by Bob Fish of West Bend.  We hoped to get a complete race in this week to determine if the changes we made in the past several weeks would be to our benefit.  

For the second week in a row, we qualified 12th in time.  A twelve car invert placed us in the middle of the pack, sixth row outside. The field went green and side by side battles took place until the event's first caution on lap 18.  The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo finally had a little luck on their side and avoided the incident which took out several cars.  Once again, the handling was terrible on our car and as the laps wound down, we lost many positions.  The leader approached the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo with 20 laps to go in the race and Donavan decided to pull off and not battle the ill-handling car for any more laps.  Despite pulling off early, we still brought home a 14th place finish in the race.

The team returned to Slinger Speedway yesterday for an all day practice session with the engineers from Howe.  They spent six hours making adjustments to the car to try and determine the best set up for the high banks of Slinger.  The chassis we own is very popular on flat tracks and many teams have had a lot of success with it.  However, Slinger has more banking than any other track in the U.S.  Hopefully the session will prove beneficial and we'll have a much better car for this weekend's E.H. Wolf and Sons Memorial Day special.  The evening will be highlighted by an 80 lap late model feature.  Hopefully we'll see you at the track!   

Morgan Motorsports brings home first DNF of the season!  The team had high hopes for the Al Schill Jr. Memorial race after making some much needed changes to the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo throughout the week.  High hopes quickly turned into disappointment as a crash on lap 9 took out numerous cars in the 60- lap race sponsored by N/Connect.  

The unseasonable temps returned but we were hopeful the weather would hold out and we could test out the major changes the team made to the car.  The team was very excited after the first practice session.  For the first time since we owned the car, it was finally loose in the corners.  Since the car tends to tighten up during the race and push to the wall, everyone was excited to finally have the car "freed" up.  With some fine tuning, we hoped the car would finally be perfect for the race.

Donavan made a minor mistake in qualifying which affected his qualifying time.  Timing in at an 11.476, we were placed in the twelfth starting position for the feature event.  Disappointed that we missed the invert for the second week in a row, we had to once again start deep in the field in the outside of the sixth row.  The field went green and side by side battles took place for the first five laps of the race.  Then, cars began to line up single file in the inside lane as they realized the outer groove had no grip.  On lap 9, the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo was still in the outside lane, battling side by side exiting turn two when the 55 car of Richie Loch and the 92 car of Travis Dassow got together, causing a pile-up in the middle of the field.  The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo had no where to go and stopped just before hitting the turn two wall.  Unfortunately the car behind us was unable to stop and he hit the wall and slammed into our car.  We sustained damage to the nose piece of the car, the radiator and the drive shaft.  Three other cars had severe damage and several other cars had minor body damage.  The car was pushed to the infield and we retired for the evening.  Visit http://www.slingersuperspeedway.com/report/2005/pr054.html to read Slinger's race report.  

Since we only ran 9 laps in the event, we're not sure how the car's new set-up would have been in a long run.  The team is very disappointed to already record a DNF this season.  But we're going to try and keep our chins up and look forward to this week's Alan Kulwicki Memorial 65 sponsored by Bob Fish.  Hopefully we'll see you at the track!

Donavan finishes 15th in season's point opener! The Morgan Motorsports team traveled back to Slinger on Sunday May 8th for the Mother's Day Special 60 lap feature sponsored by Culver's of Jackson.  The weather was 40 degrees warmer than the week before and having made some pretty big changes to the car during the week, we were anxious to go racing.

To qualify for the feature event this week, cars had to turn times quicker than 11.582.  Our laps weren't as fast as last week and we timed in with an 11.518 which placed us in the eleventh spot for the feature event.  Starting in the sixth row inside for the 60 lap feature event, our lane quickly moved forward.  By lap 6, we gained several positions.  However, just a few laps later the car turned sour and began to push to the wall as Donavan entered the turns.  With each lap put on the board, the car became increasingly difficult to drive and we began losing positions.  By race end we crossed the line in the fifteenth spot.

Prior to this weekend's race, the team made some pretty significant spring changes in the car to try and correct the push that Donavan dealt with during the season opener.  The car still reacted the same in the corners which helped us rule out springs as the reason the car pushes.  After several talks with an ASL race team that runs the same chassis, we're hopeful we found a solution.  Changes will be made in our shock set-up and the car's rear-end.   We're hoping they'll be successful and we can perform well in this week's Al Schill Jr. Memorial race memorializing our friend and fellow racer that passed away six years ago.  The Morgan Motorsport's Team won the Al Schill Jr. Memorial Race in 2001.  Admission will be 3 for 2 this weekend!  Bring two of your friends to Slinger Speedway with you and one of you will get in for free.  Plus a 10,000-nickel drop for kids 11 and under.  At intermission the nickels will be spread out on the front stretch for the kids to gather up!  Gates open at 4:45, Qualifying at 5:15, and Racing at 7:00. 

Donavan is third quickest at Slinger's opener! Intermittent snow showers canceled racing half way through the Slinger Season opener on Sunday, May 1st.  Snow showers fell on and off throughout the day and the temperature never rose above 45 degrees.  After qualifying third in time with an 11.396, the team was excited to race.  Starting in the ninth starting position, fifth row inside, our excitement quickly turned to disappointment when we got stuck behind a slow car and ended up losing many positions as the car took us to the back of the field.  The event's first caution flew on lap 10 for a spin in turn four.  After a caution period, the field lines up in single file so we had hopes that we could make up the positions lost during the first 10 laps.  However, the car became tighter and tighter with each lap put on the board and Donavan struggled to get the car to turn in the middle of the corner.  The situation is exactly what we battled most of last season.  On lap 55, the event's third caution flew and we used the short break in action as an opportunity to pit and make some changes to the car.  Some adjustments were made and we made it back on the track before the green flag waved.  Unfortunately, the car did not improve and we crossed the line in the 16th spot.  Fifteen laps into the Sportsman feature race, the rain/snow combination began to fall and the remainder of the show was canceled.  This weekend is the regular point's season opener at Slinger and the races will once again take place in the afternoon at 2:00.  The afternoon will be highlighted by a 60 lap late model feature plus racing in all divisions.  Gates open at noon, qualifying is at 1:00 and the first green flag waves at 2:00 pm.  The first 500 Moms will receive free carnations courtesy of Sonya's Rose in Jackson.  Slinger Speedway will also drop 50,000 pennies on the front stretch for the kids to gather up.  

2004 season in review!

We had high hopes for the 2004 season as we started off the year with a brand new Howe car.  We hoped the chassis was the answer to our two year dry spell of feature wins but instead, we spent most of the season struggling to find the right set-up for the car.  We also had a monkey on our back the entire season and if something was going to happen, it happened to us!  Our luck was so bad in 2004, we took a few weeks off from our points chase at Slinger.  In the end, after missing two points races from mechanical failures and two races where we didn't race, we finished sixteenth in points.  Our lowest finish since our rookie seasons back in 1996 and 1997.  

We ran twenty events in the 2004 season and qualified in the top ten, twelve times.  Six of them were in the top five.  Making eight fast dash events at Slinger, we took home three trophies in that event.  Qualifying for every feature event in the season, we had eight top ten finishes, three of them in the top five.  Finishing runner-up in two events in 2004 gives us high hopes that we'll visit victory lane again in 2005.

2005 will be our tenth season of racing!  We look forward to a fresh start and we're finally upgrading our engine program from a concept engine to a aluminum engine.  The motor was built by B & B Engines and was previously owned by Scott Ollerman.  Special thanks to Scott for letting us try out the motor for the last half of the '04 season.  

We'd like to thank our many sponsors for their support during the 2004 season including Mil-Tex Steel Fabricating, Ellison Machinery and Robotics, Ritter Engineering/Parker Store, CNC Solutions, Structural Transport, M & H Industrial Service, Bud's Concrete, United P & H Supply, and ARS Auto Repair.  We also  welcomed two new sponsors in 2004-  Super Bob's Trailers Docks and Lifts and also Dr. Dirt.  

We also have many sponsors who provide product and services during the season.  Mike Vogt Sr. of Finishline Collision Center provided us with the beautiful paint job and T & A Graphics and Lettering once again did a great job on lettering.  Competition Driveline Service, MFR Racing Transmissions, Wales Lawn and Garden, and Nelson's Channel Inn also helped us out once again this season.  Most of our sponsors have been with our team for many years and we are very lucky to have such great people as a part of our team.

We'd also like to thank Rob Braun of Ellison Machinery for designing and ordering the racing T-Shirts, and Dave Olson for providing us with the best photography/promotional materials any team could ask for.

Thanks also to Darin Willms, Mike Vogt, Mike Koch, Dave Reed, Mike Indermuehle and Dave Reed Jr. for their help at the shop and the track in the 2004 season.  We wouldn't be where we are today without their dedication.  And last but not least, thanks to our fans for sticking by us for yet another roller coaster of a season.

Bad Luck Follows us to Lake Geneva!

September 11, 2004 -  If we didn't have bad luck this season, we'd have no luck.  We traveled to Lake Geneva Raceway Saturday September 11 to take a break from the monotony of Slinger and to get some practice/race time at the 1/3 mile oval before the Fall Classic on October 2 and 3rd.  We rented the track to allow us optimal time to test different set-ups before the 35 lap feature that evening.  Qualifying 3rd in time with a 16.226, we were excited to race at one of our favorite tracks.  

Lining up in the second row for the fast dash, Donavan's car was on a rail and he quickly moved into second to make a bid for the top spot.  A side by side battle took place for the last few laps and we took home second at the line, losing the win by only a nose.  

A twelve car invert placed the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo in the tenth starting spot, fifth row inside, for the 35 lap feature event.  The green flag flew and the field raced side by side until the tail end of lap 1 when Larry Los drove high on the track entering turn four, getting into the back of another car in the outside groove.  As the car got crossed up in the corner, he remained in the gas.  Pointed towards the infield, he drove into the right front wheel of the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo as we exited the turn.  Sparks flew from the impact to our wheel, the fender broke and we once again left the track with another DNF to add to our season.   

It appears as of now we will take a two week break from racing and get the car ready for a sponsor appearance at Casa Del Rio in Waukesha on September 25th.  Stay tuned for more info on the appearance.  Check out http://www.foodspot.com/casadelrio/menu.html for restaurant reviews and a full menu. 

October 2 and 3 will be our final race of the season.  The Fall Classic at Lake Geneva is an end of season tradition for many race teams in the state of Wisconsin.  As soon as we have a schedule of events, we’ll send out more info.  We hope to see you at Casa Del Rio on the 25th!  

Another DNF ends our season at Slinger!

September 5, 2004 -  After last weeks second place finish at Slinger, we were excited to return to the track for the Port-A-John 100 lap Labor Day Special.  The team was anxious to go racing after having an excellent practice session.   The car's performance has been improving every week. 

Timing in a an 11.396, we were credited with the fifth spot which placed us in our sixth fast dash this season.  Starting in the outside front row for the six lap event, the green flag flew and we battled side by side until lap 4.  Exiting turn two, the car in the inside lane drove too high off the corner and made contact with the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo.  He lost control of the car, and we secured the top spot.  The white flag flew and it appeared we'd take home the checkered until the final turn of the race when we were tagged in the bumper, sending us up the track and causing Donavan to lose control momentarily in the turn.  We hung on but lost the battle at the line and crossed it in the second spot.  It was determined at race end that the "bump and run" finish was not legal and the winner of the race was disqualified.

A twelve car invert placed the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo in the eighth starting spot, fourth row inside.  The green flag flew and we were trapped in a slow lane and it appeared we'd go backwards before we could go forwards.  Crossing the start/finish line on lap 4, something broke on the car and Donavan's car darted to the left on the track while in heavy traffic.  The event's first caution flew and we exited the track to access the damage.  We were unable to return to the race as the right rear trailing arm broke.  We were credited with the twentieth spot.

After accessing the car at the shop on Monday, it was determined that a tack weld let go on the right rear trailing arm on the axle, causing the mishap.  After another disappointing night at Slinger, the team has decided to end our season at the track, missing the final race this weekend.  Instead, we're going to run Lake Geneva this Saturday night and test our luck a the 1/3 mile medium banked oval.  Time trials are at 6:00 pm and the first race begins at 7:00.   

Next Saturday night, September 18th, we will return to Madison International Speedway for the re-scheduled 100 lap late model special.  The high powered Hoosier Outlaw Sprint Series will also return that night to invade MIS with their 410 winged sprint cars.

Our final race of the season will be at Lake Geneva for their Fall Classic 75 lapper on October 2nd and 3rd.  We were second two years in a row, we're hoping we can end our season with a trophy in this race.  We hope to see you at the track!

Donavan takes home second in EH Wolf and Sons 65!

August 29, 2004 -  A great starting spot and a good working car helped the Morgan Motorsports team finish second in Sunday night's EH Wolf and Son's 65 lap feature at Slinger Super Speedway.  It was our first second place finish since May 2.

After a slight bobble in qualifying, the team made a change to the car that proved to be key in the feature event.  Qualifying ninth in time with an 11.463, we were placed in the second starting spot, outside front row for the 65 lap feature event.  The green flag few and the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo quickly shot into the lead.  By lap 5, we had motored our way into a four car length lead on the remainder of the field.  Our lead grew until the event's first caution erased it on lap 12 when two cars got together down the front stretch.  When the field resumed racing, we immediately shot out into a two car length lead until lap 14 when another caution appeared for a spin on the back stretch.  

On the restart, we got slightly crossed up as we were tapped from behind but we quickly regained control and by lap 16, we had once again built up a comfortable lead on the rest of the field.  By the event's halfway point, we had about a half a straight lead on the rest of the field but the caution flag erased our lead once again as it appeared on lap 37.  The field resumed racing and one of the fastest cars in the field was glued to our bumper.  He used the inside lane to make a bid for the spot on lap 39 but we weren't willing to give it up easily and ran side by side for several laps.  We eventually lost the spot and dropped to second.  

A few laps later, we were forced to defend the second spot when a car used the inside lane to make a bid for the spot.  It appeared we may lose the battle until the caution flag appeared once again and the field reverted back to the last competed lap, placing us in the second spot.  At the drop of the green, we had a great start and ran comfortably in second until the field was bunched up once again when the event's fifth caution appeared on lap 57.  Once again on the re-start, we jumped out ahead of the third placed car and at race end, we crossed the line in second.  For a race with a record number of cautions, we were happy with the second place finish.

Donavan comes from the back to finish 7th in twin 50s!

August 22, 2004 -  After an early race incident in the first 50 lap race takes our car out of contention, hard work during the break paid off as we came from the back to finish seventh in the second 50 lap feature Sunday night at Slinger Super Speedway.  

Bob Fish Pontic Buick GMS sponsored the re-scheduled Alan Kulwicki Memorial race in honor of the 1992 Winston Cup champ who lost his life in a plane crash.  Alan won won the Slinger track championship in 1977 and 1978.

We were happy once again with our qualifying efforts, qualifying seventh in time with an 11.401.  Fast time was set by Travis Dassow with an 11.352.  A twelve car invert placed the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo in the fifth starting spot, third row inside for the first 50 lap feature.  The green flag flew and we battled side by side until lap 4 when we secured the fourth spot coming out of turn four.  The top four cars ran nose to tail for the next few laps until a car at the back of the field had problems with it's rear end, dropping gear oil down the front stretch between the start/finish line and turn one.  When the car in first place hit the fluid on the track, he lost control and hit the wall in turns one and two.  The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo also hit the fluid on the track and we sustained enough damage to retire us from the race when the right front hit the wall.  Donavan pulled off to access the damage and we hoped it was minor enough and could be repaired for the second 50 lap race.

It was discovered that the Spindle, shock, and right front trailing arm were all bent during the wreck.  The crew went to work replacing what they could.  The spindle could not be replaced in time for the second race but the team decided to start the race anyway and see how the car handled.  Starting in the 18th spot, the flag flew and we stayed a slight distance back from the field to get a feel for how the car would handle.  The car seemed to be handling great and within three laps, we made a bid for the seventeenth spot.  A few laps later, we used the outside lane to pass another car and take over sixteenth.  By the time the event's first caution flew on lap 20, we gained four more spots.  We went back to green in the tenth spot and by lap 22, we used the inside lane to secure the ninth spot.  By race end, we gained another two spots and crossed the line in seventh.  Even though the car was loose off the corners, the team was very excited to come from last place to finish seventh.

This Saturday night, August 28th we will be returning to Madison International Speedway for a  $3000 to win 100 lap feature for the super late models.  The high powered Hoosier Outlaw Sprint Series will also invade MIS with their 410 winged sprint cars which are sure to set record times on Wisconsin’s fastest half-mile.  The Midwest Trucks and ASA Late Models will have the night off next week. 

This Sunday at Slinger Behling Racing presents The Race of Champions along with the E. H. Wolf & Sons Special originally scheduled for Memorial Day at the Slinger Super Speedway.  The evening will be highlighted by twin Late Model and Eldorado Trailer Sales Modified features and a full night of racing action for no increase in admission. Other divisions competing include the Slinger Bees, Thunderstocks, Figure 8’s, Port A John Speedway Guest Cars, Spectator Eliminators, Midwest Sportsman. 

Donavan finishes eighth in Johnsonville 65!

August 15, 2004 - The Morgan Motorsports team returned once again to Slinger Super Speedway on Sunday August 15th for the Johnsonville Foods 65.  We had new hope in the car after Donavan attended the Miller Classic at Madison International Speedway on Tuesday night.  ASA regular, Steven Leicht of North Carolina wheeled the same Howe Chassis to an impressive finish in the 150 lap race.  He spoke with the crew chief of Steven's car, Howie Leno, and they discussed changes that we should try to help improve our chassis.  We were also excited to introduce our newest fan, Fabio, from Bolivia to the world of racing in Wisconsin.  Fabio is a foreign exhange student who is living with our crew member Mike Koch's family during the school season.  He arrived Saturday and will be attending Oconomowoc High School for his senior year. 

The crew spent long hours at the shop that week making major changes and the results in practice immediately showed.  Donavan was very excited with the handling of the car and he turned some of the fastest laps ever.  Our qualifying run was also great with an when we turned our fastest lap to date at at an 11.371, placing us fifth in time.  Fast time was set by Dave Feiler with an 11.294.  The entire field was fast and it took an 11.498 to even make the show this week.

The top six cars in time qualified to run the opening event, the fast dash.  We lined up in the second starting position, front row outside, for the six lap event.  The green flag flew and we battled side by side with defending track champion Brad Mueller for the first lap of the race until he took the top spot on lap two.  We spent the remaining laps on his bumper but were unable to contend for the spot and crossed the line in second.

A ten car invert placed the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo in the sixth starting spot, third outside for the 65 lap race sponsored by Johnsonville Foods.  We knew we'd need to get down to the inside lane quickly as a slow car was ahead of us in the fourth spot so when the green flag flew, we crossed the start/finish line and immediately dove to the inside lane of the race track.  One lap later, the caution flew for debris on the track.  Returning to green in fifth place, we ran single file until lap 7 when we became engaged in a battle to defend our spot.  We ran side by side for several laps until lap 10 when we lost the spot.  One lap later we lost another few spots as the car began to turn sour.  By race end we gained a few spots back and crossed the line in eighth.  We were were happy with a top ten finish after the week of hard work put into the car.  Most of the adjustments made during the week were to our advantage.  With a little tweaking, hopefully we'll be even better this coming Sunday when Coca-Cola & Open Pantry present fan Appreciation Night along with the Re-Scheduled Bob Fish Pontiac, Buick, GMC Alan Kulwicki Memorial at the Slinger Super Speedway.

The evening will be highlighted by twin 50 lap late model features and a full night of racing in all divisions including the Eldorado Trailer Sales Midwest Modifieds, Slinger Bees, Thunderstocks, Figure 8’s, Port A John Speedway Guest Cars, Spectator Eliminators, Midwest Sportsman.  Kids 11 and under will have a chance to participate in the Kids Coca-Cola 500 big wheel races and one lucky child will win a bike. Kids 11 and under will be admitted free for the nights events.

The Alan Kulwicki Memorial is a prestigious event held in honor of the 1992 NASCAR Winston Cup Champion Alan Kulwicki who won the Slinger track championship in 1977 and 1978.  This race has traditionally drawn many of the top late model drivers in the Midwest.  Past winners have included six-time track champion Conrad Morgan, Eric Fransen, Tony Strupp, Defending Track Champion Brad Mueller, and current NASCAR Cup Champion Matt Kenseth.

To show appreciation toward the fans there will be free giveaways all through the evening along with free beer and soda after the racing events while supplies last.

Donavan wins another Dash at Slinger!

July 25, 2004 - Major changes, including an engine change,  were made to the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo during our two week break from racing.  Our concept (steel headed) engine was removed from the car and we put in an 9 to 1 (aluminum headed) engine built by B & B Race Engines.  Scott Ollerman of Sun Prairie is the owner of the motor and was kind enough to borrow it to us.  Most of the competive cars at Slinger run the aluminum headed engines.  The engines are lighter and cars that run them can also weigh less.  We were very excited for the 75 lap special, sponsored by our longtime sponsor Ritter Engineering/Parker Store.

The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo qualified sixth in time with an 11.444.  Fast time was set by Brad Mueller with an 11.352.  Our qualifying position placed us in the front row inside for the opening event, the fast dash.  The green flag flew and within one lap we secured the lead.  The car was on a rail and at race end we crossed the line in 1st place, taking home our third dash win at Slinger this season.

An eight car invert placed the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo in the third starting position, second row inside, for the 75 lap feature event.  The flag flew and the field battled side by side for the first five laps of the race.  Coming off turn four on lap 5, we made the pass and secured the second spot.  For the next 17 laps, we had this year's Slinger Nationals race winner, Lowell Bennett, on our tail.  He tried the high line and then the low but was unable to get around the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo until lap 21 when he finally took over the spot.  A few laps later, a car used the outside lane in turn two to take over third.

We ran in the fourth position until lap 36 when the car got loose in turn four and we lost another spot, dropping into fifth.  Struggling with an extremely loose car, Donavan began losing spots and by lap 57, we were in sixth.  A few laps later, we lost many positions and at race end crossed the line in the twelfth spot.  An experiment with tires caused excessive air pressure in the right front tire, causing the extreme loose condition during the race.  We learned from the experience and hopefully this week for the Pioneer Plaza 60 lap event, we'll run the entire race up front. 

Another round of bad luck for the team!

July 15, 2004 - After another week of repairing front-end damage to the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo, the team returned to the track on Sunday, July 11th for the Mid season championship sponsored by Coca-Cola and open pantry.  Many changes were made to the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo during the week, including our shock set-up, and we hoped the changes would prove beneficial.

Qualifying fifteenth in time with an 11.553, we had to start deep in the field for the 60 lap event.  The green flag flew and the field ran side by side until the event's first caution flew on lap 19.  Several cars got together in turns three and four.  The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo slowed to avoid the four cars incident.  However, once again our luck ran out as another car was unable to stop and he tagged our front bumper.  We relegated to the pits to access the damage and returned to the track before racing went green. We returned to the pits once again when the next caution flag flew to try and correct the handling problems.  However, Donavan did not feel comfortable with the car and retired for the evening with 20 laps to go.  

The team worked feverishly on Monday night, July 14th to repair the car for Tuesdays big race, the 25th annual Miller Nationals.  Last year's NASCAR Cup champion Matt Kenseth made his annual trip to the track as well as Nextel Cup rookie, Scott Wimmer, his brother Chris Wimmer, Dick Trickle and his brother Chuck Trickle,  defending National's champion, Rich Bickle, and Kurt Busch's brother, Kyle Busch also made his first appearance at the track for the 250 lap event.

The team was excited after hot lapping the car in practice.  It appeared the set-up was much better than Sunday's set-up and we were anxious to qualify.  The top 16 cars were locked into the feature event by qualifying times.  Unfortunately, Donavan felt he never got any bite during his three laps of qualifying and he clocked in at an 11.598 which placed us 23rd in time.  Missing the show, we were forced to run a 30 lap qualifier which would give the top five cars the opportunity to advance to the show.  

We were placed in the seventh starting position, fourth row inside, for the event that would determine whether or not we'd advance to the big race.  The green flag flew and the field battled side by side until lap 3 when the cars in the fifth and sixth position tangled in turn four.  We slipped past the cars as they became out of sorts and took over the fifth spot.  The remainder of the 30 lap race, we struggled to defend the fifth and final transfer spot.  The car was once again loose on entry and tight off the corner.  We hung onto the spot and crossed the line in fifth.  The team quickly went to work to make adjustments to the car for the 250 lap event.  

We lined up in the twelfth row inside, or twenty-third position, for the 250 lap event.  It was a long way to the front but we were hopeful the changes we made after the qualifier would help us get there. The field went green and by lap 6 the entire field was single file.  On lap 10, we were running in the eighteenth spot.  A few laps later, we used the inside lane to advance another position.  On lap 22, Matt Kenseth used the inside lane to take over the spot and we dropped back into eighteenth.   A few laps later, contact was made from behind while entering turn one forcing the car into a long slide as we entered turn two.  The car came to a stop facing the infield and unfortunately our front bumper was clipped by Kyle Busch as he tried to avoid the incident.  The radiator spewed fluid on the track and the entire nose piece assembly was destroyed.  For the fourth time in five weeks, we were unable to finish a race.

With two less days to prepare the car for racing on Sunday, the team has decided to take a week off.  For the past five races, we have had damage to the car and it's taking a toll on everyone.  The week off will give us more time to prepare the car and we're hoping to lose those Gremlins prior to returning to the track on July 25th for the Ritter Engineering / Parker Store 75.  Ritter/Parker store have been sponsors on our car since 1997.  We hope we will have better luck that night and give them something to cheer about!  

Donavan wins dash and finishes 12th in feature!

July 4, 2004 - After four days of intense emotional moments regarding the health of Mike Vogt Sr., the team returned to Slinger for the Fourth of July 70 lap special.  The team was relieved that Mike's quadruple bypass surgery on Saturday went well and he was well on the road to recovery.

After three weeks of disappointing qualifying efforts, we were happy to turn a fast lap of 11.435 which placed us fifth in time.  Fast time was set by Lowell Bennett with an 11.410.  

Our qualifying time placed us in the opening race, the six lap trophy dash.  We started in the outside front row and when the green flag flew, we quickly went to work, pulling ahead of the 92 car of Travis Dassow as we exited turn two.  By the time we entered turn four, we secured the lead.  By lap 3 of the 6 lap race, we had a two car length lead and the lead grew to four car lengths by race end and we crossed the line in the top spot.  

A ten car invert placed the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo in the sixth starting position, third row outside.  The green flag flew and we battled side by side until lap five when we got nudged from behind by the 13 car of Austin Konetski as we exited turn two.  The car began to fish tail and the field behind us became out of sorts.  Everyone gained control without incident down the backstretch until we entered turn four and the same car once again drove into our back bumper.  This time we weren't so lucky and we spun in the middle of the turn.  Several cars got together as a result and many had to relegate to the pits to access the damage.

The damage to the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo appeared to be only cosmetic and we returned to the track without losing a lap.  Returning to green in the 17th position, the field ran single file until the next caution flew on lap 14.  We gained several positions as a result of the caution and returned to green in 15th place.  By lap 20 of the race, Donavan was struggling to get the car to turn.  It began to suffer from an extreme push.  

When the event's next caution flew on lap 51, we pulled off the track to make some adjustments to try and correct the handling of the car.  We came back on one lap down.  The caution flew again five laps later and we again returned to the pits to make more adjustments.  Returning to green in the 13th spot, we were only able to pick off one position by race end and crossed the line in the 12th spot.

Another Disappointing Night for the Team!

June 30, 2004 -  The Keith's Marina 85 lap special was re-scheduled for Wednesday night, June 30th.  The weather was finally nice and we returned to Slinger Super Speedway in hopes of a great night of racing.  

We once again struggled in qualifying, timing in seventeenth in time with an 11.548.  Fast time was set by David Prunty with an 11.377.

The field lined up and we were placed in the ninth row inside for the 85 lap event.  The green flag flew and racing was underway.  The first five laps of the race were spent in side by side battles.  We were able to move to the outside by lap ten and by lap twenty, were running in the fifteenth spot.  

The event's first caution flew on lap 25 when several cars made contact in turns one and two.  The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo slowed to avoid the cars.  It appeared we'd be free of trouble until Donavan hit the marbles on the apron of the track and the car was unable to stop.  We sustained damage to the right front wheel of the car and pulled off the track to access the damage.

We returned to the race track one lap down and resumed racing however, the car was suffering from an extreme push.  The right front wheel began vibrating and when the next caution flew on lap 34, we again pulled off the track.  

During our pit stop, a horrible turn of events occurred and we retired for the evening.  Mike Vogt Jr's Dad and our good friend and sponsor from Finishline Collision Center, Mike Vogt Sr. "Pops" suffered a massive heart attack.  Mike Sr. is a longtime crew member of the #9 team of Larry Los and they had made their occasional trip to Slinger Speedway that evening.  Thanks to the fast action of the Ambulance crew at Slinger, Mike Sr. is still with us today.  They will be performing triple bypass surgery on him tomorrow, July 3, at St. Luke's Hospital.

Please keep Mike Sr. and his family in your prayers.  We're praying for a speedy recovery and are dedicating the rest of our race season to his recovery.  GET WELL SOON, POPS!!  

Donavan records first DNF of the season!

June 20, 2004 - The Morgan Motorsports team returned to Slinger Sunday night June 20th for the More Than Millwork Father's Day 70 lap special.  The stands were full and after finding several issues with the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo during the week, the team was anxious to go racing.

For the second week straight, we were disappointed in our qualifying efforts.  Qualifying thirteenth in time with an 11.501, we felt some drastic changes needed to be made to the car prior to the feature.  For last weeks race, the carburetor was changed on the car to the carb that we had problems with at the Madison opener.  The carb was rebuilt and as soon as we got it back, it went back on the car.  Since putting the rebuilt carb back on, we have qualified poorly.  Feeling that this could be a contributing factor to our slower lap times, the team went to work prior to the feature to switch carburetors.  Also, several changes were made to the rear-end of the car.  

The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo lined up in thirteenth starting position, seventh row inside for the 70 lap feature event.  The green flag flew and we battled side by side for the first four laps, losing several positions as the inside lane was the slow lane to be in.  On lap 4, a hole opened up and we quickly dove to the outside.  For the next four laps, we ran side by side and on lap 8, we were finally clear of traffic and were able to use the entire track.  The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo was working great and Donavan was able to pick off several positions.  By the event's first caution on lap 24, we were in the 11th spot.  We gained two spots as a result of the caution and went back to green in ninth.  On lap 31, we used the inside lane to take over eighth.  We quickly closed the gap and got on the bumper of the seventh place car.  A side by side battle between the seventh place and sixth place car prevented us from making a pass and we stayed glued to their bumpers for the next thirteen laps as they battled for position.  On lap 45, they were finally single file and we were anxious to get to work and advance some more positions.

On lap 53, our good run ended as Donavan exited turn two a little high on the track and made contact with the backstretch wall by the scoreboard.  The contact forced him to lose control of the car as he entered turn three.  The car spun and we made contact with the wall.  Still able to drive the car, Donavan related to the pits so the team could access the damage.  We were credited with the twentieth spot, our first DNF of the season.

We're happy to report that the only damage sustained in the incident is some slight damage to the rear bumper and front fender.  The only other item bent was the left front rim.   

This Sunday night, track sponsor Keith’s Marina will present the 2004 Fireworks Extravaganza at the Slinger Super Speedway. The night will be highlighted by a 85-lap Late Model feature and a full night of racing in all divisions including the Eldorado Trailer Sales Midwest Modifieds, Slinger Bees, Thunderstocks, Figure 8’s, Port A John Speedway Guest Cars, Spectator Eliminators at the new Midwest Sportsman division.  In addition to the on track action, the night will feature the areas largest ground and aerial firework display.  Rain date is Wednesday, June 30th.  

Donavan finishes tenth in PPC 75!

June 13, 2004 - Sunday night June 13th, we returned to Slinger Super Speedway for the Professional Plumbers and Contractors Late Model Driver appreciation night. Prior to the evening's events, cars and drivers lined up on the front stretch giving fans the chance to receive autographs of their favorite drivers.

For the first half of the race, the car was loose on entry.  By the event's halfway point, the car began to suffer a tight condition.  Donavan struggled in the corners and we lost three more spots by race-end, finishing in the tenth spot.

This Sunday night, More Than Millwork presents the Fathers Day Special and Scout Night at the Slinger Super Speedway. The night will be highlighted by a 70-lap Late Model feature and a full night of racing in all divisions including the Eldorado Trailer Sales Midwest Modifieds, Slinger Bees, Thunderstocks, Figure 8’s, Port A John Speedway Guest Cars, Spectator Eliminators and the Midwest Sportsman division.

All uniformed scouts will be admitted free in honor of scout night, and to celebrate Fathers Day, all fathers will be honored with a special contest and giveaways.  See you there!

Another top ten in Enders Construction 75!

June 6, 2004 - The rain finally subsided and after a three-week break, we returned to Slinger Super Speedway for the Enders Corporation/Design to Construct 75 lap special.  Brian Enders from Enders Construction donated an additional $8,000 to the purse for the evening,  $3,000 of that to the winner of the late model feature.  With a fresh motor in the car, we were more anxious than ever to get back to racing.  Qualifying on the tires we ran when the motor blew, our fastest lap clocked in at an 11.483  placing us third in time.  Fast time was set by David Prunty with an 11.445.

 The first event of the evening was the dash for cash.  We lined up in the fourth position, outside second row for the six lap event.  The green flag flew and the inside lane immediately jumped into the lead as the car on the outside was late on the gas.  We lost one spot during the race and crossed the line in fifth.

A twelve car invert placed the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo in the tenth starting position, fifth row outside for the feature event.  The green flag waved and it was apparent early on that the outside lane was the preferred lane to be in.  We picked off several positions and on lap 10, we gained two more spots down the back stretch when we used the outside lane to maneuver around the sixth place car.  After the pass, we immediately dove on the inside coming in the corner to take over the fifth spot.   Unfortunately, a caution flag appeared before we crossed the line and we reverted back to the last completed lap, placing us back in the sixth spot.  The field resumed racing and we used the outside lane to re-gain the fifth spot.  As the pass was almost complete, the seventh place car made contact with the car we were passing, causing him to spin down the backstretch.  The caution appeared once again.

We returned to green in the sixth spot and ran comfortably until lap 28 when a car used the inside lane to take over the spot.  One lap later, we were hit from behind as we entered turn four, forcing the car out of the racing groove.  Narrowly escaping slamming the turn four wall, Donavan re-gained control of the car, losing five spots as a result of the contact.  A few laps later, we had another close call as a car spun in front of the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo in turn 2.  The caution flew again.  The field re-lined up and we returned to racing in the ninth spot.  The remainder of the 75 lap race was spent in several side by side battles.  The car was suffering from a tight condition but Donavan hung on to finish eighth in the race.  At the end of the night, we gained two spots in points, advancing from the tenth spot to eighth.

PPC, the Professional Plumbers & Contractors presents a 75-lap Late Model feature and a full night of action in all divisions, this Sunday night at the Slinger Super Speedway.

The evening will also give fans the chance to meet the track’s late model drivers as they will have a special autograph and photo opportunity during the night’s events. The special session is part of the speedway’s new late model driver appreciation to honor the late model drivers. Driver appreciation events in the other divisions will take place later in the season.

Spectator gates open at 4:45 PM with time trials at 5:15 PM and racing begins at 7PM. The Slinger Super Speedway is located ¼ mile west of Hwy 41 on Hwy 144 in Slinger. For more information, call the track office at (262) 644-5921.  See you there!

Rain cancels the Alan Kulwicki Memorial!

May 22, 2004 - A weekend filled with stormy weather caused flooding in the parking lots at Slinger Super Speedway and also the track to seep water.   More threatening weather in the forecast forced he track to call off  the Alan Kulwicki Memorial on Sunday, May 22.  The event will be re-scheduled sometime in August.  

This coming weekend is the EH Wolf and Sons Memorial Day Special featuring an 80 lap late model feature.  We hope to see you at the track!  

Engine failure forces team out of contention !

May 15, 2004 - After a great practice session, Donavan was more excited than ever to qualify and race the Al Schill Jr. Memorial  in memory of his friend who passed away unexpectedly five years ago.  Timing in at a fast 11.361 on the first lap, the car was on a rail and the team felt we were contenders to set fast time for the first time at the track.  However, as Donavan exited turn two on lap two of qualifying, the engine began to sputter.  Smoke appeared and he immediately hit the kill switch, forfeiting the final two laps of qualifying.  We were credited with third in time but were unable to race the dash and the feature due to the engine failure.  

The motor was pulled that evening and sent back to Motormasters.  They determined a valve and piston broke, causing slight damage to the block and the head of the motor.  For the first time in nine seasons, we were unable to start a race due to engine issues.  As a result, we dropped from third in points to tenth.  

The engine will be done in a few days and we’ll return to Slinger this Sunday night May 23 to pay tribute to the 1992 NASCAR Cup Champion as Bob Fish Pontiac-Buick-GMC presents the 12th Annual Alan Kulwicki Memorial.

The evening, highlighted by a 65-lap late model feature will consist of a full racing program in the Late Model, Eldorado Trailer Sales Midwest Modifieds, Midwest Sportsman, the new Thunderstocks, Figure 8’s, Spectator Races, Slinger Bees, and Port A John Speedway Guest Cars. As an added bonus the Midwest Sportsman Championship Series will be competing.

Spectator gates open at 4:45 PM with time trials at 5:15 PM and racing begins at 7PM.   We hope to see you there!  

Donavan wins the dash and takes home fifth in feature ! 

May 9, 2004 - After a strong run one week earlier, the Morgan Motorsports team was anxious to get back to the track for the Mother's Day special and see what the car had to offer this week.  A few more adjustments were made during the week and the temperature outside was finally more suitable for racing.

We improved on our qualifying efforts this week, qualifying fifth in time with an 11.532.  Fast time was 11.488, set by David Prunty.  For the 2004 season, a change was made to the dash format and instead of the top eight cars racing for eight laps, they cut the field down to six cars for six laps.  Fifth in time placed us in the outside front row for the six lap opening event.  The green flag flew and we battled side by side until lap two when we secured the lead coming into turn one.  There was no threat from behind for the remaining four laps and we crossed the line in the top spot, two car lengths ahead of the remainder of the field.

A twelve car invert placed the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo in the eighth starting position, outside fourth row for the 60 lap main event.  The green flag flew and side by side racing began.  Within one lap of the race, several cars became out of sorts at the front of the field however no incidents occurred as a result and the field continued to race on.  The first eighteen laps of the race were spent in side by side battles until the event's first caution flew on lap 18 when the leader spun in turns three and four.   The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo returned to green in the seventh spot but the yellow flag flew one lap later when another front running car spun exiting turn four.  We returned to green in the sixth spot and ran single file until the event's third caution flew on lap 25 for another spun car in turn four.

The top six cars ran nose to tail and we ran comfortably in sixth until lap 47 when a car made a bid for the sixth spot.  On lap 51, the car used the outside lane to try and make the pass.  We ran side by side until lap 53 when the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo got sideways in turn four and as a result we dropped back to eighth.  However, we were able to regain our momentum and by lap 55, we gained several spots, advancing to fifth.  The final lap of the race, we were challenged for position.  We battled side by side, crossing the line with only an inch to spare.  The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo was credited with the fifth spot, our second top five of the season.  

The Slinger Super Speedway will pay tribute to the late Al Schill Jr. with a special 60-lap late model feature this Sunday night, May 16th.

The evening will consist of a full racing program in the Late Model, Eldorado Trailer Sales Midwest Modifieds, Midwest Sportsman, the new Thunderstocks, Figure 8’s, Spectator Races, Slinger Bees, and Port A John Speedway Guest Cars. Kids 11 and under will be able to participate in a 10,000 nickel drop at the intermission.

Spectator gates open at 4:45 PM with time trials at 5:15 PM and racing begins at 7PM.  We hope to see you there! 

Points opener at Slinger begins with a second place finish ! 

May 2, 2004 - Temps near freezing didn't stop race teams and fans from attending Slinger's regular season points opener sponsored by Mid-State Equipment.  A new set-up in the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo proved beneficial as we waged a strong performance, finishing second in the 60 lap event.

The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo qualified ninth in time with an 11.507. Fast time was once again set by Brad Mueller with an 11.389.  A ten car invert placed the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo in the second starting spot, outside front row for the feature event. The flag flew and we battled side by side with the #68 car of Chad Barker until lap 2 when he secured the top spot. The next 18 laps were spent in a side by side battle with the #82 car of Brad Hartman. The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo had a slight advantage off of turn 2 on several laps but Hartman quickly closed the gap, fighting hard for the second spot. On lap 20, a slight bobble by Hartman gave us the advantage coming out of turn two and we secured the second spot.

By the event's halfway point, we began lapping cars. As the laps wound down, side by side lap traffic became an issue for the leader which allowed us to close the gap slightly.  However the leader had gained a sizable advantage in the caution free race and we were unable to make a bid for the lead.  We crossed the line in the second spot, a full straightaway ahead of the remainder of the field.

This Sunday at Slinger is the Mother's Day Special.  The evening will consist of a full racing program in the Late Model, Eldorado Trailer Sales Midwest Modifieds, Midwest Sportsman, the new Thunderstocks, Figure 8’s, Spectator Races, Slinger Bees, and Port A John Speedway Guest Cars. The Feature event will consist of a 60 Lap Late model feature, and there will be free seat cushions to the first fans through the door while supplies last. Mothers will receive a dollar off their admission when accompanied by a child. Gates open at 4:45 with time trials at 5:15 and racing at 7pm.  See you there!

Slinger season starts with a tenth and thirteenth place finish !

April 25, 2004 - Mother nature did not cooperate for Sunday's Miller Lite season opener at Slinger Super Speedway.  On and off rain showers threatened to cancel the Event featuring Twin 75 lap features for the late models.  We played the waiting game and after a 2 hour delay, racing began.

The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo qualified sixth in time with an 11.572.  Last year's track champion, Brad Mueller set fast time with an 11.472.

  The field of 24 cars lined up and the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo started in the fifth starting position, third row inside, for the first 75 lap feature.  The green flag flew and the field battled side by side for the first few laps of the race until the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo pushed on entry and then got loose exiting turn two.  We lost two spots as a result of the condition in the turn.  We lost yet another position on lap six.   One lap later, the event's first caution flew for spinning cars in turn 3.  The track was cleared and we resumed racing in the eighth spot.  By lap 14, the field began lapping cars.  The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo was battling an extreme push, which made side by side racing more and more difficult.  By the event's second caution on lap 53, we lost two more spots, dropping into the tenth spot, which is where we crossed the line at race end.

  Being the last car on the lead lap, a full invert of lead lap cars placed us in the pole position for the second 75 lap feature.  The team feverishly went to work to try and correct the tight condition for the second race.  However, It became apparent during warm-up laps that the car still was still pushing in the turns.  The green flag flew and we battled side by side for eight laps until the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo got slightly out of shape in turn four and we lost the battle for the lead.  More side by side racing continued and we lost several more spots by lap 13 of the race.  By lap 17, we dropped into the eighth spot as the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo could not get any bite in the corners.  The car would push on entry and get loose coming off the corner.  We maintained the eighth position until lap 57 when we lost several more positions.  On lap 60, a few more cars made a pass and we dropped into the thirteenth spot, which is where we crossed the line at race end.

We’re headed back to Slinger this Sunday night, May 2nd where Mid-State Equipment presents the regular season opener highlighted by a 60-lap late model feature along with a 50,000 penny drop for kids ages 11 and under.

The evening will feature a complete racing program in all eight divisions and kids ages 4-7 will have a chance to compete in Mid-State Equipment pedal tractor races. The 25 contestants for the pedal tractor races will be drawn from entries accepted at the Coca-Cola Kid’s Club table on Sunday night. The winner of the pedal tractor race feature will receive a John Deere tractor.  Gates open at 4:45 with time trials at 5:15.  Racing begins at 7 pm.   We hope to see you there!

Season kicks off with heat race win and ninth place finish in feature !

April 17, 2004 - The Morgan Motorsports team traveled to Madison International Speedway Saturday evening April 17th for the MIller Lite season opener.  After a great practice session, the team was anxious to go racing at the half mile oval.

Turning some of the fastest lap times ever at the track, we anticipated a great qualifying run.  However we were disappointed when we timed in at a 17.981 which placed us tenth in time.  A new track record was set by Andrew Morrisey when he timed in at an 17.413.

The first event of the evening was the heat race.  The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo lined up in the second starting position, outside front row.  The first green flag of the season flew and the Morgan Motorsports Monte carlo jumped into the lead exiting turn two on the first lap of the eight lap race.  We built up a three car length lead over the remainder of the field until the event's first caution flew on lap 4.  Racing resumed and on lap 6, the second place car took a look on the inside but the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo was stronger off the corners and crossed the finishline, taking our first checkered flag of the season.

The feature event lined up and once again, the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo lined up in the second position, outside front row.   The flag flew and we battled side by side for the lead for the first few laps until the car began to vibrate as the brakes were compressed coming into the corners.  On lap 4, we were passed for second but a few laps later, we used the inside lane to advance back to the second spot.  On lap 17, we closed in on the leader however the vibration in the car became so severe it became more difficult to hang onto the steering wheel.  At the event's halfway point, we began losing positions and by lap 32, we dropped back into the ninth spot which is where we crossed the line at race end.  A new brake combination was tried this season which consists of lightweight rotors and aggressive pads.  It wasn't the way to go and the team will be replacing the rotors and brake pads this week.

What's New in a Month !

March 25, 2004 - A month has gone by since the new car arrived and the crew is excited with the progress.  Motormasters freshened the motor and it is in place.  The new Five Star ABC Monte Carlo Body has been hung and sent off to Finishline Collision Center in East Troy for paint.  We're excited about the new black, blue and silver paint scheme and expect Mike Vogt Sr. at Finishline will do a fantastic job as usual.  

Anyone in the race business knows the world of racing is about constant change.  This week, there have been several changes which will affect the Morgan Motorsports team.  The Slinger season opener has been pushed back one week to April 25th, due to delays in pre-season planning and operations at the track.  This is good news for our team since it gives us one additional week to get the car race ready.  Madison International Speedway also announced they will now be allowing the concept engine to compete at their track in 2004.  Stay tuned for any race dates that we may add at that track.

Thanks to Ellison Machinery and Robotics, the Morgan Motorsports team will be selling hats and T-Shirts at the track this summer.  We're hoping to have some on hand for the season opener.  We will post the products and prices in the weeks to come.

     Cayd Morgan, 8 months old, 
     practicing tire changes.....

Camryn on Matt Kenseth's Website !

March 15, 2004 - Check out the fan photos section of www.mattkenseth.com and see a photo of Camryn Morgan, Age 3, with her Matt Kenseth snowman.  We're impressed with the quick response from Matt's website and happy that her picture was posted! 

The new car has arrived !

February 22, 2004 - The new car has arrived.  Special thanks to Darin Willms for making the long trek to Michigan to pick up the chassis.  The crew is already hard at work to get the chassis ready for the Spring Opener in April at Slinger Super Speedway.


The countdown begins !

February 14, 2004 - It's hard to believe that in two months, we'll be kicking off our ninth season of racing in a Late Model.  The team is anxiously awaiting the completion of our new Howe Chassis.  It's currently being powder coated.  We're hoping to travel to Michigan Feb 21st to pick it up.  The chassis will arrive a bare frame with only the interior tin, so there will be a lot of work to do!  We'll have only eight short weeks to get the car completely ready for Slinger's season opener on Sunday afternoon, April 18th.

Our main focus for the 2004 season will return once again to Slinger Super Speedway.  We enjoyed traveling to Madison International Speedway on several occasions last season.  However, Madison has decided to not allow concept motors to compete at the track which means the Morgan Motorsports team will have to focus on Slinger, Lake Geneva, and possibly the Dells.  We plan to run a full schedule at Slinger and will post any additional appearances as we add them to our schedule.

Speaking of motors..  the Morgan Motorsports team learned about a month ago that Kippley Performance Engines of Sauk City will no longer be building motors.  Rick Kippley was offered a job down South building motors with Ricky Craven's race team.  We were disappointed to learn we'd have to change engine builders but are excited to announce that we have taken our motor to Motormasters.  George and Sheri are highly recommended by Kippley and we're excited to work with them this summer.  

Morgan Motorsports welcomes a new sponsor!

The Morgan Motorsports team would like to welcome to our team, Ron Roehl from CNC Solutions.  Donavan met Ron at the Machine and Tool show at State Fair Park in October.  CNC Solutions  provides solutions for your machine tool needs.  They are located in Watertown, WI.  You can contact them by calling 920-262-6370.  

Thanks to everyone who supported our team this season!

It's been almost a month since our final race of the 2003 season.  We're trying to put the season behind us and focus on 2004 and what we can do to improve our performance.  The team is hoping to build a brand new racecar, possibly the newest design Howe Chassis.  Donavan will be making a trip to Michigan to discuss the chassis design with Chas Howe, in the upcoming month.  

Our 2003 race season was like no other.  It was not what we expected and it seemed that lady luck followed us week after week.  We began the season on a low note, crashing while passing for the second spot on lap 94 at Madison International Speedway.  For our first trip to the track, we had a great run but, it ended in extreme disappointment as the team had to re-stub the car the first race into the season.  

For the first year since 1996, we did not run Slinger for points.  We traveled to several different tracks  including Madison International Speedway and Lake Geneva Raceway.  Out of twenty events during the season, we qualified in the top five four times, including one fast time at Lake Geneva Raceway.  We had eight top ten finishes in feature events, including four top fives.  We took home two fast dash trophies, one at Madison and one at Slinger.  This was the first year in three years that we were unable to secure a feature victory.  But, we're looking forward to adding some more trophies to our collection next season.

We'd like to thank our many sponsors for their support during the 2003 season including Ellison Machinery and Robotics, Ritter Engineer/Parker Store, Shelter from the Storm Roofing, Structural Transport, W/S Machine and Tool, M & H Industrial Service, Bud's Concrete, United P & H Supply, and ARS Auto Repair.  We welcomed a new sponsor at the end of the season, VMR Electrostatic Coatings.  Michael Gonzalez is VMR's product manager and they provide Portable Electrostatic Coatings and portable Sand Blasting.  They have an in house Blast Booth and provide complete Machinery Refinishing.  We'd like to welcome them to our team!

We also have many sponsors who provide product and services during the season.  Mike Vogt Sr. of Finishline Collision Center probably worked the hardest all season.  He provided superior paint jobs on every replaced body panel during the season.  And, there were a lot of them!  Kurt Gunderson of Competition Driveline Service also worked hard for our team as we sent our rear-end to him on numerous occasions.  T/A Graphics and Lettering also worked hard this season as we replaced many logos, sometimes on very short notice.  We thank them all for their great service and we couldn't have done it without them!  And, last but not least, thanks to MFR Racing Transmissions, Wales Lawn and Garden, Kippley Performance Race Engines, Nelson's Channel Inn, and Dave Olson from Speed Cards for providing us with great promotional cards.    

Our pit crew also worked especially hard this season and we can't thank them enough.  Darin Willms, Mike and Kristin Vogt, Mike Koch, and Mike Indermuele are key players to our team.  They give up their time during the week as well as on weekends the entire summer.  Now that's dedication!

Thanks to everyone, including our fans, for sticking by us during a roller coaster of a season.  We hope next year will be our best yet!  Stay tuned for updates and until then, have a safe and happy holiday season!

The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo is at the State Fair Expo Center!

The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo is  making an appearance at the State Fair Expo Center September 30th to October 2nd for the Wisconsin Manufacturing and Machine Tool Expo.  Thanks to Ellison Machinery and Robotics, we'll be showcasing our car for the three day event. 

As part of the show, Ellison Machinery and Robotics created a simulated tire change using a robot to remove and replace a tire on a front end of a race car.  Make sure you stop by and check it out!   

Location		Wisconsin Exposition Center Halls, A, B & C
Hours		Sept 30  10 am  - 6 pm Oct 1 10 am - 7 pm Oct 2 10 am - 4 pm
Admission		TBA
Parking		North Lot (Along I-94): $3 All other Parking:$5
Info Number		262/367/5500 www.expoproductionsinc.com

Donavan finishes 2nd at in Fall Classic at Lake Geneva!

September 29, 2003 - The Morgan Motorsports team finally had luck on our side as we avoided a major wreck at Lake Geneva Raceway in the O'Douls Fall Classic 75, finishing second place for the second year in a row in the fall special.

The weekend started out on a low note as the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo missed the big show by two cars, qualifying eighteenth in time.  However, a car was disqualified for running an illegal carburetor and another car blew a motor during the heat races, bumping us into the 75 lap feature.  We were excited to not have to run a qualifying race to make the show on Sunday.

The final event on Saturday was the Clash of Champions which featured drivers who hold championships at any area track, in any division.  Numbers were drawn to determine the starting order and the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo was placed in the third row outside, or the sixth starting position.  

The green flag flew for the sixteen car field but not for long as the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo became loose entering turn one and a nudge from behind caused us to loose control in the corner.  We were sent to the rear and returned back to green in the sixteenth spot.  

The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo was on a rail and with five laps to go, we had worked our way back to the eighth spot as the next caution flew.  Returning to green with only five laps to go, we passed several cars within a few laps and crossed the line on lap 20 in the fifth spot, missing fourth by only a few inches.  We were excited for Sunday since the car was working great.

However, after the race, the team found a bent tie rod from our lap 1 incident in the Clash of Champions and they quickly went to work to fix it.

Sunday arrived another brisk day with temperatures in the upper 40s.  We hoped the rain would hold off and we'd get in a full day of racing.  The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo was placed in the sixteenth starting position for the 75 lap feature event, eighth row outside.    The field went green until the first caution flew on lap 4 for debris on the track.  The field returned to green however, two cars at the front of the field made contact exiting turn four and their wheels became locked together.  They both slammed the front stretch wall and bounced back into traffic, causing one of the biggest incidents in track history.  A total of 12 cars out of a field of 24 were severely damaged.  The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo was one of the lucky ones and we stopped in time, sustaining only minor front end damage.

Prior to the caution, we were in the sixteenth spot.  After nearly an hour delay to clear the track, we returned to green in the fourth spot.  A much smaller field of cars resumed racing and we battled for many laps with the third place car until he was blacked flagged for blocking.  We took over third on about lap 50.  As we approached lapped traffic, we slowly gained on the second place car and with less than ten laps to go, we used the inside lane to take over the spot.  The leader had a sizable advantage on the field and we were not able to gain ground and crossed the line in second place.  We were elated to avoid the "big one" for once and to finish our final race of the season in second place. 

Donavan wins dash and finishes seventh in feature!

September 14, 2003 – Rain threatened to cancel the final race of the 2003 season at Slinger Super Speedway but it moved out in time for a night of racing sponsored by Moore/Wallace/Post Printing.

The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo improved on qualifying positions for the third week in a row and qualified eighth in time with an 11.507.   Fast time was set by newly crowned track champion, Brad Mueller, with an 11.359.

Our qualifying efforts placed us in the first race of the evening, the trophy dash.  We started on the pole for the eight lap event, also referred to as the dash for cash.  The green flag flew and we battled side by side with the #13 car of Austin Konetski for all eight laps.  It came down to the final lap of the race when the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo had a better run coming out of turn four.  We crossed the line a foot ahead of Austin, taking home our first trophy dash win at Slinger this season. 

A ten car invert placed the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo in the third starting position for the 75 lap main event.  The green flag flew but not for long as the event's first caution flew on lap 4 when a car at the front of the field made a move that caused a chain reaction to occur as cars entered turns three and four.  The field lined up in single file and we returned to green in the third spot.  A few laps later, we were hit from behind, causing the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo to become loose and we lost a spot as the event's second caution flew on lap 6.

Racing resumed and on lap 11, we used the outside lane to take over the third spot.  By lap 18 we were engaged in a side by side battle to maintain our position but lost the spot on lap 23, dropping back to fourth.  The event's final caution flew o lap 29 for debris on the track.  After the caution, our car once again became extremely loose entering the turns.  A car made a bid for fourth on lap 31 and we lost the spot on lap 35.  A few laps later, we lost another two positions.  We crossed the line in the seventh spot at race end, adding to our list of top ten finishes this season.

Another top five at Slinger!

September 7, 2003 –  It was an all Morgan front row for the second to last race of the season Sunday night at Slinger Super Speedway.  Eden Meat Market sponsored the evening which was highlighted by a 60 lap late model feature as well as a 50 lap Race of Champions sponsored by Behling Racing Equipment.

The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo qualified ninth in time with an 11.542.  Fast time was set by Brad Mueller with an 11.329.

For the second week in a row, the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo was lined up in the front row for the feature event.  A ten car invert placed us in the second starting position, next to Conrad Morgan who was wheeling a new car purchased just a week earlier.

The field went green and we hoped to stage a good battle for the lead.  However on lap 1 we were forced high in the corner in turn three and had to let off the gas, dropping us back to the second spot.  The event's first caution flew on lap 4 for a car in the turn three wall.

The track was cleared and the field resumed racing.  The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo was reacting similar to a week ago and was loose coming into the corner which allowed the car running in third to close ground on us by lap 8.  We battled side by side for a few laps and lost the spot on lap 10.  We maintained the third position until lap 30 when Lowell Bennett used the inside lane to take over the spot.  

Around lap 50, we began lapping cars and on lap 52, we became trapped behind lap cars racing side by side, allowing the fifth place car to close ground.  We cleared traffic and a few laps later and crossed the line in the fourth spot.

Conrad Morgan ended a dry spell and took home his first feature win in two years.  Congratulations to the Morgan Racing team.

Donavan leads 77 laps at Slinger!

August 31, 2003 – Luck was finally on our side at Slinger Speedway for Sunday's Labor Day special sponsored by Port A John.  It was a dreary evening with temps dropping into the 50s but, the fans still piled in for the Labor Day 100.  

The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo qualified tenth in time with an 11.477.  Fast time was set by current point leader, Brad Mueller, with an 11.297.  

Immediately following a spectacular show of fireworks, the 20 car field rolled out for the 100 lap event.  A ten car invert placed the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo in the pole position.  The green flag flew and we battled side by side with the 81 car of Brad Hartmann until lap 2 when we secured the top spot.  The remainder of the field was engaged in side by side racing which allowed us to gain close to a half a lap lead by lap 10.

On lap 34, we began lapping the tail end of the field.  As we neared the event's halfway mark, the 16 car of Eric Fransen was gaining ground however, the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo was stronger off the corners and took home the Badgerland Motorsports Halfway challenge money on lap 50.

On lap 61, we encountered lap traffic racing side by side coming into turn one.  Donavan weaved his way between cars and lost little ground to the 16 car.  Two laps later, a car spun directly in front of the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo as we entered turn two.  We were able to avoid the incident which brought out the event's first caution flag.  

Racing resumed but, not for long as a car hit the turn three wall before a lap was even completed.  Back to green again, we concentrated on running smooth laps until yet another caution flew on lap 70 for cars spinning in turn two.  Returning to green once again, we jumped out into a two car length lead until lap 77 when the car became loose as we entered turn four.  This allowed the 16 car of Eric Fransen to dive underneath the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo and we dropped back to second as the next caution flag flew on lap 79.  

The car began to fade slightly and on lap 83, we lost several spots, dropping back into the fifth position which is where we crossed the line on lap 100.  The team was excited about the cars performance during the race and is looking forward to this Sunday's event at Slinger Super Speedway, sponsored by Eden Meat Market and Behling Racing.  The evening is highlighted by twin late model features with no increase in admission.  See you there!  

Engine problems shorten night at Slinger!

August 24, 2003 – The Morgan Motorsports team returned to Slinger Super Speedway on Sunday night for an evening sponsored by our sponsor, Shelter from the Storm Roofing Company.  Shelter from the Storm is a family business, owned and operated by Frank and Jean Csizmadia of Allenton, WI.  (Shown at right.)

The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo qualified seventeenth in time with an 11.650.  Fast time was set by David Prunty with an 11.465.

Donavan performed a parade lap with his car prior to the start of the races in honor of our sponsor, Shelter from the Storm roofing.  During that lap, he noticed a problem with the transmission.  When he returned to the pits, the team found the bellhousing was becoming unattached from the motor.

Fearing we would have mechanical failure in the race, the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo lined up in last row for the 75 lap feature event.  We planned to run as many laps as possible and pull off as soon as any problems occurred.

The field went green but, not for long as the event's first caution flew on lap 3 for a spinning car in turns one and two.  Once again, we started at the rear of the pack and when the field returned to green, we had great momentum and passed several cars.  The next caution flew on lap 13 when a car hit the turn one wall.  This time, we did not start in the rear of the field and decided to keep our position on the track as the car was handling better than ever.  

By about lap 30, We had worked our way up to the tenth spot.   However, the engine on the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo began to overheat during green flag racing.  Fearing the engine would sustain major damage if we continued racing, Donavan pulled off the track and the team immediately cooled the motor down with fans and water.

The motor was pulled on Monday night and sent to Kippley Performance in Sauk City.  They determined a valve spring broke which is why we overheated the motor.  The bellhousing has also been fixed and we should be in top shape for this Sunday's big Labor Day race at Slinger Super Speedway.  Port A John presents the Labor Day weekend Special highlighed by a 100 lap late model feature!  The evening will be capped off with a huge ground and aerial fireworks display.  Rain date is set for Monday, September 1.  See you there!

Donavan finishes eleventh at MIS and eleventh overall!

August 19, 2003 – The fans once again piled in to Madison International Speedway to watch hometown favorite and NASCAR Winston Cup point's leader Matt Kenseth race Round Two of the Miller Lite Nationals.  Matt's teammate, Kurt Busch, also took part in the event highlighted by a 225 lap feature.

Twenty Four cars were locked in by time for the big event and six cars entered as promoter's choices.  The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo qualified ninth in time with an 17.800.  Fast time was set by Brent Sontag with an 17.592.  Matt Kenseth qualified seventeenth in time with an 17.839 and Kurt Busch was fourth in time with an 17.690.  

Drivers participated in out of car introductions as cars angle parked in their starting positions for the 225 lap event.  A sixteen car invert placed the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo in the eighth starting spot,  fourth row outside.  The race was broken down into three segments.  Teams would pit for fuel on lap 75, and on lap 150.  When the green flag flew, the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo quickly went to work and was in the fifth position by lap four of the race.  On lap 15, a car made a bid on the inside for fifth and we lost the spot one lap later.  We then became trapped in the outside groove which is the hardest groove to run and we lost many spots as cars freight-trained past us in the inside lane.

A mandatory caution flew on lap 75 so that teams could re-fuel and make any necessary changes to their cars.  The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo was battling a loose condition coming into the corner and a tight condition coming off.  The tire stagger was adjusted and we returned for the second segment in the sixteenth spot.

Still battling a loose car in the second segment, we picked up only a few positions while the team worked together to decide what changes could be made to improve the car for the final segment of the race.  Pitting on lap 150, the tire stagger was still off but, being limited to only six tires during the race, we were unable to correct the problem for the final segment.  We crossed the line on lap 225 in the eleventh spot.  

Points were awarded in both rounds of the two-part series.  Round One was held in July at Slinger Super Speedway.  We finished fourteenth in that race and entered Round Two fifteenth in points.  After finishing eleventh in Round Two, we placed eleventh overall.  Matt Kenseth and Kurt Busch experienced mechanical problems in both Rounds One and Two of the Miller Lite Nationals.  Matt finished eighteenth overall and Kurt Busch finished fourteenth.  

Click on http://www.gotomis.com/report/2003/81903r.html for complete race results.  

Lady luck strikes again at Madison!

August 8, 2003 - The Morgan Motorsports team returned to Madison International Speedway on Friday Night for the First Supply Classic 50.   The team spent the past few weeks fine tuning the car and found the rear end was bent.  We had high hopes that the rear end was a  contributing factor to the handling problems we've experienced in the past several races.

Out of 36 late models,  the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo qualfied thirteenth in time with an 17.907.  Fast time was set by Dave Feiler with an 17.479.  The first event of the evening was an eight lap heat race.  The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo was lined up in the third starting position in the third heat.  The green flag dropped and within a few laps, we lost several spots as a slow car went backwards in the inside lane.  We crossed the line in the sixth spot. 

The team was happy with the car after the heat race and made only a  minor change in preparation for the main event.  The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo lined up in the thirteenth starting position, seventh row inside for the fifty lap main event.  The green flag flew and the field battled side by side for the first few laps.  By lap eight, the field had spread.  Still running in thirteenth, the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo was now able to use the entire track to begin working it's way to the front. 

Unfortunately, a few laps later, lady luck struck again and the Morgan Motorsports team was rear ended on lap 11 as we entered turn four.  Crossed up in the corner, Donavan was able to regain control of the car until the same car rear-ended him again as we exited the turn.  This time, he was unable to regain control and hit the inside wall.   The #45 car of Dave Lawrence was sent to the rear for the contact with the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo and we were towed off the track with yet another DNF this season.  We were credited with twentieth place at the end of the race. 
 

Fireworks on and off the track at MIS !

June 27, 2003 - With mid season approaching, it seems the Morgan Motorsports team has had nothing but bad luck.  Friday night at Madison International Speedway was no exception.  It was a full house for the firecracker 75 sponsored by Gordie Boucher car dealerships.  The rain showers stayed north of the track and the packed house enjoyed a night of fireworks on and off the track.  

The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo qualified thirteenth in time with an 17.869.  Fast time was set by Bobby Wilberg with an 17.569.  The first event of the evening for the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo was an eight lap heat race.  We lined up in the third starting position but, dropped back to sixth by the drop of the checkered. 

The crowd enjoyed a half hour show of fireworks during intermission provided by Thundercat fireworks.  Immediately after, the 75 lap feature event rolled out.

The Morgan motorsports Monte Carlo lined up in the twelfth starting position, sixth row outside.  The green flag flew and within the first few laps, we had dropped back two spots to the fourteenth position.  The field raced side by side until the event's first caution flew on lap 6 for cars that tangled on the back stretch in front of the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo.  We slid past without incident and when the track was cleared, we returned to green in the eleventh spot.

One lap later, several cars got together in turn three, again in front of the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo.  This time were weren't so lucky as fluid had dropped on the track which caused the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo to slide up the track and back into the wrecked cars.  Another car hit the fluid and was unable to avoid hitting the driver's side door of the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo.  

We relegated to the pits to access the damages.  In the meantime, the track announced they would begin counting caution laps.  The Morgan Mortorsports Monte Carlo returned to the track prior to the green however, lost several laps because of the cautions laps being counted.  The green flag flew once again on lap 14 but not for long as more two more cars wrecked on the back stretch and sustained severe damage.  

Donavan decided during the caution to return to the pits as the car was not handling properly and we retired for the evening on lap 20.  The team further accessed the damages and found the rack and pinion had broke during the mishap on lap 7.

Another disappointing night at Slinger !

June 22, 2003 - The entire week was spent making changes to the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo's set-up to improve the car for the Ritter Engineering/Parker Store 75.  We had high hopes of giving our longtime sponsor something to cheer about.

Our hopes faded fast as we were the first on the track for qualifying and turned a fast lap of 11.668.  We knew it would be tough to make it in the show but, kept our fingers crossed.  The last two cars to qualify bumped us out of the show, placing us twentieth in time.  Fast time was set by David Prunty with an 11.450.

Unhappy about missing the show, we kept our chins up and hoped we could advance to the feature through the semi-feature.  We were lined up in the seventh starting position, fourth row inside for the 30 lap event.

Once again our luck ran short as two cars tangled in turn four on lap one of the race.  Not having enough time to react, the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo rear-ended the #15 car of Joe Gross, causing damage to the front end of the car.  Unsure of whether the bent hood would remain on the car, we took a chance and stayed  on the track for the remainder of the race.  Donavan's vision was obstructed so we were not able to gain any more positions and crossed the line in the seventh spot.  

Bad luck strikes again at Slinger !

June 15 2003 - It seems the Morgan Motorsports team just can't catch a break at Slinger Super Speedway.  The team returned to the track for the first time since Memorial Day weekend.  It was a beautiful day for racing with sunny skies and temps in the mid 70s.  We were excited to return to the track after taking a few weeks off to repair and fine tune the car after damages sustained Memorial Day weekend.    

With the new track surface this season, qualifying has been tight with cars clocking in super fast laps.  The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo qualified eleventh in time with an 11.550.  Fast time was once again set by Brad Mueller with an 11.419.  

A twelve car invert placed the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo in the second starting position, outside front row, for the 65 lap feature sponsored by Professonal Plumbers and Contractors.  The evening also was also Scout night.  Any uniformed Scout was admitted free of charge.  We were excited to have such a great starting position on a night when the stands were at full capacity.

The green flag flew and the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo battled side by side with the #23 car of John Mueller.  It appeared within one lap that we had the advantage as we would inch ahead coming off the turns.  However, entering turn three on lap 2 of the race, the #23 car drove out of his racing groove, driving into the rear quarter panel of the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo.  The contact sent us spinning up the track in turn four.  

The caution flag flew and the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo quickly exited the track to try and repair the fender damage.  Unfortunately, we were unable to make it out before the race resumed and we returned to the track three laps down.  The event's second caution flew a few laps later when a car dropped fluid in turns one and two, sending several cars spinning up the track.  We picked up several positions as a result of the incident.  

The field returned to green and the remainder of the race was caution free.  Unfortunately, being several laps down, we were unable to gain any more positions and crossed the line in the sixteenth spot.

Despite our continued bad luck at Slinger, we're optimistic for this Sunday which is student appreciation night sponsored by our sponsor Ritter Engineering/Parker Store.  The evening is highlighted by a 75 lap late model feature.  In addition, the Enders Corporation & Design 2 Construct will be on hand to promote the Miss Slinger Super Speedway pageant and a visit by the Midwest Sportsman Championship Series. The pageant and the MSCS event were rescheduled, after racing events were cancelled on June 8th due to inclement weather. In effort to make up for the missed event, Enders Corporation announced that they will add additional earnings to this weekend’s purse. The drivers will chase the checkered flag and an additional $5,000.00 to win the Late Model feature and $1,000.00 to win the Eldorado Trailer Sales Midwest Modified feature.

Donavan finishes fourth in Pepsi 100 at MIS !

May 27, 2002 - The weather couldn't have been better for a day of racing on Memorial Day, a day in which we honor those serving our country as well as our nation's fallen heroes.  After a long night of fixing damages from Slinger's race, the team returned to Madison International Speedway bright and early for the much anticipated Pepsi 100 which paid $7,000 to win.

The team wasn't sure what to expect after working until 3:00 am replacing bent items on the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo from Sunday night's race at Slinger Super Speedway.  The work paid off and the team was happy with the car during the practice session.  The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo was the second car to qualify and turned a fast lap of 17.955, much slower than our fast lap on Friday night.  After the field of 28 cars qualified, we were happy to have ended up in the fourteenth spot.  Fast time was set by Ryan Hansen with an 17.646.

The line up for the feature event was not determined by qualifying but, determined by two sets of odd/even heat races.  The first heat race determined the starting order for the inside row of the feature and the second heat race determined the starting order for the outside row.  The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo was placed in the fourth position, second row outside in the first heat race.   The green flag flew and within one lap, the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo had advanced to the second position.  As the laps continued, we built up our lead over the third place car and comfortably crossed the line in the second spot at race end.  

Our finish in the heat race placed us in the third starting position, second row inside, for the 100 lap feature event.  The green flag flew and we battled side by side to maintain position but, lost the third spot by lap 3.  We lost one more spot, dropping back to fifth just prior to the event's first caution on lap 9.  

The race resumed and by lap 11, the sixth place car used the inside lane to make a bid for the fifth spot.  The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo got loose in turns three and four which dropped us into the sixth spot.  The event's second caution flew on lap 15 when a car scraped the wall in turn one.  The race resumed and the event went caution free for many laps which gave the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo a chance to gain a sizable lead over the seventh place car.  On lap 35, the car running in the second spot experienced a mechanical failure and dropped out of the race, advancing the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo to the top five.  One lap later, another caution flew for a spin in turn four. 

The field resumed racing but, not for long as another caution flew on lap 39 for some spinning cars in turns one and two.  When the field returned to green, we were challenged for the fifth spot.  Running in the outside lane, we put forth a fierce battle that lasted seventeen laps to defend our position.   On lap 56, we were able to get a good run off turn four and once again secured the fifth spot.  

On lap 68, another car in the top five experienced  mechanical problems which advanced the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo to the fourth spot.  We set our sights on the top three but, battling a car that was loose coming in and tight coming off would make our work cut out for us.  The event's final caution flew on lap 83 for another spin in turn four.  This would be our last chance to advance positions as the field went back to green nose to tail.  As the race resumed, the top three cars were a little stronger than the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo and we were not able to challenge for additional positions.  We crossed the line in the fourth spot which is our best finish out of four races at MIS.  

Morgan Motorsports has more bad luck at Slinger !

May 26, 2002 - It was another great day for racing and the Morgan Motorsports team was excited to return to the track we called home for seven years.  Because of the track's new surface, we had to make many changes to the car since the opener back in April.

Our hopes for a smooth evening of racing faded fast as the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo experienced problems with the clutch during the first practice session.  Luckily, a spare clutch was available at the shop in Wales.  Thanks to Conrad's wife Lisa, the clutch was delivered and the team feverishly went to work to replace the worn out one.  The new clutch was installed just as late model qualifying wrapped up.  Luckily, the work was done in time and we were allowed to qualify after the sportsman division was done.  

We weren't sure what time we'd turn since we missed practice but, we were pleasantly surprised when we qualified third in time with a fast lap of 11.402.  Fast time was set by David Prunty with an 11.333.

As always, it was a full house at Slinger for the E.H. Wolf and Son's Memorial 80 lap feature.  The field was lined up and  we were placed in the seventh starting position, fourth row inside.  The green flag flew and the field battled side by side until a car lost control entering turn one which caused a chain reaction to occur.  The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo made contact with the #89 car of Brad Mueller and our right front drove over the top of Brad's car and landed back on all four wheels.  The caution flag flew however, we did not lose any positions as a result of the incident. 

During the caution, Donavan made sure the car felt fine and nothing was broke.  The decision was made to remain on the track and we crossed our fingers that everything was okay on the car.  Racing resumed and within two laps, we had lost two spots.  By lap 5, a car made a bid on the inside and we lost another spot, dropping back to tenth.

By lap 25, it became apparent that the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo had suffered some damage during the early race contact as the car would not steer in the corners.  By lap 28, we had dropped back to the eleventh spot and by lap 46, we were in twelfth.  Unable to steer in the corners, Donavan battled with the car until the next caution flew on lap 72 for debris on the track.

Contemplating whether to finish the race, Donavan stayed on the track and hoped to make it to the end.  However, on lap 78, the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo made contact with the front stretch wall.  The car did not sustain major damage however, Donavan made the decision to relegate to the pits.  Pulling off two laps short of the finish, the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo was credited with a twelfth place finish.

Once in the pits, the crew quickly went to work to determine what was bent on the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo.  Enough damage was done that we packed up for the night and headed back to the shop to repair the car for Monday's big Memorial Day race at Madison International Speedway.  

Donavan wins dash and finishes ninth at MIS !

May 24, 2002 - The Morgan Motorsports team returned to Madison International Speedway Friday night, May 23rd to warm up for this Monday's big holiday race, paying $7,000 to win.  It was a great night for racing with sunny skies and temps in the mid fifties.  

The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo qualified fifth in time with an 17.546.  We weren't far off from the track record of 17.434, set just a few weeks earlier.  Fast time was set by Andrew Morrissey with an 17.478.  

Our qualifying efforts placed us in the outside front row for the first event of the evening, the fast dash.  The fast dash consists of the six fastest cars, for six laps.  The green flag flew however, the officials weren't happy with the start and the field was lined back up.  When the flag flew for the second time, the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo had a great start and took over the top spot coming out of turn two.  We led the remaining laps and took home the win.

The dice was rolled to determine the invert for the 40 lap feature event.  A three was rolled which meant thirteen cars would be inverted for the show.  This placed the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo in the eighth starting spot, fourth row outside.  

The green flag flew for the main event however, an uneven start forced the officials to re-start the race.  When action resumed, the field battled side by side until the event's first caution flew on lap 3 when an accordion effect occurred off turn two causing several cars to spin out of control.  We returned to green in the seventh spot.  By lap six, we were forced to the outside when a car on the inside made a bid for our position.  Running side by side for several laps, the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo got loose coming off turn two and lost several positions.  

By lap 13, we were engaged in a side by side battle for tenth that lasted six laps until the event's second caution flew on lap 19 for more spinning cars in turn two.  We returned to green in the tenth spot and maintained position until a car used the inside on lap 22 to take over the spot.

A few laps later, we were tapped by another car wanting to make a pass.  Already battling an loose car, the contact forced our car to become slightly loose in the turn.  We lost two spots as a result of the contact.  The event's next caution flew on lap 28 for a spin in turn two and only a few laps later, another caution flew when a car lost a wheel exiting turn four.  

When the track was cleared, we returned to green in the twelveth spot.  On lap 34, we used the inside lane to take over the eleventh spot.  On lap 37, two front running cars made contact which caused them to lose control coming out of turn two.  Slipping past the crossed up cars, we gained two spots and crossed the line in the ninth spot.

Donavan wins heat and finishes seventh in Kenseth special at MIS !

May 9, 2002 - After a spinning car collects the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo early in the race, we came from the twenty-fifth spot to finish seventh in the  Blains Farm and Fleet/Dewalt Power Tools 100 featuring Matt Kenseth.  

It was a great night for racing with sunny skies and temps in the lower 70s.  The fans piled in to Madison international Speedway to see Winston Cup point leader Matt Kenseth race for the first time at the track since 1996.  Lots were full two hours prior to the start of the races and cars were being parked in adjacent farm fields.  By the start of the races at 8 pm, over 11,000 fans had piled in to the track promoted by Matt's Dad, Roy Kenseth.

The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo locked into the main event by qualifying seventeenth in time with an 17.826.  Fast time was set by Eric Darnell with a 17.626.  The former track champion, Matt Kenseth, turned a 17.729 placing him seventh in time.

Odd/Even heat races were lined up and we were placed in the third heat, the same heat that Matt Kenseth would run.  Our qualifying position placed us on the pole for the eight lap race.  The green flag few and we quickly jumped into the lead.  The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo led all eight laps to take home our first checkered flag at the track.  Running used tires, Matt was not a threat and finished fifth in the race.

A thirteen car invert placed the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo in the eighteenth starting position, ninth row outside, for the 100 lap event featuring Matt Kenseth.  Matt's #17 Smirnoff Ice car was lined up in the sixth starting spot, third row outside.

The green flag flew and we quickly went to work, passing several cars on the outside within the first few laps of the race.  The event's first caution flew on lap 11 when a car spun directly in front of the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo coming off turn two.  Much to our dismay, we had no where to go and made slight contact with the spinning car.  We were sent from the fifteenth spot to the rear of the twenty-six car field.  Returning to green in the twenty-fifth spot, we had a lot of work cut out for us to get to the front of the field.

Four laps later, the event's second caution flew for an incident on the front stretch which sent Tony Strupp into the turn one wall.  Hitting fluid on the front stretch from the crashed cars, the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo spun but, managed to avoid contact with the cars involved in the turn one incident.

Gaining a few spots as a result of the wreck, we returned to green in the twenty-first spot.  By lap 19, we dropped back a spot as the next caution flew on lap 20.  Gaining a few more spots as a result of the caution, the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo returned to green in the nineteenth spot.  We gained several spots during the next five laps as cars dropped out of the race with mechanical failures.  By lap 26, we made a pass for the sixteenth spot and six laps later we used the inside lane to take over fifteenth.  

By lap 40, the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo picked off two more cars and took over the 13th spot until a competition yellow was thrown on lap 44 to allow cars to refuel.  Gaining a spot during the caution, the field was re-lined up and we went back to green in the twelveth spot.  On lap 47, we used the inside lane to take over the eleventh spot and set our sights on breaking into the top ten.  

On lap 58, we engaged in a side by side battle for tenth and took over the spot one lap later.  By lap 67, we made a bid for ninth but, got loose coming off turn two and dropped back a spot.  The event's final caution flew on lap 68 for a car spinning on the back stretch.  We gained another spot and returned to green in eighth which is where we crossed the line on lap 100.  A disqualification in one of the top five cars bumped the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo up the seventh position.  

Matt Kenseth took over the lead spot on lap 17 and led the final 83 laps of the 100 lap race to take home his first win at he track since 1996.  

Matt is excited about his return to Madison
Matt wins in return to MIS

Donavan finishes sixth in No Bull 50 lapper !

May 3, 2002 - The Morgan Motorsports team made their first trip this season to Lake Geneva Raceway for round one of the No Bull series.  The team was excited to return to the track where we had done so well during our last race of the 2002 season.  It was a chilly May evening but, we were fired up about setting fast time  with an 16.104.

Line up for the dash as well as the 50 lap late model feature is determined by the roll of the dice. The driver with fast time rolls to determine the invert for the evening.  Donavan had luck on his side and rolled a one which meant he started on the front row for the first event of the evening, the fast dash.  The green flag flew and we raced a hard battle for the first five laps of the six lap race.  However, the car was pushing in the corners and we weren't able to hang onto the lead and came in second at the line.

The feature was lined up and an eleven car invert placed the Morgan Motortsports Monte Carlo in the eleventh starting position, sixth row inside.  The field got set for the green as they accelerated down the back stretch  however, a car lost control and they would not be able to complete the first lap of the race.  The track was cleared and side by side racing began until a caution flew on lap 5 for cars spinning in turns one and two.

As with all races at Lake Geneva Raceway, competition re-starts are used to line the field up after a caution.  Drivers choose the lane they want to resume the race in and the race resumes double file.  The green flag flew and we raced side by side until the next caution flew on lap 13 for a couple of cars getting together in the front of the field.  We gained two spots as a result of the caution.  Choosing the outside lane, we returned to green but, not for long as the caution flag flew again one lap later for spinning cars at the front of the field.  Once again, we gained two more spots as a result of the caution.  

At the event's halfway mark, we made a bid for fifth however, couldn't complete the pass as Donavan was battling an extremely loose car.  The event's final caution flew on lap 32 and we were not able to gain any more spots by race end.  We crossed the line in the sixth spot.

Slinger Twin 75's bring two more DNF's !

April 27, 2002 - After a hard wreck at Madison's opener on April 18th, the Morgan Motorsports team worked feverishly to get the car ready for Slinger Super Speedway's season opener on Sunday, April 27th.  It was a great day for racing with temps in the 70s.  Thirty-eight late models were on hand to test their luck on the newly paved high banked quarter mile track.

The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo was one of the first cars on the track for qualifying.  The track was fast and we clocked our fastest lap ever with an 11.574, placing us fifteenth in time.  Fast time was set by Rich Lock with an 11.391.

A twelve car invert for the first 75 lap feature placed the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo in the thirteenth starting position, seventh row inside.  The green flag flew but, not for long as the first caution flew on lap 2 for some cars that lost control in the outside lane.  The field returned to green for one lap when the event's second caution flew for a car in the wall off turn three.

We returned to green in the 12th spot and quickly took over  eleventh just prior to the event's next caution on lap 11 for a crash along the front stretch.  When the field went green we picked off one more position to ninth however, by lap 18, the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo began to turn sour.  Lap after lap, we began losing positions as Donavan  battled an ill handling race car.  Fearing the the left rear tire was going flat, the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo retired to the pits on lap 54 while running in the eighteenth spot.  The team hoped they would be able to quickly determine the problem and have a better run for the second 75 lap feature.

Cars finishing on the lead lap were inverted for the second 75 lap feature.  The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo lined up in the eighteenth starting spot, ninth row outside.  The green flag flew and we immediately lost several positions as we were trapped behind a slow car.  By lap 9 of the race, we had gained several spots back until the event's first caution flew on lap 13 for a spinning car in turn four.  

We returned to green and shortly thereafter, the left rear wheel on the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo began to shake.  Another caution flew on lap 15 and when we returned to green, we were running in the fourteenth spot.  By lap 16, we were up to thirteenth however, the extreme vibration in the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo made it very difficult to maneuver the car.  Donavan began losing positions as he also struggled to get the car to turn and by lap 37, the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo relegated to the pits.

The crew quickly went to work and changed the left rear tire.  The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo returned to the track on lap 52, only to retire for the evening on lap 60.  After assessing the situation, it was determined the rear end was bent, causing the left rear tire to not have bite on the race track.  Apparently, one more effect from our opening day wreck at Madison.  As of Monday, the rear end was pulled and sent out for repair.  The team is disappointed in our first run at Slinger but, happy the car is in one piece!

Donavan records DNF at Madison's opener !

April 18, 2003 - The Morgan Motorsports team made their first trip in a late model to Madison International Speedway on Friday, April 18th for the Miller Lite 100 season opener.  The weather was less than desirable with temps in the 40s.  Rain threatened to cancel the show at several points throughout the evening.

Twenty cars were locked into the Miller Lite 100 through qualifying.  The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo qualified 12th in time with an 17.985.  Fast time was set by Dale Nottestad with a 17.682.

A sixteen car invert placed the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo in the fifth starting position, inside third row.  The green flag flew but, not for long as an accordion effect on the start sent a few cars spinning at the rear of the field.  The field returned to green and the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo dropped back to the seventh spot by lap 4.  The field was now in single file and we gained momentum until a car attempting to make a pass on the inside made slight contact with the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo.  We slipped back a spot to eighth until the event's second caution flew on lap 16 for a car spinning in turn two.

A top five car dropped out before the field returned to green, giving us the seventh spot on the re-start.  On lap 24, the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo took at look at the sixth spot and made the pass on lap 25.  By lap 30, we were gaining on the fifth place car.  Looking to the outside and then the inside, slight contact was made however, we made the pass on lap 33.

We quickly set our sights on the #2 car of Lowell Bennett who was running in the fourth spot.  On lap 38, we closed in on Lowell's bumper and took over the spot on lap 39.  The top three cars were a half a straightaway ahead of the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo as the field began to lap cars.  Lap 77 brought out another caution flag.  When the field returned to green, we had three lap cars between the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo and the third place car of Ron Breese, Jr.  The lap car of Bobby Wilberg began leaking fluid, which spewed onto the windshield of the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo.  We got on his bumper coming out of turn four and made slight contact which sent his car spinning down the track, bringing out another caution flag.

When the field returned to green, we worked on the remaining two lap cars and set our sights on the top three until a spin in turns one and two brought out another caution on lap 94.  Our car was perfect and we were excited to have a chance to challenge Ron Breese, Jr. for the third spot.  Racing resumed and we quickly took the inside groove in turn two to make a bid for third.  As we entered the turn Ron's car broke loose.  He maintained control as we came down the backstretch however, running side by side, he forced the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo down into the infield grass which caused us to lose control of the car entering turn three.  Trying to re-gain control, the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo became locked up with the #93 of Dave Feiler, knocking the steering wheel out of Donavan's hand sending us into the inside wall.  The car was towed from the track and the team was left to wonder what could have been.  

Congratulations to Eric Fransen for winning Madion's season opener.  We're glad to see one of our favorite competitors win the Miller Lite 100.   

Thanks to everyone who supported our team this season !

The 2002 race season is finally over and what a season it was!  While the season was not as good as our 2001 season, we managed to bring home three feature trophies and three fast dash trophies at Slinger Super Speedway.  Out of twenty-three weeks of racing at Slinger, the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo qualified in the top five ten times.  In the twenty-eight feature events during the season, we had five top three finishes which included three feature wins.  We had two more top five finishes and eleven top ten.  Lady luck struck one too many times during the season, causing the team to settle for last place in a handful of races, resulting in a seventh place finish in the final points standings.   

We traveled to several different tracks during the 2002 season including Lake Geneva Raceway and the Dells Motor Speedway.  We set fast time at Lake Geneva Raceway for Round Two of the No Bull series and finished third in the feature event that evening.  Our second trip to Lake Geneva was for the final round of the No Bull series.  We qualified fourth and finished sixth in the feature.  The Dells Motor Speedway trip was a learning experience but, our qualifying efforts of ninth place locked us in for the feature on our first trip to the track since 1998.  We finished thirteenth in the fifty lap race.  Our final race of the season was the Fall Classic at Lake Geneva Raceway.  We qualified fourth for the main event and finished second in the 75 lap race.

We'd like to thank our many sponsors for their support during the 2002 season.   Without their support, we would not have enjoyed the successes we have in racing.  Please see our sponsor page for a complete list of sponsors as well as contact information.  We also could not perform as a team without the help of our dedicated crew.  Darin Willms, Mike and Kristin Vogt, Mike Indermuele and Mark Vogt are key players to our team.  They give up their time during the week as well as on weekends the entire summer.  We cannot thank them enough.  We would also like to thank Jeremy from Kippley Performance for making his long trek to the track almost every week this season.  Now that's service!   Thanks also to  Conrad Morgan (who's fondly referred to as Paparoni by his Granddaughter) for being our mentor- and lastly, our fans.  Without fans in the stands, the sport of racing would not be where it is today.  

Donavan finishes 2nd at Fall Classic in Lake Geneva!

Sunday, September 29, 2002 -  The Morgan Motorsports team made one last trip in the 2002 season to Lake Geneva Raceway for the season ending Fall Classic.  Qualifying and heat races were Saturday and the feature events were slated for Sunday, September 29th.  You couldn't ask for better weather for our final race of the season.  

It was apparent during practice that the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo was a rocket as we clocked in laps faster than the track record, on 100 lap tires.  We were excited for qualifying, we figured four new tires would help us break the record set many years ago.  We took to the track for qualifying and ended up the third fastest car with an 16.158.  Al Schill set fast time and broke the track record.  The evening's events started with a six lap fast dash in which we lined up in the sixth spot, third row outside.  At the drop of the green, the outside lane was on the move and within two laps, we had taken over the third spot which is where we crossed the line at the checkered. 

The final event of the evening was the Clash of Champions, a twenty lap race for anyone holding a track championship at any race track.  The line up for the Clash of Champions was determined by the drawing of numbers and the Morgan Motorsports Team drew the eighth spot.  We lined up in the fourth row outside but, gained two spots prior to the green when the car in front of us elected to drop to the rear of the field.  The green flag flew and we quickly went to work, hoping we had a shot at taking home first place.  Running on used tires, the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo took over the fifth spot on lap eight and one lap later, made a pass for fourth.  By lap fourteen, we lost several positions however, by the end of the race we gained them back and crossed the line in the fourth spot. 

After a long night of partying, teams returned to the track on Sunday morning for the big race day.  Fast time qualifier Al Schill rolled the dice to determine the invert for the 75 lap Super Late Model Feature.  He rolled a one which resulted in an eleven car invert.  This placed the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo in the ninth starting position, fifth row inside.  The green flag flew and the field battled side by side for the first five laps.  By lap 7, we had taken over the seventh spot until the first caution flew on lap 9.  Choosing the inside lane for the competition re-start, we went back to green in the eighth spot.  With one lap in, the caution once again came out for a car spinning off the track in turns one and two.  This time we picked the outside lane and continued the race in the ninth spot.  Luckily the outside lane was the lane on the move and within a few laps we had advanced several positions and took over the sixth spot.  By lap 35, the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo broke into the top three and it wasn't long before we took over the second spot. 

With full use of the entire track,  we hoped we could gain on the leader who was running a half a lap in front of us.  A caution on lap 54 gave us the break we needed, allowing us to position ourselves on the leader's bumper.  The field returned to green however, it was short lived as the caution flag flew one lap later.  The race resumed once again and we glued ourselves to the bumper of the leader, Billy Skinner, for the final laps.  In the closing laps, we struggled to get a good run off the corners which hurt our chances at making a bid for the lead.  During the closing lap, we made one attempt and dove to the inside of the leader but, were unsuccessful in the pass and came home in second place.

Donavan finishes 5th in final race at Slinger and 7th in the points standings!

Sunday, September 15, 2002 - The Morgan Motorsports team returned to Slinger Super Speedway for the final race of the 2002 season.  We were excited to wrap up on a season filled with many highs and lows.  While the season was not as good as our 2001 season, we managed to bring home three feature trophies and three fast dash trophies.  Out of twenty-three weeks of racing at Slinger, the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo qualified in the top five ten times.  In the twenty-eight feature events during the season, we had five top three finishes which included three feature wins.  We had two more top five finishes and eleven top ten.  Lady luck struck one too many times during the season, causing the team to settle for last place in a handful of races, resulting in a seventh place finish in the final points standings.   

We traveled to several different tracks during the 2002 season including Lake Geneva Raceway and the Dells Motor Speedway.  We set fast time at Lake Geneva Raceway for Round Two of the No Bull series and finished third in the feature event that evening.  Our second trip to Lake Geneva was for the final round of the No Bull series.  We qualified fourth and finished sixth in the feature.  The Dells Motor Speedway trip was a learning experience but, our qualifying efforts of ninth place locked us in for the feature on our first trip to the track since 1998.  We finished thirteenth in the fifty lap race.  

The final evening at Slinger was highlighted by a 75 lap feature sponsored by Wallace/Post Printing.  The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo qualified tenth in time with an 11.791.  Fast time was set by Al Schill with an 11.675.  

A twelve car invert placed us in the third starting position, second row inside.  At the drop of the green, the car in pole position quickly shot in to the lead and the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo followed tightly in it's tracks.  An early caution flew on lap 3 for a pile-up collecting three cars between turns one and two.  When the track was clear, the field returned to green and we hoped it wouldn't be long before we could secure the lead.  By lap 19, we had built up nearly a straightaway advantage over the third place car of Lowell Bennett but, it was erased when the event's second caution flew on lap 36.  

It was not a welcome caution as the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo began to fade and Donavan was battling with an extreme push through the corners.  On the re-start, it wouldn't be long before we were defending second place with Lowell Bennett in the inside lane.  Running side by side for six laps, Lowell took over the second spot and we dropped back to third.  With twenty laps to go, we were now in a side by side battle for third and within two laps, we lost the spot.  We were passed for fourth on lap 66 and one lap later, the event's final caution flew for a spinning car in turn four.  Battling an ill handling car the entire race, Donavan fought a fierce battle to defend our top five position on the re-start and we crossed the line on lap 75 in the fifth spot.  

We'd like to thank our many sponsors for their support during the 2002 season.   Without their support, we would not have enjoyed the successes we have in racing.  We also could not perform as a team without the help of our dedicated crew.  Darin Willms, Mike and Kristin Vogt, Mike Indermuele and Mark Vogt are key players to our team.  They give up their time during the week as well as on weekends the entire summer.  We cannot thank them enough.  We would also like to thank Jeremy from Kippley Performance for making his long trek to the track almost every week this season.  Now that's service!   And, last but not least, we'd like to thank Conrad Morgan (who's fondly known as Paparoni by his Granddaughter) for being our mentor- and lastly, our fans.  Without fans in the stands, the sport of racing would not be where it is today.  

But, we're not finished yet!  We're capping off the season with a trip back to Lake Geneva Raceway for the October Classic.  The race weekend is kicked off on Saturday, September 28th with qualifying at 2 pm.  Heat races begin at 6 pm.  Teams return to the track on Sunday for the 75 lap late model feature.  Racing begins at 1 pm.  We hope you join us at the track and help celebrate another successful season of racing.  See you there!

Donavan finishes 7th and 6th in Twin Features!

Sunday, September 8, 2002 - The weather warmed up again and temps were sizzling as we returned to the track for the second to last race of the season at Slinger Super Speedway.  Sunday, September 8th was host to Twin Late model features, including the Race of Champions which features drivers who set fast time or won a feature or trophy dash, in the 2002 season.  The Morgan Motorsports team qualified for the Race of Champions for the third consecutive season by winning three features and three trophy dashes.

Hot temperatures tend to have an effect on our qualifying efforts and the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo qualified 9th in time with an 11.883.  Fast time of 11.685 was set by Austin Konetski. The field lined up for 60 lap feature sponsored by Eden Meat Market and Catering and Behling Racing Equipment.  An eleven car invert placed the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo in the third starting position, inside second row.  At the drop of the green, the outside lane took off as the car in pole position began falling back, causing the inside lane to go backwards. Trapped in the inside, we were unable to find a hole in the outside lane until lap 7.  By that time, we had lost three positions and were running in the sixth spot. 

We quickly maneuvered our car into the outside lane and battled side by side for many laps, losing two more positions and dropping back to eighth.  On lap 13, we regained the seventh spot and began closing in on the top six cars.  We took a look at the inside for sixth on lap 24 but, our car wasn't strong enough to make the pass.  As we battled to gain the sixth spot, the eighth place gained ground on us and we lost the spot on lap 29.  Struggling with an extremely tight car for most of the race, we crossed the line on lap 60 in seventh.  We relegated to the pits and hoped we could correct the tight condition for the 30 lap Race of Champions.

A five minute break between features didn't allow teams much time to prepare for the 30 lap Race of Champions.  Luck of the draw determined the line up for the all-star race however, the small break made it practically impossible to line up in the correct order.   Many teams took advantage of cars late to the line and lined up as they came out.  We drew ninth position during the draw but, started the race in the eighth spot, fourth row outside.  

As some teams tried getting in the correct order on the race track, the field still went green.   There was much confusion on the track, even after the first caution flew on lap one when Lowell Bennett suffered from a flat tire.  The race resumed and on lap 3, the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo used the inside lane to gain the sixth spot and one lap later used the outside to take over fifth.  By lap 10, we were closing in on fourth but, weren't able to make the pass before the sixth place car of Brad Mueller closed in on us.  Battling side by side for many laps, we eventually lost the battle and two positions on the track,  dropping back to seventh.  With seven laps to go, we regained the sixth spot which is where we would cross the line on lap 30.

Donavan finishes 5th in Port A John 100!

Sunday, September 1, 2002 - Sunday, September 1st was host to the Port A John Labor Day weekend special.  It was an awesome evening for racing and the Morgan Motorsports team was excited to compete in one of the biggest races of the season.  It was a record crowd and  the stands were near capacity to watch the 100 lap late model feature and a huge fireworks display during intermission.  

The Morgan Motorsports team qualified sixth in time with an 11.785.  Fast time was set by Brad Mueller with an 11.661.  The first race of the evening was the trophy dash.  The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo started in the third position for the eight lap race and crossed the finish line in the same position.  During intermission, fans saw a spectacular display of fireworks which lasted for nearly twenty minutes.  

The feature cars lined up and a fourteen car invert placed the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo in the eighth starting position, fourth row outside.  At the drop of the green, the cars at the front of the field battled side by side for the first five laps.  The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo was a rocket and by lap 14, we were taking a look at the sixth position.  The position was secured in less then a lap and we quickly went to work to break into the top five.  On lap 23, as we were taking at look at the fifth spot, the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo got loose coming out of turn two and we lost several positions, dropping back to seventh.  Five laps later, we regained the sixth spot and by lap 39, we broke into the top five.  The event's first caution occurred on lap 42, moments after we had secured the fourth position.(414) 917-

As the race resumed, our car was on the move and we closed in on the third place car of Conrad Morgan on lap 48.  We took a look to the inside on lap 49 and battled side by side for two laps until we took over third on lap 51.  Five laps later, we were closing on second place and by lap 58, we set our sights on the outside lane.  A side by side battle took place with the second place car of Lowell Bennett however, we weren't able to make the pass and on lap 62, the event's second caution flew.  On the restart, our car wasn't as strong as it had been during the first part of the race and with only eight laps to go, we were passed and dropped to fourth and then fifth which is where we crossed the line on lap 100. 


Donavan places 6th during fan appreciation night!

Sunday, August 25, 2002 - The Morgan Motorsports team looked forward to the 60 lap GO Wireless/US Cellular feature on fan appreciation night at Slinger Super Speedway.  The fans in the stands are what keeps the sport of racing alive.  It was another perfect night for racing and having fixed a handful of bent items on the car, we had high hopes of having a great night.  

Drawing a low number for qualifying, we were one of the first cars on the track.  Due to a mistake made on our third lap, our fastest lap was our second with an 11.895.  This placed us in the eleventh position.  Last weeks feature winner, Eric Fransen, was fast qualifier with an 11.757.

Unfortunately for us, they inverted ten cars for the evening's 60 lap feature which placed us in the eleventh starting position, sixth row inside.  The green flag waved and the field battled side by side for the first thirteen laps until the event's first caution flew on lap 13 due to a spin out by a front running car.  This placed us in the tenth position on the re-start.  On lap 15, we took a look at the ninth position and we secured it on lap 16.  Four laps later, we closed in on the eighth place car and made the pass on lap 22.  By the event's halfway mark, we picked up one more position and advanced to the seventh spot.

The event's second caution flew on lap 45 for another spin out by a front running car, advancing us to the sixth position.  We were hopeful that on the re-start, our car would be better then the cars in front of us, however, the field quickly spread and we were not able to gain any positions.  We crossed the line in sixth.


Donavan finishes 10th in Johnsonville Foods 65!

Sunday, August 18th, 2002 - After a night of racing in Lake Geneva, the Morgan Motorsports team returned to Slinger on what turned out to be a beautiful night for racing.  

The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo qualified seventh in time with an 11.888.  Fast time was set by Al Schill with a fast lap of 11.825.  The evening's events began with the trophy dash which was Morgan against Morgan in the front row.  The green flag flew and we battled side by side for one lap with Pops until our car faded and we dropped back to the fourth position by race end.

Battling a bad push during the dash, Donavan made a few changes to the car hoping to correct the problem prior to the feature event.  The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo lined up in the sixth starting position, third  row outside, for the evening's 65 lap feature sponsored by Johnsonville Foods.  

The green flag waved and the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo maintained position until lap 12 when some front running cars bunched up, causing us to lose our momentum and we dropped into the ninth spot.  The remaining laps were a struggle for the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo as we were now battling a loose condition and had a hard time coming off the corners.  Racing side by side on lap 52, we made contact with the #87 car of Jamie Wallace, causing us to lose a position.  We crossed the line on lap 65 in the tenth spot.  We found several problems with the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo during post race inspection.  Hopefully we'll have better luck next week!


Morgan Motorsports takes home 6th place finish in final round of NO BULL series at Lake Geneva Raceway!

Saturday, August 17, 2002 - The Morgan Motorsports team made a trip back to Lake Geneva Raceway on Saturday, August 17th for the final round of the NO BULL series sponsored by Five Star Stock Car Bodies.  

The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo wasn't able to set fast time this time around and qualified fourth in time with an 16.469.  Fast time was set by Rick Corso with an 16.290.  Fourth in time qualified us for the opening event, the fast dash.  We were placed in the fifth starting position, third row inside for the event's six lap sprint.  We crossed the line in the sixth position and quickly went to work to correct a loose problem before the main event.  

A sixteen car invert placed us in the fourteenth starting position, seventh row inside for the 50 lap feature.  The green flag waved and it appeared early on that the outside lane was the lane on the move.  Moving to the outside on lap 4, we quickly began to pick off cars until the event's first caution flew on lap 14.  Following the rules of the competition re-starts that Lake Geneva follows, we picked the outside lane to resume racing and lined up in the eleventh position as the field returned to green.  Four laps later, the event's second caution flew.  This time, we gained two positions by selecting the shorter line and when we returned to green, we were in the ninth spot.  On lap 16 as the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo exited turn four, we lost control of the car and shot diagonally across the track from the outside lane.  With luck on our side, we maintained control and only lost a few positions.  

Shortly after the event's halfway mark on lap 25, we gained some momentum and made a pass for ninth and then eighth.  One lap later, we picked off two more spots, securing the sixth position.  As the laps wound down, the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo closed in on fifth place but, was not able to make the pass and crossed the line in the sixth spot on lap 50.


Donavan and Dad tangle during final laps of race!

Sunday,  August 11th, 2002 - Sunday night was host to a 60 lap late model feature sponsored by 76 racing.  The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo qualified 4th in time with an 11.845.  Fast time of 11.784 was set by Austin Konetski. 

A 13 car invert placed the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo in the 9th starting position, 5th row inside. Once again, we were deep in the field but, hoped our car would take us to the front.  The green flag waved and the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo ran side by side for the first five laps until we were forced onto the apron of the race track when a car in the outside lane came down into our lane, making contact with the right side of the race car.  We maintained control of the car without losing position. The event's first caution flew on lap 8 which took out a top running car, advancing us into the 8th position.  The event's second caution flew only six laps later, taking out two more front running cars and we advanced to the 6th position.  Battling a poor handling car, we were passed for 6th and were running in 7th when yet another caution flew on lap 19 for debris on the track.  Fighting a horrible push, we did all we could to hold our position but fell to 8th when we were passed on lap 20. 

Gaining some momentum back, we were able to use  the outside lane on lap 48 to re-gain the 7th position.  Running in 7th with 2 laps to go, the throttle stuck on the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo while exiting turn four.  Racing down the front stretch, Donavan used his foot to release the stuck gas pedal and as we entered turn one, he slowed as the 8th place car of Conrad Morgan moved into the inside lane to attempt a pass for 7th.  Our cars tangled and this brought out the event's final caution.  Both the #99 car and the #92 car relegated to the pits two laps short of the finish. Even though we didn't finish the race, we placed 13th in the caution-filled race that collected many cars.


Donavan Finishes 8th in Michael Hartmann Well Drilling 65!

Sunday, August 4th, 2002 - After a late night in the Dells, the Morgan Motorsports Team returned to Slinger Super Speedway for the Michael Hartmann Well Drilling’s 65 lap feature.  We were disappointed in our qualifying efforts and qualified 14th in time with an 11.964.  Fast time was set by Conrad Morgan with an 11.806.

The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo was lined up deep in the field, 7th row outside, for the main event.  Side by side racing action began as the green flag was waved until an early caution on lap 5 for two spinning cars in turn four.  The caution allowed the field to re-start the race in single file order and the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo quickly went to work as we had many positions to even break the top ten.  On lap 11, we took over the 13th position and 9 laps later took over 12th.  By lap 27, we reeled in the 11th and 10th place cars and passed both to break into the top 10.  The field was beginning to spread and lap cars became a factor as we looked at the 9th position on lap 45.  Two laps later, we used the outside lane to take over 9th and by lap 53 took over 8th which is where we crossed the line as the checkered dropped.  We've had a great car for two weeks straight, we just need to improve on our starting position! 


Morgan Motorsports Finishes 15th at the Dells Motor Speedway!

Saturday, August 3rd, 2002 - The Morgan Motorsports Team made their first trip since 1998 to the Dells Motor Speedway on Saturday, August 3rd.  The team was excited to try out the 1/3mile semi- banked oval and hoped we’d have as much luck as we did at Lake Geneva Raceway back in June. 

Practice went well despite the lack of good tires to practice on.   We took to the track for qualifying after we bolted on two new right-side Goodyear tires.  The top 12 cars in qualifying are locked in for the feature and the Morgan Motorsports Team qualified 9th in time with a fast lap of 13.694.  Fast time was set by Andrew Morrissey with an 13.583. 

The evening’s events began with 10 lap heat races.  The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo qualified for the fast heat and started in the pole position.  As the green flag flew, we battled side by side with the car in the outside lane until lap 2 when he pinched us down in turn 2 resulting in him taking over the top spot.  As we fought to get our rhythm back, we were passed by 3 other cars and crossed the line in the 5th position.

We were lined up in the 10th starting position, 5th row outside, for the evening’s 50 lap feature.  The inside groove is the preferred lane on the racetrack and we found that out soon after the green flag dropped.  Within 8 laps, the extremely loose Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo had lost 8 positions as the cars in the inside lane freight trained past us.  At the tail end of the field, we were able to work the entire track and by the event’s first caution on lap 43, we had worked our way back up to 15th which is where we would cross the line at the checkered.  We had hoped for a better finish but, we're happy to make the race at a very competitive track.  We are making  plans for another trip to the Dells in the near future to test our luck once again.  Stay tuned.

Donavan Finishes Third in Lighthouse Lanes 65!

Sunday, July 28, 2002 -   A starting position deep in the field didn't hamper the #99 car from advancing 8 positions during the Lighthouse Lanes 65 lap feature Sunday night at Slinger Super Speedway.  The hot and humid conditions weren't a factor this week for qualifying and we qualified 4th in time with a fast lap of 11.863.  Fast time was set by David Prunty with an 11.823.

As a result of last Sunday's feature win, the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo lined up for the main event after the invert, in the 11th starting position.  The green flag waved and the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo quickly navigated it's way through the field.  By lap 8, the #99 car took over the 8th spot and 5 laps later secured 7th and then 6th.  At the event's halfway mark, the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo had taken over the 5th spot and 2 laps later made a pass for 4th.  With 20 laps to go, Donavan closed the gap on the 3rd place car of Conrad Morgan.  The pass was made on lap 40 and we took over the 3rd spot.  We set our sights on Lowell Bennett who was running in 2nd however, the caution free race allowed the 2nd place car and the leader, Al Schill, to gain a sizable lead.  As the laps wound down, the leader encountered lap traffic which allowed the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo to close the gap but, we were only able to get within a few car lengths of 2nd and crossed the line a solid 3rd.  

This week is host to the Michael Hartmann Well Drilling and Pumps 65 lap feature.  Congratulations to Mike and Dee Dee who will celebrate their wedding vows with a reception in the Slinger pavilion Sunday night.  Also, fans will have a chance to meet the Late Model Drivers!  See you at the track!  


Matt Kenseth wins and Donavan Finishes a Disappointing 23rd in 23rd Annual Slinger Nationals!

Tuesday, July 23, 2002 - Tuesday evening was host to the much anticipated Miller Lite Nationals at Slinger Super Speedway.  The weather finally cooled off and the team was excited to race against NASCAR Winston Cup stars Matt Kenseth, Ken Schrader, and Scott Wimmer and also local stand-outs Dick Trickle, Rich Bickle, and Scott Hansen.

To qualify for the 200 lap main event driver's had to qualify top 16 in time.  4 additional cars transferred through a qualifying race and 4 more through  promoters choice, to create the 24 car field.  The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo qualified 10th in time with an 11.815.  NASCAR Winston Cup star Matt Kenseth set fast time with an 11.701.

The field was set and the Donavan lined up in the 2nd starting position, right alongside his Father, Conrad Morgan.  When the field went green,  the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo battled some handling problems and by lap 5, we lost several positions and fell back to 4th place.  As the entire field ran single file, it was apparent early on that Matt Kenseth was on the move.  By lap 13, he had gone from 11th in the field and was making a pass for 5th when he got into the back of Tony Stupp, which caused damage to his right front fender.  With his fender flapping in the wind, Matt began to gain ground on the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo until the event's first caution flew on lap 20 for a mishap between Ken Schraeder, Dave Teske, and Dick Trickle.  

During the caution, it was determined by track officials that Matt would be sent to the pits to remove the fender.  However, Matt had his own plan and would not relegate to the pits.  He was informed that he would no longer be scored  and they removed his number from the 5th position on the scoreboard.  This sparked huge reaction from the crowd as they did not want to see NASCAR's driver with the most wins in 2002, leave the track for repairs.  Matt pulled his #17 car alongside of the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo, apparently in an attempt to ask for assistance in removing the fender.  He then dropped back and made an attempt to remove the fender by rubbing the right side of his car against the front stretch wall.  The crowd cheered but, Matt's attempts failed him.  Once again, he pulled his #17 car alongside the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo and it became apparent that he was looking for some assistance in removing the fender.  The crew radioed to Donavan that Matt wanted help removing the fender.  Donavan motioned to Matt to make contact with the #99 to help assist with the removal of the fender which was barely attached.  The contact was successful as the fender protruded into Donavan's window net, pulling if off the damaged #17 car.  The crowd roared in excitement as the track officials removed the fender from turn 1 and re-scored Matt by placing his number back on the board in the 5th position.  

On the re-start, our luck would sour as Donavan was in the gas and the second place car  checked-up coming into turn four, causing an accordion effect.  We ran into the back of Richie Loch and sustained front end damage that obstructed our vision.  The green stayed out and the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo pulled into the pits to remove the hood of the car.  Six laps down, we pulled back on track on lap 27 until the event's second caution on lap 30.  During the caution, a decision was made to retire the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo for the evening.  It would be impossible to make up the lost laps and the front end of the car had sustained damage that would affect performance during the remainder of the race.  

The race resumed and Matt Kenseth took over the 4th spot and quickly moved into 3rd.  He began to gain ground on Conrad Morgan who was running in 2nd but, did not make the pass prior to the event's halfway mark on lap 100.  The teams pitted for a 10 minute break to change tires and the race quickly resumed with Matt on Conrad Morgan's rear bumper.  He made the pass 2nd on lap 125 and took over the lead by passing Al Schill on lap 136.  Kenseth went on  to win his second Miller Lite National's Title.  Congratulations Matt!

After his polish victory lap, Matt was asked about the incident with the fender.  Kenseth smiled when he explained the circumstances of the incident by saying, “I tried to scrape it off along the wall and when I went by Donavan’s car, it must have caught on his window net and fell off. It was just a stroke of good luck.”  In a conversation with Matt after the race, he was quick to say "I owe you, Donavan."  Donavan was just glad he could help out a longtime friend.   Slinger Report  Milwaukee Journal Sentinal Report


Donavan Takes Home Third Feature Win of the Season!

July 21, 2002 - Despite a bad case of the flu and record heat, Donavan pulls off his third feature win of the 2002 season at Slinger.  The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo qualified 10th in time with an 11.950.  Fast time was set by Lowell Bennett with an 11.821.  

A ten car invert placed the the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo in pole position for the event's 65 lap feature.  When the green flag dropped, we battled side by side with Dave Teske until we took over the top spot on lap 3.  Our lead was erased when the event's first caution flew on lap 12 as cars scattered across the start finish line.  The field lined back up and we quickly shot out into the lead on the re-start.  Leading at the  halfway mark, the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo took home the MAC Tools Halfway Challenge Money.  A few laps later, on lap 38, two cars got together in turn four directly in front of the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo to bring out the event's second caution.   As the race resumed, the second place car of David Prunty gave us a late race challenge for the lead however, his efforts fell short and the Morgan Motorsports Team crossed the line a solid first to win our third feature of the 2002 season. 

Donavan finishes 5th overall in Coca-Cola Points Standings!
Sunday, July 14, 2002 - Sunday, July 14th was host to Round Three of the Coca-Cola Triple Crown series sponsored by Mobil.  Twin 50 lap features were the highlight of the evening on what turned out to be a great weekend for racing.  The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo qualified 4th in time with an 11.808.  Fast time was set by Lowell Bennett with an 11.762. 

The evening's events began with the MAC Tools trophy dash.  The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo started outside front row for the five lap shoot-out.   We raced side by side for several laps before taking over the top stop to win our third trophy dash of the season.  

A twelve car invert placed the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo in the 9th starting position, 5th row inside.  It wouldn't take long at the drop of the green to advance positions and by lap 8, we had taken over the 7th spot.  The field began to spread in the caution free race and it wasn't until lap 29 that we were able to gain the 6th spot.  On lap 31, we took a look at 5th but, would battle side by side for four laps before we took it over on lap 35.  With 15 laps to go, we weren't able to advance any more positions and crossed the line in 5th place.

A full invert of all lead lap cars for the second 50 lap feature, lined us up in the 14th starting position, 7th row outside.  A poor change made during the break between features caused the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo to experience handling problems during the race.  By lap 17, we slightly lost control entering turn one and lost several positions but, managed to save the car from doing a complete spin.  By the end of yet another caution free race, we crossed the line in the 17th position.   The poor finish in the second fifty lap raced caused us to slip two positions in the final Coke standings and finish 5th overall.  

We'd like to thank Frank Csizmadia from Shelter From the Storm Roofing Company for inviting his customers, family, and friends to enjoy a night of racing in the Slinger Pavilion.  We're thankful to have their support on the #99 Monte Carlo for the 2002 season.  For a free estimate, call 262-629-1234.


Donavan and Sprint Car Racer Donny Schatz help celebrate the 
grand opening of a new Parker Store!
Wednesday, July 10, 2002 - Donavan Morgan and World of Outlaw's racer Donny Schatz showcased their cars as well as signed autographs at the grand opening of a new Parker Store located at 3515 N124th in Brookfield, Wisconsin.  The ParkerStores stock a full inventory of Parker Fluid Connector products.  The Parker name is recognized world-wide as the leader in fluid connector technology and customer service.  For more information or to find the store nearest you, call 1-800-C-PARKER.


Lady Luck Lingers - Morgan Motorsports Finishes 19th at Mid-Season
July 7, 2002 - For the third straight race, the Morgan Motorsports Team has been dealt with yet another bad break.  The weather was perfect for the Pioneer Plaza Midseason 65 lap feature.  Temps were in the upper 80s with no threats of precipitation in sight.  We finally got back on track with our qualifying efforts and qualified second in time with an 11.824.  Lowell Bennett set fast time with an 11.775.  

A ten car invert placed the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo in the 8th starting position, fourth row outside.  When the green flag dropped, it wouldn't take long for the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo to motor on and by the time the first caution flew on lap 4, we had gained two positions to 6th place.  As the race resumed, by lap 14 we made a pass for 5th and two laps later took over the 4th spot.  By lap 25, as we set our sights on the 3rd spot, the car began to vibrate and with each lap it got progressively worse.  We dropped back several positions, fearing we were losing a tire and on lap 34, we retired to the pits to learn that only one lug nut was holding on our left rear tire.  


Donavan Finishes 9th,18th in the Re-Scheduled Miller Twin 75s Spring Opener
July 3, 2002 - The weather would finally cooperate for the third attempt to run the Twin 75s Spring Opener which was re-scheduled for Wednesday night, July 3rd.  Rich Bickle and Scott Hansen would join the Slinger regulars to run Twin 75 lap features, highlighted by fireworks to celebrate the holiday. 

The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo tied for third in time with an 11.805.  Fast time was also tied by Brad Mueller and Austin Konetski with an 11.766.  A twelve car invert placed the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo in the eighth starting position, fourth row outside for the first 75 lap feature.  For the third consecutive race, it appeared the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo was once again in the lane going backwards and we lost several positions soon after the drop of the green.  As traffic cleared, we were able to work our way back to the eighth position and were not able to gain any more position in the caution free ace. 

All lead lap cars were inverted for the second 75 lap feature which placed us in the second row, inside.  At the drop of the green, we raced side by side and took over third by lap 5.  On lap 29, we took a look at second and by lap 35, we were able to take over the second spot and set our sights on the leader who had gained a substantial lead during the caution free first half of the race.  By lap 60, the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo had the leader in sight and was gaining on him lap after lap.  Unfortunately, on lap 65, fate would erase that opportunity as the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo slightly tapped the wall on the front stretch and spun coming into turn one.  We relegated to the pits and took home a disappointing finish of 18th.  


Morgan Motorsports welcomes a New Sponsor Ellison Machinery!
June 30, 2002  - Ellison Machinery of Pewaukee, Wisconsin has joined our team  for the remainder of the 2002 season.   Ellison offers stand-alone machine tools, manufacturing cells or complete factory design and implementation, whether your company is large or small.  They have the talent, experience and resources to help you succeed.  To contact Ellison Machinery, see our sponsor section for contact information.


Fireworks Heat Up with 19th Place Finish in Firecracker 75
June 30, 2002 -  The streak of sizzling hot weather continued for the Wolf Paving Firecracker 85 on Sunday, June 30th. Temps were in the mid to upper 90s and humidity levels were just about unbearable. The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo qualified poorly for the second week straight, turning an 11.918 which placed us 13th in time. Fast time was an 11.744, set by Eric Fransen. We missed the invert for the feature by one car and were lined up in the middle of the pack, in the inside of the seventh row. Quickly after the green flag dropped, we lost several positions due to being trapped in an unfavorable lane. We were somewhat relieved to see the event's first caution fly on lap 3 for a spinning car which would set us up in single file on the re-start. On lap 27, the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo was passing for position and made contact with the car in the outside lane. The next lap, we spun in turn four but, luckily we were able to line back up for the race at the rear of the field. However, on the re-start, the steering locked up in the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo and we went sailing into the infield. We relegated to the pits and it was quickly determined that a tie rod had gotten bent when contact was made on lap 27. We retired for the evening and took home a 17th place finish.


Donavan Finishes 7th in 70 Lap Feature Sponsored by Ritter Engineering/Parker Store 
June 23, 2002 - The Ritter Parker Store Student Appreciation Night 70 lap We were excited to head to the track for the Ritter Parker Store Student Appreciation Night highlighed by a 70 lap late model feature. Ritter Engineering and Parker Store have been sponsors on the Morgan Motorports Monte Carlo for four seasons now and we hoped we could show our appreciation by putting on a good show. The chilly spring nights finally were replaced by a hot one! Temps were in the low 90s and the sun was blistering hot. We were disappointed in our qualifying efforts which caused us to miss our second trophy dash of the season. The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo qualified 15th in time with an 11.941. Fast time was set by Conrad Morgan with an 11.804. A ten car invert placed the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo in the eighth row, inside for the start of the 70 lap feature. Racing side by side at the drop of the green, we were happy with the feel of the car after major changes were made after qualifying however, racing came to a halt when the event's first caution flew on lap 4 for spinning cars in turn two. Soon after the re-start, a bobble by a car in the outside lane allowed our lane to move forward and we gained several positions to take over the 8th spot. The event's second caution flew on lap 16 while we were running in the 6th position. The remainder of the race was caution free however, the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo once again was battling a severe push in the corners. We were passed for sixth and at race end, we crossed the line in the seventh position. 

Special thanks to Tom Savignac from Ritter Engineering/Parker Store for sponsoring the evening's events. 


Donavan Finishes 6th Father's Day Weekend
June 16th, 2002 -  Super Shirts and Solutions Scout Night 2002 Father's Day Special Father's Day weekend was a hit and miss weekend as far as the weather was concerned. It would be raining one minute and the sun would shine the next. With storms in the forecast, the Morgan Motorsports Team returned to Slinger for the Super Shirts and Solutions Scout Night Father's Day special. The team had changed the car over from Saturday's racing in Lake Geneva and was ready for another night of racing. The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo took to the track for qualifying and turned a fast lap of 11.869. Fast time was set by Richie Loch with an.... The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo started on the front row for the opening event, the trophy dash. We quickly shot into the lead and took home the trophy for the second week straight. With dark clouds looming in the distance, the feature was lined up. A ten car invert placed the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo in the second row, inside for the 65 lap feature. We hoped the favorable starting position would be to our benefit however, we battled with a severe push and by lap 10, had lost several positions. At the event's halfway point, we were engaged in a Father Son battle for position. Racing side by side for numerous laps, the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo eventually grabbed the position from Dad on Father's Day. By lap 43, we began to take a look at the sixth position and made the pass on lap 53. The event's first caution occurred on lap 61 with only four laps to go. With the field bunched back up, we hoped we could pick off a few more positions but, the push we've been battling the entire race would prevent us from gaining any. We crossed the line in the sixth position. 


Donavan Sets Fast Time at Lake Geneva Raceway
June 15, 2002 - Lake Geneva The Morgan Motorsports Team decided to take a shot at racing Lake Geneva Raceway on Saturday, June 15th for Round Two of their No Bull series. The No Bull series is three part series consisting of 50 lap races, each paying $1000 to win. The overall point winner takes home as additional $1000 after the final round is ran in August. The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo took to the track for practice and quickly determined we would be a tough competitor at the track. That was proved in qualifying when the team came close to breaking the track record. For the first time in our late model career, we set fast time with an 16.150. The track record of 16.050 was set seven years ago by the late Al Schill, Jr. The invert for the feature is determined by adding ten plus the roll of the dice. Donavan rolled a five which resulted in an invert of 15 cars for the 50 lap race. This would place us in the final row of the field, eighth row inside. Not a very starting favorable starting position, even for the fastest car on the track. The event's first caution occurred early in the race, on lap 3 for a spinning car in turn four. At Lake Geneva, they have competition re-starts which means the field resumes racing double-file, versus single file. The field is placed in the correct order and they place a cone by the start/finish line. The drivers get to pick the lane in which they wish to resume racing by driving on either side of the cone. Lining up this way can be a disadvantage if you get behind the wrong cars or it can be an advantage if you select the shortest lane. The event's second caution occurred only four laps later and there were a handful more as we tried to battle our way through the field. On lap 32, while trying to pass for position in turn one, the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo was not given the lane and the car came down on us, forcing us to spin. The caution was brought out and the field would once again line up in double-file. Racing resumed and only two laps later, another caution flew. This time, the Morgan Motorports Monte Carlo benefited from the competition re-start and gained several positions to continue the race in 10th place. As the laps wound down, we picked off cars one by one and by lap 48, we took over the fourth position. As we looked to third with two laps to go, the events final caution flew when the leader spun in liquid on the track, almost collecting the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo. The race was called and we finished third. Not too bad for starting from the rear, twice!! 


Morgan Motorsports 4th in Triple Crown Series
June 2nd, 2002 - Sunday, June 2nd was host to Round Two of the Coca Cola Triple Crown Series. Temps were cool and dark clouds were rolling in, however the rain held off long enough to complete the evening's 60 lap late model feature. The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo qualified 2nd in time for the second week in a row, with an 11.748. Fast time of 11.698 was set by Lowell Bennett.

The first event of the evening was the eight lap Mac Tools Trophy Dash in which we started 8th and finished 8th. The main event was lined up and a ten car invert placed the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo in the 9th starting position, 5th row inside. The car appeared better than last week however, a bad lane kept us from advancing any positions until lap 30 when we fought our way into the 7th position. The caution free race allowed the field to spread out and we were only able to gain one more position to finish the race in 6th place. After Round Two of the Triple Crown series, the Morgan Motorsports Team is fourth in the Coca-Cola points standings.

The race was the second of three rounds of the Coca-Cola Triple Crown Classic presented by Mobil and Lowell Bennett holds a 31 point lead over Conrad Morgan in the series overall points. Eric Fransen is third while Donavan  and Rich Loch round out the top five in the standings.

Next Sunday is host to a 75 lap feature sponsored by the Enders Corporation. The evening is highlighted by the Miss Slinger Super Speedway pageant to be held at intermission. See you at the track! 


Donavan Finishes 10th Memorial Day Weekend
May 26, 2002 - The weather finally cooperated for Sunday’s Memorial Day 80 lap event sponsored by E.H. Wolf and Sons.  Temps were in the mid to lower 70s and the sun was shining bright.  For the first Sunday since racing began, there was no rain in the forecast.  Coming off our feature win, we were excited to return to the track and make an attempt at three in a row.   

The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo took to the track for qualifying and qualified 2nd in time with an 11.743.  Conrad Morgan set fast time for the third week in a row with an 11.721. 

As a result of last weeks feature win, the Morgan Monte Carlo would have to start the 80 lap feature after the invert.  This placed us in the 9th starting position, fifth row inside.  From the drop of the green, the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo experienced handling problems and the car was extremely loose.  We lost several positions by the time the event’s first caution flew on lap 11 for a car spinning in turn four.  We continued to maintain position however, our loose condition got the best of us and on lap 44, we made contact with the front stretch wall causing us to loop the car going in to turn one.  Luckily, we kept the car off the wall and were able to resume racing from the back of the field.  By the time the checkered flag flew on lap 80, we had worked our way back to the tenth position.   

Changes will be made to the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo and we will return to the track on Sunday, June 2nd for Round Two of the Coca Cola Triple Crown Classic, which is highlighted by a 60 lap late model feature.  The Morgan Motorsports Team currently maintains third place in the standings for the Coca Cola series.  See you at the track!!   


Alan Kulwicki Memorial Twin 50s bring another win!
May 19, 2002 - Like a broken record, the forecast once again looked grim for Sunday’s Alan Kulwicki Memorial race.  Temps were in the mid 40s and the sun only made it’s way through the clouds periodically throughout the day.  Despite the cold temps, the Morgan Motorsports team made their way to the track for the Twin fifty- lap features, honoring the late Alan Kulwicki.   

The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo was the fourth fastest qualifier with a qualifying time of 11.704.  Conrad Morgan once again set fast time with an 11.647 lap time. The first event of the evening was the five-lap Mac Tools Trophy Dash in which we would finish 2nd. 

For the first of two fifty-lap races, the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo was lined up in the eighth starting position, fourth row outside.  We battled an ill-handling car for the first 31 laps of the race when lady luck struck during the event’s first caution flag on lap 31.  The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo had to relegate to the pits for yet another flat tire.  The tire was changed and we were able to return to the field prior to the drop of the green.  Racing from the rear of the field, we worked our way up to the 15th position at the drop of the checkered.  As with all Twin 50s at Slinger, all cars finishing on the lead lap are inverted for the second fifty-lap event of the evening. 

For the second week in a row, our bad luck in the first race placed us in a favorable position for the second event, inside second row.  The green flag few and the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo quickly moved in to take the lead on lap 15.  Side by side racing in the field behind us, gave us a sizable advantage over the field until the event’s first caution flew on lap 30.  With our lead erased, and Conrad Morgan in our rear view mirror, we quickly shot out at the drop of the green and had our work cut out for us.  The event’s second caution flag flew on lap 46 which would set up a four- lap shoot-out to the finish.  We were ready on the re-start and held onto the lead however, with two laps to go, Conrad nudged the back of the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo exiting turn four and took the inside lane.  We held on and remained in the throttle to the drop of the checkered, winning by only a half a car length.  More on the results.

Twin 50s Bring Mixed Luck!
May 15, 2002 - Cold temps and rain once again plagued the state on Sunday, May 12th for the Coca Cola Triple Crown Classic Round One, which is highlighted by twin 50 lap features.  The event was re-scheduled for Wednesday evening, May 15th.

Mother nature also threatened our chances of racing Wednesday evening as rain was again in the forecast.  We hoped it would hold off until racing was complete.

The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo qualified third in time with an 11.748.  Fast time was set by Conrad Morgan with an 11.669.  Our qualifying time was good enough to secure a spot in the five lap Mac Tools Trophy Dash, in which we would finish third. 

The first of two fifty-lap features was lined up as dark clouds began to linger over the speedway.  A ten-car invert placed the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo in the seventh starting position, fourth row inside.  After the drop of the green, we quickly realized we weren’t in the most favorable lane and began losing positions.  By lap 12, we had lost several positions and on lap 16, a car attempting to make a pass on the inside, made contact with the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo and lost control, bringing out the event’s first caution flag. We were able to hang on and did not lose control from the contact.  At the event’s halfway point, we were running in the 12th position however, on lap 37, the car began to vibrate.  By lap 40, the vibration disappeared as something flew off the car during green flag racing.  We were unaware of the problem but made a few assumptions as the engine temps began to skyrocket.  We held on until lap fifty and crossed the line in 16th place.  With a break in action, the crew feverishly worked to determine what flew off the car in the first fifty-lap feature.  It turned out the fan blade from the motor broke which in turn caused the engine to run warm.  The crew replaced the fan just in time to line up for the second fifty-lap feature. 

All cars on the lead lap were inverted for the second fifty-lap event.  This placed us in a very favorable position, outside front row.  Just as the cars rolled on the track, the rain began to fall.  Just our luck!  The cars were relegated back to the pits and we crossed our fingers the rain would stop.  And, that it did.  About a half hour later, we were rolling back on the track to begin the second race.

At the drop of the green, we quickly jumped into the lead and led every lap of the fifty-lap event.  With only one caution to contend with on lap 13, we were able to maintain about a nine-car length lead over the second place car of Conrad Morgan.  At the drop of the checkered, we were thrilled to win our first feature of the 2002 season. 


Morgan Motorsports Finishes 14th in Al Schill Jr. Memorial Points Opener
May 5, 2002 - The 2002 season of racing got off to a slow start.  The weather was not on our side.  Rain and cold temps canceled the first two races of the season at Slinger Super Speedway.  The Miller Lite Twin 75’s were re-scheduled for Sunday, April 28th, however morning showers and cold temps plagued yet another race day. 

The weather would finally cooperate for the first Sunday evening race of the season on May 5th.   With temps in the 60s and the sun shining bright, we made our way to Slinger for the Al Schill Jr. Memorial 77 lap season points opener.  Rain was in the forecast for the evening but, we were hopeful it would hold off until the races were over.

The Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo took to the track for qualifying and turned an 11.788 which placed us fifth in time.  Fast time was set by Brad Mueller with an 11.622. The evening’s events opened with a seven lap fast dash in honor of our friend Al, Jr. who raced the number 7 late model.  We finished the dash in fourth place. 

Despite intermittent raindrops, the feature cars lined up to race.  A twelve-car invert placed the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo in the outside fourth row.  The green flag flew but not for long before the events first caution on lap 6, which sadly collected Al Schill, Sr. in the event honoring his son.  The race resumed for only two laps before the second caution flew for a spinning car in front of the Morgan Motorsports Monte Carlo.  Evasive action allowed us to slip by undamaged and move into the top five.  The events third caution flew on lap 34 when a couple of cars got together in turns one and two, resulting in a horrific roll-over on the track.  When the race resumed, we were in third place, however, the car was gradually taking a turn for the worse.  Only a few laps later, our right front tire would deflate and cause the car behind us to hit us in the rear which sent us spinning in turn four.  Luckily, the car didn’t sustain any damage and we retired for the evening.  By the end of the caution-filled race, only 11 cars out of 20 remained on the track.  Not a great start to the 2002 season.