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!