Bradley Morris Serves Notice at Lake Elsinore with Four Round 3 & 4 LOORRS Trophies
- May 10, 2012
As the youngest driver competing in Pro-Lite, and snatching the bone from the big dogs, it would be easy for a hormone jacked kid to cross the line between confident swagger and bigheaded buffoonery. But, Morris has more than just raw talent in his corner; he has a well balanced family support team that keeps him admirably grounded. Does Morris feel reasonably more self-assured going into rounds 5 and 6 now? "Yes, it gives me a lot of confidence going into the next races," said Morris, "But I am trying my hardest to not let it get to my head." Morris and the BME Motorsports team had a brilliant weekend at the newly refurbished Lake Elsinore track but it wasn't without incidence. Friday during Pro-Lite practice (2012 is his first year) Morris went big off of the large ski jump and caught a gust of wind, which lifted the front end of the truck causing him to land on the back of the truck and barrel-roll down the landing section of the jump. The team was up late Friday night working to get the truck back together, then practice was cancelled Saturday morning due to track maintenance, so the team wasn't sure how the truck would handle after all the repairs.
The kart race Saturday kicked-off Round 3, where Morris took 1st, then immediately (at the staging lane) he jumped out of the Trophy Kart and into his Limited Buggy, where Morris was running in the top 3, until lap 8 when he had engine problems and had to retire. With only about an hour break, Morris then jumped into the Pro-Lite and into a class with 24 of the most talented and highly competitive drivers, and after starting dead last, he worked his way into a very respectful 8th place finish, battling suspension problems the entire way. On Sunday for Round 4 Morris managed to dial it up a couple of more notches, starting out once more with a win in trophy kart, before jumping back into his Limited Buggy and finishing 2nd. Then, in only his fourth time behind the wheel of a Pro-Lite truck, Morris went toe-to-toe with the two defending champions, Chris Brandt and Brian Deegan. Morris was able to pass Deegan and he put a great deal of pressure on Brandt. Morris held on to clinch his first podium finish in the new Pro-Lite finishing in 3rd place. Morris is now the first driver under the age of 16 to ever reach a podium finish in the Pro-Lite Class.
Is it safe to say you liked the new Elsinore track? "Well, on Friday in qualifying I didn't really like the track mainly because I flipped, but after I got some laps in I really started to like it. Also, I really liked the Trophy Kart track which has a lot to do with me winning both days." How tough is it to run in three different classes and do you prefer one over another? "I came into the season thinking it wouldn't have any effect on me, but it definitely wears you out. The Pro-Lite class is probably my favorite because the drivers are more experienced and it's more of a challenge for me, but I will always like the Trophy Kart class." Will you continue to run all three classes throughout 2012, and what sort of goals have you set for yourself this year? "Yes I will continue to race all three classes throughout 2012 and my goals are to win both the Trophy Kart and Limited Buggy Championships, and to get a Rookie of the Year in the Pro-Lite and to be the first driver under 16 to win a Pro-Lite race." Arizona's Speedworld Off-Road Park will host Rounds 5 & 6 on May 19th and 20th with the series returning to Utah for Rounds 7 & 8 on June 23rd and 24th at Miller Motorsports Park. Find K&N products for your vehicle using the K&N application search then use the K&N dealer search to find a K&N dealer in your part of the world. |
