4/20/2012
Sprint Source
DICK MORRIS TO MEET & GREET FANS ON SATURDAY, APRIL 28, AT NATIONAL SPRINT CAR MUSEUM IN KNOXVILLE
KNOXVILLE, IOWA (April 20, 2012) – 1975 Knoxville Raceway ‘Rookie of the Year’ Dick Morris, originally of Sioux City, Iowa, and now residing in Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri, will meet and greet sprint car fans from 4 until 5 p.m. in the lobby of the National Sprint Car Museum in Knoxville. Dick will be appearing with his recently restored Don Maxwell-built number 49 sprint car.
The racing career of Dick Morris started at a young age at Raceway Park in South Sioux City, Nebraska, in the middle Sixties, where he won several main events and was annually in the ‘top five’ in the point standings. 1968 saw Dick move to the ranks of modified stock car racers at the Collins Field in Lemars, Iowa. He won the track championship there and also at the Interstate Speedway in Jefferson, South Dakota, in 1970. Then, in 1973, he and his pit crew decided it was time to move on to the super-modified division at the Huset’s Speedway in Brandon, South Dakota. He won ten feature events in 1974, but lost the track championship on the last night following an accident on the final lap of the main event. In September of 1974, he had a chance to partner with well-known car owner Larry Swanson.
Dick was ‘Rookie of the Year’ at Knoxville Raceway in 1975. He also won races throughout the Midwest, including at the South Dakota State Fair at Huron, South Dakota; the Belleville High Banks in Kansas; the Midwest Speedway in Lincoln, Nebraska; and the Jackson Speedway in Minnesota. Dick also won the 1975 ‘Cheaters Day’ race at the Sioux Empire Fairgrounds in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Dick's race car career was cut short by a serious sprint car accident at Knoxville just before the 1976 Nationals. He had several quick times that year at Knoxville and he had won features throughout the Midwest, including at the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia.
Dick Morris is now retired and living with his wife Marilyn at the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri. He and his long-time pit crew (Larry Swanson, Larry Nelson, Gerry Lemoine, Gale Murkle and Joe Orth) have restored the Don Maxwell-built number 49 sprint car to its 1976 condition. The World of Outlaws (WoO) Sprint Car Series will be appearing at the Knoxville Raceway on Saturday, April 28. Those individuals interested in learning more about the National Sprint Car Museum and the Knoxville Raceway are encouraged to visit www.sprintcarhof.com and www.knoxvilleraceway.com, respectively.
Article Credit: Bob Baker
Submitted By: Admin Account
