Rising star Shawn Morris wrapped up his season in the new TORC series by taking the Pro Super Buggy title – and the prestigious Borg Warner Cup as well. “The accomplishment of winning that race alone was a thrill, let alone being able to win the championship,” he told Maxxis. Morris took a total of four podiums, including two wins, during the regular season.
Morris is on a roll, having made the podium and finished 13th overall in WSORR in 2008 after competing for only half a season. He’s grateful to Maxxis for supporting a relatively new driver as he makes his way to the upper ranks of the off-road circuit. “For Creighton King to be there to support me throughout the season, to be a small guy coming in and to have that level of support, I appreciate that,” said Morris, adding that King did as much for him throughout the season as for other, better-known drivers.
Sand dunes are plentiful in Morris’ native Colorado, and Morris has been around off-road racing all his life. “I was practically born in a sand car,” he notes. “My family was into the sand dune stuff, and my uncle raced the Mickey Thompson circuit back in the ‘80s. Watching him race, I always wanted to race off-road.”
Now that he’s achieved that goal, Morris is glad to be involved with the up-and-coming TORC series in its inaugural year: “It’s really neat. The owner of TORC, Ricky Johnson, is trying to take [the series] to another level, a nationwide level, to get the world to know what off-road short course racing is all about.”
Throughout the season, Morris relied on Trepadors to get to the podium, crediting the tough Maxxis model with his holeshots. “I think one of the big things about the Trepadors is that they’re lighter, with more of an open cut. We didn’t have to do a ton of grooving to them. They’re a softer compound with good hook-up, and they last. We ran two races on one set of tires, and we never had a flat,” said Morris, adding that he’s also been pleased with the performance of his Toyota-powered car with its Fat Performance engine.
Morris, who owns and operates an auto repair shop in Loveland, Colorado in addition to his racing career, has been married for two years. He’s grateful to wife Amy for her constant encouragement. “She goes to all the races and supports me and is really proud to be 100% behind me now,” he says.
Maxxis is also proud to be 100% behind this up-and-coming rider. Be sure to check Maxxis.com for all the latest news on this future champion.
