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Feature: Bent parts to start

May 16, 2009


The day's race program features two heats and a feature.The first heat is last weeks rain-out. After playing with the setup, the kart chattered and the tires whined, starting from the back we racked up a third place finish. The second heat is preceded by dark and ominous skies. So the entire field is put into a single heat. We seemed to have gotten the setup mailed by the time of the second heat. There were a lot of spins and crashes, one of which collected the 42 - both sides of the front got knocked around. That pretty much ruined the perfect setup and gave us a tight, hopping kart, with a wheel rub. Finished the heat and then fevereshly started trying to figure out which problems to solve to make the feature. Moved out the right front to keep it from rubbing. At this point the race was in the drivers hands. Those hands didn't stop moving the whole race - sawing back and forth coaxing the kart to turn. Moved from 8th place to finish in third.

Rained out

May 9, 2009


The Junior Champ Heavy qualifier was rained out (along with all the features).

Second place after struggling in qualifier.

May 2, 2009


The qualifier was disappointing - an accident bent the right nerf bar, which dragged on the ground the rest of the race. For the feature, we started at the back of the pack and by tenth lap, the 42 kart had moved up to third place among the eight kart field. As the leader approached the start/finish line, a spin-out set up a green-white-checkered finish. Stephen pressed the leader while holding off a challenge for second. Congratulations to Dube racing for their stong finish.

Season opens at Rt. 106 Racepark!

April 25, 2009


Win! The 2009 season has started for Morsillo Motorports - happily with a win! The day before, the #42 Junior Champ kart was spread across the garage floor and there were "quite a lot of parts" that accompanied the new Animal Motor. Luckily most of the paint was dry and we set to work - Dan on the carb, Dad on the throttle linkage, Stephen on the rear axle. Read more about the ridiculous way this came together in the 'Observations'. Thanks to the Kennedys! Trish, thank you for the garage & parking. Dan - well, you know...

Promo Video is here!

August 23, 2008


Thanks to Eileen KennedyHere's a really cool video from our winning day at Sugar Hill Speedway.

Another Win!

July 27, 2008


Yes! After a few disappointing weeks with ignition problems, a second, a third and a fourth, a DNF and a DQ, coming from the last position at the start, Stephen ended as the first over the line.

Thanks to Sean, Bruce, Matt and all the folks who've been helpful in the pits. And congratulations to Danny and Smokeler for the excellent wrenching and scraping. Check back to see videos of this exciting race!

Back to Sugar Hill for an exciting event

May 25, 2008


A Crash! After the halfway point of the race, there was a restart after a caution. After the restart was a crash. Britany Burant and our #42 got tangled between turns 1 & 2 - Stephen down on the inside and the other up on the outside. Side by side and close... too close. Burant went around, and the 42 coasted to the infield! The crew was helpless as they saw the chain off the kart for the second time that day. The driver unbuckled and climbed out. It looks like the day is over. And the driver turns mechanic, bends over the chain and fiddles, talks to flagman Russ and before the crew's eyes, the rest of the race is saved as the kart is fired up and back out in the line-up with all systems go. After that point there was some fierce battles over second - first place had checked out (we're thinking about the solution to the animal engine problem). After it all, our driver secured a 3rd place finish which keeps us in second in points even missing a week for the NE Pavement series.

Running in the NE Pavement Series

May 18, 2008


In it for real! Welcome to Pomfret The weather barely held off to allow getting the Junior Champ event in. In the second race in Junior Champ at a track entirely new to Morsillo Motorsports, crew chief Dan Kennedy worked through gearing issues to bring the kart into competitive trim just in time for the feature race. The practice runs had the motor lugging and the time trial qualifier had the team fighting a tight kart. For the main feature, it was the drivers game as he learned the track quickly, posting a run solidly mid-pack. And it was a fun day - look for video soon!

Victory! Welcome to the 2008 season opener

May 11, 2008


Excellent first outing in the Junior Champ Heavy. We have a new kart and a new class and another trophy. No complaints about how the kart ran, the weather or Dan Kennedy the new crew chief. Won both the heat and the feature. If every day goes this way, it'll be an amazing season.

Victory in the Coca Cola 100

September 30, 2007



"Patience is a virtue" This old adage was made true by the driver of the #42 as he stayed on the bumper of the #51 (driven by Russell Wood) from lap 64 until lap 99, where he made his move on the last lap to win his third consecutive Coca Cola event at Sugar Hill Speedway in the #42 Junior Oulaw.

Last points race of the season disappointing.

September 23, 2007

That is the mildest way to describe a day which started off promising. On a gloriously sunny day, not too hot, not too cold, everything clicked for the heat race. Stephen worked his way from fourth on the start to second by lap 11. On the last lap he made his move to the front to finish first by a little over one-tenth of a second.

Looking good for the feature. Dropped to third after the first lap, but running with the leaders. Up through lap seven. In lap five though, there was white plume near the motor. Not the blueish tinge of oil, but...fuel, alcohol splashing out of the uncapped gas tank. The gas cap had come off. A caution on lap 7 allowed replacing the gas cap which was found on the track. The 42 was moved back to seventh for the restart. He was back up to fifth place by lap 14...when he ran out of fuel. The pit crew/team owner was the last hand on the gas cap and has been upbraided for deriliction and shall henceforth be burdened by the memory of this incident.

The overall raw points after this debacle had Stephen in 3rd place for the season. A nice comeback from the basement earlier in the year. But fate, math and the dropped race policy made for a tie at third place. But there can be no ties, sayeth the rule book. Thus the finish of the last race decides the matter. So we will settle with a fourth place finish for the year.

September 30, 2007

Stephen Morsillo featured in Salem Gazette

September 7, 2007

This week's salem gazette featured an excellent article on Stephen, his recent win and his desire to race. it had some great pictures and quotes. Go Speed Racer!

#42 Captures second place

September 2, 2007

The #42 captured the pole position by winning the qualifier by a mere 0.007 seconds. The gave him excellent track position for most of the race. He made sure he was in striking distance (second place) when the white flag flew. He worked against a hopping kart through turns 1 and 2, then nearly completed the cross over when coming out turn 4, but T.J. Jeski kept the #1 spot to get his first Junior Outlaw win - congratulations T.J. !

Win! First win for 2007!

August 25, 2007

After a series of races that ended with the driver of the 42 watching from the infield, Stephen achieved his first wins of the 2007 season. In celebration of his victory, he held fast to a what he'd said to some other drivers "If I win, I'll climb the fence!" He stopped his kart at the flagstand, got out and with his helmet on scaled to the top of the fence between the track and the spectators. Bob Stanhope - manager of Sugarhill speedway appreciated the gesture, but nearly fainted at the site of the driver swaying with the top of the fence. It ended well and there's another large trophy in Stephen's room.