NEW HAMBURG, ON- Former Karting standout Jerrid Morphy has been busy this summer. After brief forays into fulltime competition with the Canadian Vintage Modifieds and TQ Can-Am Midgets, Morphy has found a new passion for dirt racing. Specifically – 360 Sprint Cars – and the results have not been far behind.
The New Hamburg, ON resident has paired with longtime Dirt Modified standout Ryan Susice. And, after initially finding success as a team in the TQ Can-Am Midget ranks, the duo wasted little time earning top-15 finishes in their first two Sprint Car events together at Ransomville and Humberstone.
“We’ve jumped in with both feet, that’s for sure,” laughs Morphy when asked about his new venture. “The first two races have gone better than I could have ever hoped for. Working with Ryan is an absolute pleasure and we’ve already learned a ton about the ins and outs of Sprint Car racing”
The freshman team owner has found guidance – and a treasure trove of necessary spare parts – at the race shop of Team Turner Racing. Veteran Jamie Turner – and sons Cory and Ryan – have taken Morphy under their wing and have played a major role in helping Morphy’s Young Drivers of Canada-backed team hit the ground running.
“Anytime I’m at the Turner Racing shop I feel like I’ve just gone to college for a few hours,” explains Morphy. “These guys have a lot of races under their belts, and have been more than generous with their time in helping us get up to speed. I came into this deal with zero Sprint Car experience whatsoever, so any knowledge that Jamie and the boys are willing to give me is completely invaluable”
In the team’s most recent appearance – a Southern Ontario Sprints sanctioned event at Humberstone Speedway on August 9th – Susice charged from 22nd on the grid to earn an impressive 11th place finish.
“Humberstone was a fantastic experience for us,” smiles Susice. “It’s tough when the series forces you to start scratch – but we made the most of it and took down the Hard Charger award. We made the right adjustments off the track and made good decisions on the track. It was a solid showing for us and definitely didn’t feel as though it was only our second race together”
“The partnership with Jerrid has been unreal. He’s one of the most generous and genuine people I’ve ever met,” continues the Ransomville, NY hotshoe. “It’s a pleasure to drive for him. It makes a driver’s job a lot less stressful when there’s chemistry within the team – and that’s what we’ve been able to hit on right out of the box”
“I just want to continue absorbing as much knowledge as I can, log some more laps and get this car to the front as soon as possible”
Although Susice’s commitments to winning the 2015 Ransomville Speedway 358 Modified championship have limited his Sprint Car appearances, Morphy insists the team is more than happy to work around the rising star’s schedule.
“We’re just taking this on a week-to-week basis right now,” explains Morphy. “Obviously, Ryan’s main focus is winning the Modified championship at Ransomville. Once his season is finished there, we’ll sit down and look at some schedules and see where we can go and have some fun”
As 2015 begins to wind down, talks have already started to heat up in regards to what could be ahead in 2016. With a number of different options available, Morphy is excited to begin planning for what could be a very full schedule next year.
“To be honest, I have no idea where we’re headed with this deal for 2016,” chuckles the team boss. “I’m all about having fun at the racetrack, and that’s what we’re doing right now. So, I want to keep this together as much as possible. If Ryan’s Friday night schedule opens up then we could be at Ohsweken on a regular basis, but if not, we’ll still find a way to keep busy”
“We’re in rare air right now, no pressure to perform and no points on the line,” adds Morphy. “We’re just learning and having fun. That’s what this sport is all about.”
Morphy Racing and Ryan Susice are proud to represent Young Drivers of Canada, EPIC Racewear by OnePromo.ca, Asset Consulting Experts, Tim Phillips Garage and Pippard Racing Engines throughout their 2015 endeavors.
To learn more about the team, visit the Jerrid Morphy Racing page on Facebook and be sure to follow along on Twitter @MorphyRacing.
By Spencer Lewis (@itsspencerlewis)
Discussion about this post