Mackvader of Powershift Performance

Salem Speedway is a high-banked, 1/2-mile oval track, i.e. a fast track. Last year Morgan finished 2nd after leading for 15 laps. He finished 3rd in the Main Race here in 2018.

Pit crew for this race: Dan Bruno and Tom Ballantine.

Ready to Race

Race Action

The #16 truck qualified first of the sixteen trucks at the track with a lap time of 23.660 seconds and #88 qualified in sixth with a lap time of 24.379 seconds.

Mackvader

In Heat Race #1 the #69 truck hit the outside wall between turns 3 and 4. Scott Treadway in #4 started and finished in first.

In Heat Race #2 Team 88-Mike started in first, then in lap 7 the #51 tried to pass #88 on the outside. The #51 collided with 88's right rear and the outside wall between turns 3 and 4. Morgan's right rear suffered in the process, with Morgan finally managing to straighten out from a sideways slide along the homestretch. (Watch the in cab video.) Under caution #88 headed into the pits to replace a severely damaged wheel (tire and rim). Many thanks to Bob Mitchell and Austin Hoppe for assisting the pit crew with the speedy wheel change. On the restart Mike brought up the rear of the field, then in three laps he took the #88 from 6th to 3rd for the finish behind #3 (Alan Boles) and #16. [The #51 hit the wall a second time, but continued racing.]

Heat #3 was all Kruckebergs, father and twin sons, in a grudge match. Trevor Kruckeberg took the win in #63.

Instead of golden tickets to select youngsters for the Shootout, drivers tossed numbered tennis balls into the crowd. The person with the ball having the winning driver's number (#45, Brian Bayer) received a crisp $100 bill.

Morgan started Challenge Race #1 in the rear at 8th place. Truck #27 rubbed the wall hard and did not finish the race. Mike's #88 moved from 8th to 3rd in 7 laps, then threw sparks as he brushed the outside wall along the homestretch in lap 12. The #88 finished this race in 3rd behind Randy Briggs in #16 and #63.

In Challenge Race #2 truck #45 spun out in lap 2 when his brakes failed and did not finish the race or the night. Austin Hoppe won in #66. tire decisions

The Main Event started with a 3-wide salute to the fans and fireworks. Morgan in #88 started 14th of 15 trucks. By lap 3 he was in 10th place. In about lap 10 #88 and #46 bumped with both falling back a few positions until they could straighten out and by lap 21 Morgan was in 7th place. Then just ahead of him #27 took a hard hit into the wall coming out of turn 4 taking #54 with him. Momentum kept both trucks moving around the track with #27 going into the wall a second time between turns 1 and 2, and then into the inside wall on the backstretch losing his front axel in the process. Both drivers checked out okay, but both trucks needed to be pulled from the track and were clearly done for the night. Unfortunately, half the track was well oiled. Despite the heroic attempts by the track crew to clean up, the caution was changed to an end-of-race (with 21 of 30 laps completed) when it was deemed too slippery to continue. Morgan finished 5th and Randy Briggs in #16 took the win.

Qualifying