Eighth SA title provides a perfect end

THE curtain has come down on a successful V8 Dirt Modified career for Warrnambool driver Tim Morse who bowed out of the sport on a winning note last weekend.The 29-year-old won his eighth South Australian V8 Dirt Modified Championship last Saturday night in his farewell race of the season.Morse will take a year off before stepping into a sprintcar for the 2009/10 season.His exit from the sport at Murray Bridge last weekend was momentous given it was on the same track where he won his first race 15 years ago."I won my first race ever at Murray Bridge and my first Australian title," he told The Standard yesterday.Morse has held a successful reign in the national Dirt Modified competition winning 10 Victorian titles, five national titles and his first Summer Slam National Series this season. He also recorded a podium finish in all races for the season except one."It has been a good year for us... probably one of our best," he said.He attributed the success to his father John and his crew for their tireless work at each competition."I had a good team behind me. My father John set the suspension each race and he usually got the car on pace pretty much every time." Morse's win last weekend was an easy outing with many of the top interstate competitors failing to enter."It was a pretty easy night and wasn't too tough," he said."The number of drivers tends to dwindle at the end of the season and it felt more like a club night out."Morse qualified off pole and led from start to finish in the 25-lap feature race beating a field of 15 drivers.His nearest rivals Lloyd Hobson and Corey Reid were no match for the current national titleholder.Morse's famous green machine is now for sale but he said he would happily keep it as a trophy car if he failed to sell it. Work commitments will keep Morse busy and he looked forward to enjoying his first summer away from racing in 15 years. "I'm a bit burnt out from racing at the moment and I will take a season off before stepping up to the sprintcar ranks," he said.