Saturday started out as usual for the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca – another drippy foggy morning, which didn’t clear until noon. But when the green flag flew for the afternoon Rolex Group A Races, there were blue skies framed by the clouds and fog outside the track.
The first race was the Under Two Liter Trans-Am Race, Group 7 L, followed by nine Group A races.
JOHN MORTON of El Segundo CA was in three of those ten afternoon races – 7L, Group 1A and Group 3A. He had a scary accident in his third race. Morton was racing the Collier Collection 1958 Scarab Sports Racer in the class for Sports Racing Cars over 2000cc. He and two other cars were involved in a Turn Two accident. Morton was flipped sideways, with two full rolls, and landed upside down. He walked to the ambulance, waving to the crowd, and was transported to Community Hospital of Monterey Peninsula for observation. The official word afterwards that he was alright.
Morton had a very busy weekend schedule planned, and could have used a Segue to get around the large paddock filled with more than 600 cars. He’s entered in five different Groups, three Saturday Group A races and two Sunday Group B races. Friday he qualified six cars, two in one group. In Group 7B for GT cars over 2500cc 1963-1966 aka ‘Thumpers,’ Morton qualified the car for which he is entered – No.74 white 1964 Sunbeam Tiger owned by BUCK TRIPPEL. He then jumped out of it and into No.14 1964 Cobra FIA, to qualify/shake it down for WILLIAM ‘CHIP’ CONNOR, who had not yet arrived at the track.
The other cars on the Morton list this weekend are: the BRE 1970 Datsun 510 under two-liter Trans-Am, in Group 7L; 1961 Porsche RS 61 in Group 1A-Sports Racing Cars under 200cc 1955-1961; and the 1964 Lotus 23 owned by the late TOMMY GRIFFITHS in Group 8B for Sports Racing Cars 1959-196. The Tiger and Lotus are Sunday races, back to back.
The Trans-Am Datsun, which has been in a museum, is the car with which Morton won the 1971 and 1972 Trans-Am Under Two Liter Championship – its last year. Morton made that car with PETER BROCK and it is still original, with no updates. Morton and JON NORMAN of Oakland CA were competitors in the original Trans-Am races, and again this weekend. Norman had the pole but was felled by mechanical problems on the third lap. His famous green Alfa Romeo GTV has been consistently raced for forty years, and earlier this summer in Portland, he won walking away in a similar Trans-Am race. Morton finished sixth in a field of 23 cars. It was the first Rolex Race Saturday afternoon.
Morton ran the second race of the day, Group 1A in the No.14 1961 Porsche RS 61, finishing fourth out of 31 cars. He was driving one of cars in the MILES COLLIER Collection. This group was the race in which SIR STIRLING MOSS was to have raced his newly acquired 1961 Porsche RS 61. However, Friday morning Group 1A were the first cars on course at 8:30 in the drippy foggy weather – cold tires, cold weather, etc. Moss spun out on the first lap and was hit by another car which had also spun out. It was sad for both Moss and Morton, who had always dreamed of racing Moss.
Morton had a short breathing spell before racing in Group 3A in the Scarab. This is Morton’s favorite car, which he says is the most beautiful car he’s ever seen. It’s beautiful from every angle. The original Scarab had a ‘nose job’ refining it. This car is also part of the Collier Collection, and driving it fulfilled Morton’s boyhood dream. There are only three of these Scarabs.
Sunday’s schedule calls for nine Qualifying races in the morning, followed by nine Rolex Races in the afternoon. The weekend will be capped by the Awards Ceremony.