1984 Conte racing
I had the first opportunity to drive for Phil Conte and his Conte Racing Team. I came recommended by John Morton who was scheduled as lead driver for the team. I had driven successfully with John as co- driver previously and it seemed like a good practice to continue. The Lola T600, one of the earliest GTP designs, was designed around a normally aspirated Chevrolet 350 V8, delivering close to 600 HP.
Although this car had some early success stories, the design was becoming very outdated, even though the sexy look of the car still drew crowds around it. The top speed was probably around 180 plus MPH, due to its aerodynamic quality. Fairly reliable for Lola standards, the chassis was quite manageable to drive.
It was apparent that the new competition was coming from Porsche 962 turbocharged and the New March chassis with normally aspirated Chevy 350 engine. The turbocharged Porsche’s had a significant power advantage and with Porsche’s Le Mans experience, much better aerodynamics. John and I finished 4th at Riverside, primarily due to our familiarity with the track and our comparable & consistent driving styles.
Testing at Willow Springs
Adamowicz collection – Frank Sheffield photo
Adamowicz collection – Frank Sheffield photo
March 24, 1984
12 Hours of Sebring
Sebring, Florida
Lola T-600
Result: 7th
Tony, John Morton, and Tony Garcia were co-drivers for this race.
Sebring in the same chassis was another story on March 24th. The track took its toll on many chassis including ours. The bumpy condition of the track overpowered our chassis causing numerous failures. The last stint of the remaining twelve hours, our nose section was giving way and headlights kept drooping downward, providing little illumination around the dark airport circuit. The majority of light came from other cars following us around the circuit. The fact that we even finished at the 12 Hours of Sebring was largely due to the skill and daring of both drivers. John and I both were glad it was over, and Conte was receiving their new March Chassis for Charlotte.
April 29, 1984
Six hours of Riverside
Riverside, California
Lola T-600
Result: 4th
John Morton and Tony were co-drivers for this race.
Adamowicz collection – Frank Sheffield photo
Driver swap at 1984 Riverside race
Entering Riverside’s famous long back straight, coming off Turn #8
Adamowicz collection – Frank Sheffield photo
Adamowicz collection – Luke Lundquist photo
Tony pulls out of the pits at Riverside, on the way to finishing fourth in GTP with co-driver John Morton in the Lola T600 Chevrolet.
Turn 7A at Riverside
Adamowicz collection – Frank Sheffield photo
Adamowicz collection – Frank Sheffield photo
Hot and tired, Tony climbs out of the Lola after finishing 4th.
1984 Riverside race with John Morton.
Adamowicz collection – Frank Sheffield photo
May 20, 1984
500km Charlotte
Harrisburg, North Carolina
Lola T600 HU11/Chevrolet
Result: 5th
Adamowicz collection
John Morton and Tony were co-drivers for this race.
Charlotte Motor Speedway brought new excitement to the team as the March 84G GTP car was much more responsive in its handling and stopping power. It was amazing the 180-degree difference between the Lola and the March. The Lola was softer in springs and ride quality, giving you a comfortable luxury car feel.
Both cars had ground effects built into the underside of the tub and body work. With all due respect, March had learned a lot from their Formula one days and applied the latest technology to the GTP car. With out a doubt, the March was superior with ground effects, cornering and stopping ability due largely to the chassis stiffness.
Adamowicz collection – John Starkey photo
Pace Lap: Tony and John Morton co-drove the #45 March Chevy to fourth place at Charlotte.
Laguna Seca brake action in the Lola/Chevy
Adamowicz collection – Greg Myhra photo
Adamowicz collection
John Morton hurls the Lola/Chevy into the Corkscrew ahead of Moretti’s Alba at Laguna Seca
Another shot from Laguna Seca with John Morton at the wheel.
Adamowicz collection – Greg Myhra photo
Adamowicz collection
March 84G 6/Chevrolet at Michigan International Speedway with john Morton and John Paul Jr. on 9/16/84.
John Morton collection
Adamowicz collection
The March wanted to be driven hard and fast and proved to be competitive with the 962 turbocharged Porsche’s. It took no back seat anywhere on the track. Our aerodynamics proved to bring top speeds up on every straightaway compared to the old Lola.
Although the maiden run of the chassis was very convincing, there was a lot of TLC that needed to be done by the crew for finishing touches. All in all, we were quite pleased with the new March GTP car.