Six Morgans participated in the recent vintage races at VIR (June 8-10) in
celebration of Reunion 2001, the second glorious year of operation after
this track lay dormant (yet "undisturbed") for some 26 years. Total cars
numbered about 175. Morgans included the always potent +4s of Bill
Lightfoot and Hank Giffin (Hank's car rumored to have dynoed at over 200
HP), Peter Dunn's 4/4, the McCombers 4/4 (a car they bought new in 1962 and
have been racing ever since! and propelled by a 1300 cc Ford with a
Derrington? head and pair of side draught Webers), Don Greimel's 4/4 "Tweet
Bird", and yours truly with the "Duff Morgan Racing" +8.
Along with my wife (crew chief, sponsor, cheerleader, and overly tolerant
supporter!) Kerry, we shoved off at 3:30 am for the ten hour tow to
Danville, Virginia, literally on the border between VA and NC. Early
departures mean less traffic and less heat. We also hoped to beat the
forecast rain . . .. . . .two out of three ain't bad, it rained most of the
way. I had taped the tonneau to the body, however, so the interior, at
least stayed clean and dry. We arrived at 1:30 pm to be met by the always
cheerful, welcoming, and enthusiastic staff at VIR. Southern hospitality at
its best. We set up in out usual spot, saving a spot for the McCombers and
the power tower for Don's "big rig". Don was over catching up on news when
a soft-spoken, friendly fellow came over and began to reminisce about racing
a Morgan in his younger days and how much fun it was and how it was such a
forgiving car to drive. Hey, we weren't going to argue! We introduced
ourselves and he introduced himself as . . . .Bob Bondurant, famous racer
and driving school owner. All the Morgans sailed through tech (ie
scrutineering). As on the street, EVERYONE loves the Morgans, and even the
tech inspectors smile during their once-over.
My group was out first on Friday morning (cloudy but pleasant enough) and at
first I thought "we" were just a little rusty, insomuch as, except for a
couple of runs around the neighborhood, I hadn't driven the car since Summit
Point in October! I was "hoping" the intermittent missing/coughing would
clear up. I had richened the mixture just 1/2 flat from my Summit Point
set-up so I decided to take that 1/2 back and go back to where I had been,
since the car HAD been running perfectly. Duh! The afternoon session was
absolutely Gawdawful. Car was worse. I came in early. Was dying to pull a
couple of plugs but had to wait a couple of hours until the heads cooled
down. I busied myself with checking all the ignition connections, etc. I
finally pulled a couple of plugs and using my amateur eye and Don's
experienced eye, we agreed the mixture was too lean. Richened each carb two
full flats. Not wanting to waste another track session on this experiment,
and insomuch as the car is licensed, inspected, and insured for the road, I
went out on the local and mostly deserted NC country roads for some
"practical road testing". Twenty miles well-spent as the ol' girl was
running like her old self again.
Saturday was a gorgeous day, mixture of sun and clouds with a welcome
breeze) and we ran perfectly during the am practice and afternoon
qualifying. The only hiccup was my first spin in my nine-race career. A
bit of an "ill-advised" outside pass attempt on Bill Lightfoot's +4 in turn
one. Dropped two wheels, which became four, which resulted in a lurid 270
degree spin backwards across the track into the infield. (Memo to brain,
"Don't try that again!") Luckily the just-passed Lotus 7 and Porsche 356
saw it all unfold and there was no drama. Came in one lap early to calm my
nerves, check-over the car, and get an earful from Kerry who noticed I was
no longer in my group of playmates! Saturday evening there was a
banquet/roast for Carroll Shelby who was guest of honor for the weekend as
there was an all Cobra race that weekend (13 Cobras - ah! the noise!).
I love Sunday mornings at the track. It's pretty quiet and the warm-up
session is relaxed and informal. Beautiful cool morning, bit of fog, and a
chance to run in less traffic and just enjoy the track and the scenery.
After lunch is the "All Alumni Race". As previously reported, Don Greimel
finishes a well-deserved third. The day finished up with the full slate of
feature races. All six Morgans generally ran well all weekend, and all six
made AND finished in their respective feature races. For more info on VIR,
a track tour, or the results, check out www.virclub.com.
We were all loaded-up, changed into clean, comfy driving clothes, and after
a few last war stories and good-byes, hit the road at 4:15 pm. We rolled
into Martins Creek at 2:10 am, knocking 5 minutes off our normal travel
time. Poor Kerry had to go to work the next morning. Me, I HAD planned to
sleep in and then unload and unpack. However, I awoke at 7:00 and was still
so wound-up from the weekend, I couldn't fall back to sleep!
Cheers to all, Craig Seibert 1961 4/4 1968 + 8 car no.611 "Duff
Morgan Racing"
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