John Morton (driver)
Encyclopedia
John Morton is an American
racing driver from Waukegan, Illinois
. After his father took him to a race at Road America
in 1957, Morton became an avid racing fan. He went on to race jalopies in South Carolina before he dropped out of Clemson University
to attend Carroll Shelby's racing school at Riverside Raceway in California. Taking a menial job working in Carroll Shelby
's race shop, Morton saved his money to purchase his first race car, a Lotus Super 7 which he raced in SCCA (Sports Car Club of America) amateur races in 1963.
In 1964 he drove with Ken Miles
at Sebring
in a 427 Cobra for Shelby American Racing. Teaming with Miles and Skip Scott, Morton won the GT class at the Road America
500, second overall, in a team Cobra. That year he bought his second race car: a Lotus 23B, which he still races today in vintage races for current owner Tom Griffiths.
John raced mostly SCCA Club races through 1968 until Peter Brock
(the American designer, motorsports writer and photographer, not the Australian racer
) hired him for his new BRE Datsun
team. The period between 1969 and 1972 were fruitful for John, Peter and Datsun. The team disbanded after the 1972 season after dominating both SCCA C Production with the 240Z (National Championships in 1970-71) and the 2.5 Trans-Am with the 510 (Championships in 1971-72).
Racing in F5000
, Can-Am and IMSA
occupied the next few years. A short almost accidental foray into the movie industry in 1975 led to stunt work on a couple of feature films (Gumball Rally and Greased Lightning
) and several TV shows (Rockford Files and Fantasy Island
). In 1981 Phil Conte joined John's small Can-Am team as a sponsor for two years after which Phil formed his own IMSA team with John as one of his two drivers in the GTP category.
In 1985 Jim Busby hired John as team driver in one of his BF Goodrich sponsored Porsche 962
s with Pete Halsmer
. The pair won the Times GP at Riverside
in 1985. In 1987 John drove for the Group 44 Jaguar team of Bob Tullius and won the last Times GP at Riverside and the West Palm Beach GP, both sharing the car with Hurley Haywood
. The Walkinshaw team replaced Tullius' Jaguar team for 1988 and the Electramotive Nissan Team signed Morton. John and Geoff Brabham
won several races that year setting the stage for Nissan's domination of the IMSA series for several years.
Other notable Nissan races for John during 1989-95 include an overall victory at Sebring
and several class wins, including Le Mans
in 1994
, one of nine times he has competed at Le Mans. Several races in various other classes and categories include Sprint cars and karts. Morton also made 6 starts in the CART
Championship Car series. He first entered a CART race at the Riverside International Raceway
in 1982 but his entry was declined due to a lack of experience in those cars. He attempted that race again in 1983 but failed to qualify. He made his CART debut in the first race of the 1984 season at the Long Beach Grand Prix
and finished 9th. He made four more starts that year and failed to qualify for two other races, but couldn't match the 9th place finish of his debut. He also entered the 1984 Indianapolis 500
but the car never appeared. He made a one off appearance in the 1986 Molson Indy Toronto and finished 12th. He failed to qualify for the 1990 Detroit Grand Prix
and 1993 Indianapolis 500
in his other CART attempts.
In his most recent professional races, 1997–2001, John raced Porsches in both the Grand Am Rolex Sports Car Series
and American Le Mans Series
. Currently most of John's competition is in vintage races driving a variety of cars, which include Cobra coupes, Corvettes, Porsches, a Sunbeam Tiger and his favorite race car: the Scarab that he saw race at Road America while still a teenager.
Morton has competed at the Monterey Historic Automobile Races
several times. In 2010, he suffered a horrific crash when his Scarab flipped end over end near turn two of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
, landing on its roll bar. He was taken to the hospital, and was determined to be fine. The Scarab was seriously damaged, but is due to be rebuilt and restored to original specifications.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
racing driver from Waukegan, Illinois
Waukegan, Illinois
Waukegan is a city and county seat of Lake County, Illinois. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 87,901. The 2010 population was 89,078. It is the ninth-largest city in Illinois by population...
. After his father took him to a race at Road America
Road America
Road America is a road course located near Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin on Wisconsin Highway 67. It has hosted races since the 1950s and currently hosts races in the NASCAR Nationwide Series , American Le Mans , SCCA Speed World Challenge Series, ASRA, and AMA Superbike series.- Current track and...
in 1957, Morton became an avid racing fan. He went on to race jalopies in South Carolina before he dropped out of Clemson University
Clemson University
Clemson University is an American public, coeducational, land-grant, sea-grant, research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States....
to attend Carroll Shelby's racing school at Riverside Raceway in California. Taking a menial job working in Carroll Shelby
Carroll Shelby
Carroll Hall Shelby is an American retired automotive designer and racing driver. He is most well known for making Mustangs for Ford Motor Company known as Mustang Cobras which he has done since 1965...
's race shop, Morton saved his money to purchase his first race car, a Lotus Super 7 which he raced in SCCA (Sports Car Club of America) amateur races in 1963.
In 1964 he drove with Ken Miles
Ken Miles
Ken Miles was a sports car racing engineer and driver best known for his career in the USA and with American teams on the international scene.-Background:Miles raced motorcycles before he served as a tank sergeant in the British Army in World War...
at Sebring
Sebring Raceway
Sebring International Raceway is a road course auto racing facility located near Sebring, Florida.Sebring Raceway is one of the oldest continuously-operating race tracks in the United States, its first race being run in 1950...
in a 427 Cobra for Shelby American Racing. Teaming with Miles and Skip Scott, Morton won the GT class at the Road America
Road America
Road America is a road course located near Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin on Wisconsin Highway 67. It has hosted races since the 1950s and currently hosts races in the NASCAR Nationwide Series , American Le Mans , SCCA Speed World Challenge Series, ASRA, and AMA Superbike series.- Current track and...
500, second overall, in a team Cobra. That year he bought his second race car: a Lotus 23B, which he still races today in vintage races for current owner Tom Griffiths.
John raced mostly SCCA Club races through 1968 until Peter Brock
Pete Brock
Peter Brock is a former racing car designer from the United States. In the early 1960s he worked with Carroll Shelby at Shelby American where he was the designer for the iconic Shelby Daytona Cobra coupe.FIA World GT Champion 1965...
(the American designer, motorsports writer and photographer, not the Australian racer
Peter Brock
Peter Geoffrey Brock, AM otherwise known as "Peter Perfect", "The King of the Mountain" or simply as "Brocky" was one of Australia's best-known and most successful motor racing drivers. Brock was most often associated with Holden for almost 40 years, although he raced vehicles of other...
) hired him for his new BRE Datsun
Datsun
Datsun was an automobile marque. The name was created in 1931 by the DAT Motorcar Co. for a new car model, spelling it as "Datson" to indicate its smaller size when compared to the existing, larger DAT car. Later, in 1933 after Nissan Motor Co., Ltd...
team. The period between 1969 and 1972 were fruitful for John, Peter and Datsun. The team disbanded after the 1972 season after dominating both SCCA C Production with the 240Z (National Championships in 1970-71) and the 2.5 Trans-Am with the 510 (Championships in 1971-72).
Racing in F5000
Formula 5000
Formula 5000 was an open wheel, single seater auto-racing formula that ran in different series in various regions around the world from 1968 to 1982. It was originally intended as a low-cost series aimed at open-wheel racing cars that no longer fit into any particular formula...
, Can-Am and IMSA
IMSA
IMSA can refer to:* International Management Systems Association, original name of the International Project Management Association * Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, a residential magnet school located in Aurora, Illinois...
occupied the next few years. A short almost accidental foray into the movie industry in 1975 led to stunt work on a couple of feature films (Gumball Rally and Greased Lightning
Greased Lightning
Greased Lightning is a 1977 American biographical film, starring Richard Pryor, Beau Bridges, and Pam Grier, and directed by Michael Schultz. Greased Lightning is a film loosely based on the true life story of Wendell Scott, the first African American stock car racing champion in the United States...
) and several TV shows (Rockford Files and Fantasy Island
Fantasy Island
Fantasy Island is the title of two separate but related American fantasy television series, both originally airing on the ABC television network.-Original series:...
). In 1981 Phil Conte joined John's small Can-Am team as a sponsor for two years after which Phil formed his own IMSA team with John as one of his two drivers in the GTP category.
In 1985 Jim Busby hired John as team driver in one of his BF Goodrich sponsored Porsche 962
Porsche 962
The Porsche 962 was a sports-prototype racing car built by Porsche as a replacement for the 956 and designed mainly to comply with IMSA's GTP regulations, although it would later compete in the European Group C formula as the 956 had...
s with Pete Halsmer
Pete Halsmer
Pete Halsmer , is a former driver in the CART Championship Car series. He raced in 5 seasons , with 33 career starts, and started in the Indianapolis 500 in 1981-1982. He finished in the top five three times in the CART series, with his best finish in 2nd position in 1983 at Cleveland...
. The pair won the Times GP at Riverside
Riverside International Raceway
Riverside International Raceway was a race track or road course in Riverside, California. The track was in operation from September 22, 1957, to July 2, 1989...
in 1985. In 1987 John drove for the Group 44 Jaguar team of Bob Tullius and won the last Times GP at Riverside and the West Palm Beach GP, both sharing the car with Hurley Haywood
Hurley Haywood
Hurley Haywood is an American race-car driver who won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1977 , 1983 and 1994 and is the most successful driver at the 24 Hours of Daytona with 5 wins . He won the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1973 and 1981...
. The Walkinshaw team replaced Tullius' Jaguar team for 1988 and the Electramotive Nissan Team signed Morton. John and Geoff Brabham
Geoff Brabham
Geoff Brabham is an Australian racing driver. He is the son of three-time Formula One World Champion Jack Brabham. Brabham spent the majority of his racing career in the United States. He raced successfully in CART early in his career. In ten appearances in the Indianapolis 500, with a best result...
won several races that year setting the stage for Nissan's domination of the IMSA series for several years.
Other notable Nissan races for John during 1989-95 include an overall victory at Sebring
12 Hours of Sebring
The 12 Hours of Sebring is an annual motorsport endurance race for sports cars held at Sebring International Raceway, a former Army Air Force base in Sebring, Florida...
and several class wins, including Le Mans
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
in 1994
1994 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 1994 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 62nd Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 19 and 20, 1994.-Race:The 1994 race was won by a car that had its roots in a 10 year old design...
, one of nine times he has competed at Le Mans. Several races in various other classes and categories include Sprint cars and karts. Morton also made 6 starts in the CART
Champ Car
Champ Car was the name for a class and specification of open wheel cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades, primarily for use in the Indianapolis 500 auto race...
Championship Car series. He first entered a CART race at the Riverside International Raceway
Riverside International Raceway
Riverside International Raceway was a race track or road course in Riverside, California. The track was in operation from September 22, 1957, to July 2, 1989...
in 1982 but his entry was declined due to a lack of experience in those cars. He attempted that race again in 1983 but failed to qualify. He made his CART debut in the first race of the 1984 season at the Long Beach Grand Prix
Long Beach Grand Prix
The Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach is an open-wheel race held on a street circuit in Long Beach, California. Christopher Pook is the founder and promoter which began as a vision while working at a travel agency in downtown Long Beach. It was the premier circuit in the Champ Car from 1996, and...
and finished 9th. He made four more starts that year and failed to qualify for two other races, but couldn't match the 9th place finish of his debut. He also entered the 1984 Indianapolis 500
1984 Indianapolis 500
Results of the 1984 Indianapolis 500 held at Indianapolis on Sunday, May 27, 1984.-Recap:An exciting first half turns dull as defending champion Tom Sneva and Mario Andretti fall out late with mechanical trouble, leaving Rick Mears the winner by over two laps. Rookies Roberto Guerrero, Al Holbert,...
but the car never appeared. He made a one off appearance in the 1986 Molson Indy Toronto and finished 12th. He failed to qualify for the 1990 Detroit Grand Prix
Detroit Grand Prix
The title of Detroit Grand Prix was applied to the Formula One races held at the Detroit street circuit in Detroit, Michigan, United States of America from 1982 through 1988....
and 1993 Indianapolis 500
1993 Indianapolis 500
The 77th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 30, 1993. Emerson Fittipaldi took the lead with 16 laps to go, and won his second career Indy 500 victory...
in his other CART attempts.
In his most recent professional races, 1997–2001, John raced Porsches in both the Grand Am Rolex Sports Car Series
Rolex Sports Car Series
The Rolex Sports Car Series is the premier series run by the Grand American Road Racing Association. It is a North American-based sports car series that was founded in 2000 under the name Grand American Road Racing Championship to replace the failed United States Road Racing Championship...
and American Le Mans Series
American Le Mans Series
The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón is a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada. It consists of a series of endurance and sprint races, and was created in the spirit of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Teams compete in one of five classes: LMP1, LMP2 and LMPC...
. Currently most of John's competition is in vintage races driving a variety of cars, which include Cobra coupes, Corvettes, Porsches, a Sunbeam Tiger and his favorite race car: the Scarab that he saw race at Road America while still a teenager.
Morton has competed at the Monterey Historic Automobile Races
Monterey Historic Automobile Races
The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion is an annual event held at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California. Its purpose is to provide an event for historic race cars to compete in. It takes place over the course of one weekend every mid-August. It was first established by Steve Earle in...
several times. In 2010, he suffered a horrific crash when his Scarab flipped end over end near turn two of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is a paved road racing track used for both auto racing and motorcycle racing, originally constructed in 1957 near both Salinas and Monterey, California, USA....
, landing on its roll bar. He was taken to the hospital, and was determined to be fine. The Scarab was seriously damaged, but is due to be rebuilt and restored to original specifications.
External links
- John Morton Racing
- Driver Database Profile
- John Morton, MyF5000.com