John Morton: What it's Like Racing a 956
If you’ve read some of my other articles then you are familiar by now with my good friend who has dedicated his life to sports car racing. From the cover of SPORTSCAR Magazine to podiums at the Circuit de la Sarthe this is the best car John Morton ever drove at Le Mans and what it was like to race in one of the most hardcore eras of all time.
The Porsche 956
My alarm today is a phone call from John who has agreed to reveal the best car he has ever driven in his long and illustrious career racing cars. As I walk over to my desk I rifle off the question, “So John, what’s the best car you’ve ever driven at Le Mans?” There’s a long pause while I wait for the answer. “The Porsche 956 I raced with George Follmer,” he says sternly. I knew this would be a great interview.
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History Lesson
To understand why this car is so good goes beyond the fact it makes 600 horsepower and weighs in at a scant 1,800 pounds. This is a purpose built car from Porsche with only 1 objective: win races. Simply saying this car is fast would be an understatement. Stefan Bellof went around the Nurburgring in one of these in 6 minutes and 11 seconds which is a record that is still untouched over 34 years later. These cars weren’t just fast, they were the definition of the word itself.
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You did what!?
While not related to the 956 I thought this would be interesting to those who follow Le Mans closely: “We used to run with just 2 people,” he said. As in only 2 drivers for the entire 24 hours. “I’ve done it several times at Daytona which is more physical than Le Mans. It’s not easy! By the end of the race, you’re pretty clapped out because you usually drive 1 tank in the day or 2 tanks of fuel (at night) and you don’t get enough rest to recover. Nobody does it anymore. Because of the era, this is what we did. I’ve done it 4 times. It’s rough, but when you’re young you don’t care.” Unreal.
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Rain drops falling on my head
When asked about driving in the rain he informed me, “I’ve never driven there much in the rain and it wouldn’t be fun. It depends. Rain tires are so good it isn’t as horrible as it sounds. The visibility is the worst part. in the 9 times I’ve raced I’ve only been on the wet twice and it wasn’t really raining that bad.” Right. 200 mph when the road is just slightly damp. No big deal.
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Victory!
This car would go on to finish 3rd overall in the race and take home a class victory. John speaks about the Group C machine with a certainty that conveys just how well sorted the car was and how effortless it was to drive fast in. You would think a car that is so light and so powerful would be a handful to drive, but Morton assures me it wasn’t. Porsche really did nail it with the 956.
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Joest Dominate
Running in an iconic machine for the team that would go on to dominate with Audi remains one of the lasting memories John has about campaigning the Porsche. To have run for one of the best teams in the history of any sport would be truly special. “It was a privilege to be on that team and incredible to be racing that car. It was the best car in the best era for that race,” he concluded. I couldn’t agree more. Hope you enjoyed reading this one guys.
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