13 replies to this topic

[Martin Krejci]

During practice for 1988 Lime Rock IMSA GTP race John Morton had a big accident. I had some photos of it and the car has clearly race number 83 and was totally destroyed. However Jack Brabham racing another team's car next day also carried race number 83.

I have some photo from that Lime Rock meeting taken very likely before the crash and they show two cars with numbers 84 and 83. Does anybody know which car was actually crashed and if original 84 became 83 for the race? On the crash photo it looks that it may have been 83T, which could mean that Brabham had 83 all meeting and Morton started with number 84, which was changed before accident to 83T. Other explanation is that there were 3 Nissans, which I strongly doubt.

I thought regular number 83 raced by Brabham was 8801, so I wonder if that was crashed, or the crashed car was rather 84 that become 83T (some older Lola based car from 1987 or newer 8802?). I didn't find also if it was ever repaired.

Any information would help me because I'm just making update of www.racingsportscars.com website and some Lime Rock photos will appear there soon. You are welcome to visit it.

[Catalina Park]

It would be Geoff Brabham not Jack! but apart from that I know nothing!

[Martin Krejci]

Oh I'm sorry, you are 110% right. It was off course Geoff. I thought more about race numbers than the names when typing and Jack easily associates with the name Brabham ....

[Jeremy Jackson]

Martin,

According to team members quoted in a few sources, 8802 was crashed after 15 laps of testing, and was not rebuilt. Parts were used in chassis 8805, which wasn't raced in period, but used as a test chassis. This is the car raced in HSR by Toby Bean.

I'll talk to you about this, but was Morton's accident in pre-race testing, as opposed to practice? If so, the number may not be too relevant. If this is not the case, then I would have agree with your 84 -> 83T for 8802.

I believe Brabham raced race number 83 on chassis 8801.

8803 was completed as a replacement, and first used at Portland.

Jeremy

[Don Capps]

I am not certain what number '8802' was wearing when it got waxed when John Morton crashed at Lime Rock. That Kas Kastner would switch doors and front bodywork around on raceday -- with the resulting number changes... -- perhaps complicates the view that '8801' was always Geoff Brabham's mount and wore the race number "83".....

I have most of my IMSA stuff buried at the moment as I am moving a few things around, but I will see what else I can dig up on the Lime Rock crash.

[Dennis Hockenbury]

You folks certainly know how to resurrect the memories. While the Nissan GTP ZX-T was never, IMO, the best looking car in its class, it was certainly the most "purposeful" looking one. Doggone fast to boot.

I saw the Lime Rock crash by Morton on ESPN (I believe), and for a moment I thought that we had lost a very fine driver.

Geoff and Chip Robinson had some very good results in this car as well. Whatever became of Trevor Harris, the highly gifted Electromotive engineer who was a really nice fellow. Last I heard, he was operating his own shop in California.

[theunions]

Originally posted by Dennis Hockenbury
Geoff and Chip Robinson had some very good results in this car as well.

I don't believe Chip ever drove this car in '88 - only thereafter.

Whatever happened to him?

[Dennis Hockenbury]

I believe that you are correct, Chip did not drive for Electromotive until the following year. I don't know what happened to Chip either, but always a very nice gentleman.

I did find some info on chassis 8803 that is undergoing a rebuild after Bob Akin's fatal crash last year. It is listed for $450,000.

http://962.com/other...tp_zx/index.htm

[Jeremy Jackson]

Martin,

Having looked at the photo sequence of the Lime Rock accident, I'ms sure you're right that it's 83T. (The T being in red next to the white numbers).

[Martin Krejci]

Jeremy, thank you. I believe it was at the meeting when the accident happened, not during testing. I've choosed some photos that shows other cars that ran there at the time of accident (Spices 79 and 01).

Last three photos are dedicated for RSC site and they show clearly Nissans no.83 and no.84. The last photo looks like no.84 with the red 'T' at the front left light.





The photo above shows I believe number 83T, same as Jeremy thinks.





I'm a bit confused with the following photo. This shows number 83 with black mirrors while on other photos both cars have red mirrors. Also checking it now further I can see this Nissan seems to have smaller NISSAN sticker on the side and possibly has some red sticker in left front light?







All that suggest that some of the last 3 photos aren't from 1988 Lime Rock but I was told they are. The black mirror car no.83 has Goodyear tyres, so can't be from 1987 and the man who posted me pictures didn't have any from 1989. So I really believed year 1988 is OK.

I am viewing these photos even more detailed and I guess the black mirror car was the one that crashed. The second accident photo shows not only 83T but also smaller NISSAN sticker, I believe. That would mean there were really 3 Nissans but result sheets shows just one car with Geoff Brabham no.83. But they never showed non-started, so that means nothing.

While searching on web facts about this accident I found 8803 history. But other chassis histories aren't known for me, so any information may help. Jeremy, I even didn't know there were more cars than 8801, 8802 and 8803. The 1987 car was refered to as 8701 but it was in fact still Lola T810 chassis, perhaps numbered only by Electramotive, I don't know.

[Martin Krejci]

Comparing deeply various photos that I have, I found out that 1987 Lola based Nissan had different shape of bottom bodywork between the wheels (that's why the smaller NISSAN sticker). That lead's me to idea that the crashed car and the car with black mirrors could be 1987 car.

If really so, would then 83 = 8801, 84 = 8802 and 83T = 8701 (T810)? Would that mean that Morton after crashing 83T was withdrawn from no.84 8802. That could be later destroyed in test accident as Jeremy mentioned. That could have been between Lime Rock and Portland where 8803 appeared for the first time.

I'm sorry for so much speculation about the cars, I just like to draw all possibilities that came on my mind and hopefully somebody would have any information that may clarify and deny any of these ideas.

[David M. Kane]

It appears that John Morton was considerably more lucky than Bob Akin!
Anyone who gets into that car after those two accidents is a complete fool.
That is one of the most unsafe race cars I have ever seen up close. It is
extremely fast and their virtually no protection...period!

[Falcadore]

The things you read after the fact. I was in the same building as Geoff Brabham on saturday night. I could have asked him.

Mucho apologies Martin

[wibblywobbly]

Thanks very much for posting those accident pictures. What an amzing event! I also noticed a picture of #83, on 962.com, which looks to have been taken in the garage are at Watkins Glen. I will be attending the U.S. Vintage GP, at the Glen, in September. Hope to see her there! If I do, I'll make damn sure to post some video footage here, of that amazing beast!