In 2006, I put two good friends together for a significant Morgan exchange. Bill Fink (the Isis Imports legend) was looking for a worthy home for the first Morgan SLR. Simon Orebi Gann, the UK collector and racer came to my mind instantly. The introductions were made, and over the following few months they too became friends and the SLR sailed for England.

Over the last three years, the car went through a meticulous and painstaking restoration to prepare it for the track. No expense was spared. It was  entrusted to Brett Syndercombe and the team at Brands Hatch Morgan. My wife Audrey and I stopped by each Spring and Fall to track its progress. What we saw each visit increased our excitement level!

The SLR was completed late last year and sent home to Simon and Kate Orebi Gann for road-testing before race track experience and final refinements at the start of the racing season in Spring 2009.

While mogging about England in April, we received an email from Simon that brought me right to attention. "Would you like to crew the car at its first official outing at Silverstone at HSCC International Trophy Meeting" for May 9-10, 2009. A stunned "YES!" was my response. Travel plans were tossed, new ones quickly made, and Friday night found us lodged north of Silverstone ready for the next day, the practice session.

Saturday, May 9, 2009 PRACTICE SESSION:  The next morning was splendid. Sunny, cool with a light breeze. We arrived at Silverstone to meet the team. Simon was there with his co-pilot, Rick Bourne. Rick's reputation precedes him. He is the founder of Brands Hatch Morgan, one of the two co-founders (with Rob Wells) of Librands, the famous Morgan performance supplier. Rick is a brilliant engineer,  designer and a talent on any track behind any wheel.... a legendary guru to the sixties era of Morgans, having restored and raced both XOV and TOK (the Morgan LeMans winner) in a multi-faceted past.

Along with Simon and Rick,  the team roster is made up of myself, my wife Audrey, dear Andy Downes as team manager and, of course, Kate Orebi Gann, who runs the Morgan Challenge Race Series. Saturday was practice runs at Silverstone, allowing Andy and Kate to be at Oulton Park, participating in the Morgan Challenge.

Working on the car allows me a chance to examine it closely. The sublime body shell is moulded over and around the Morgan ladder frame. For the greatest weight saving possible, the aluminium was made as thin as possible.  This makes the shell delicate, and care must be taken not to use the body as brace to enter or exit the cab, as it will quickly wear a palm print into the metal. The Morgan flexing frame creates sufficient stress at a number of points to require added thickness to avoid cracking. The end result justifies the everything about the construction. The lines are as perfect as one can get with an unrivalled weight saving.
 

N.B. The first SLR was built on a Triumph chassis, not a Morgan one..a design project by Sprintzel Lawrence Racing (aka Chris Lawrence, pilot of the TOK 259 the LeMans winner and father of today's Aero 8). After the Triumph chassis, a total of three Morgan SLRs were built, the first owned by Simon orebi Gann and others owned by Keith Ahlers and John Emberson, also noted Morgan racers.

By chance, the SLR was paddocked next to a 1960s light blue Corvette Coupe, a car shape the SLR has often been compared to. There is nothing one can take away from that "Vette". It is undoubtedly the most lovely of that line ever built. However, it is the SLR that draws all passers-by like bees to honey. Motor magazine reporters and photographers approach in a steady stream, examine the car with discrete interest and then exclaim when they see the old Morgan wings in front. Excited requests for interviews are instantly made and spontaneously given. Reporters who have heard of the SLR legend are surprised to have the opportunity to see one in the flesh. Those who were unaware of their existence are astounded at how far advanced the car's styling and aerodynamics obviously are. This Morgan is unlike any Morgan they have ever seen.

However,  the team must concentrate on the car and preparation. The practice runs will start soon! Time must be spent finding the best adjustment for the drivers' FIA racing harness. The two drivers must switch mid-race, and that will require unbuckling the first driver, getting him out of the SLR without causing damage, getting the second driver into the car and fitting him in as quickly as possible, making sure that it is done correctly and securely. An error will require the driver to abandon the track to have it corrected and time and race position will be lost. Drivers cannot help much in this process as their helmets make it impossible for them to see the straps or the main buckle. It is for the crew to manage the transfer smoothly and quickly. Over the hour, we bring our original 2 minute time for the manoeuvre to well under one minute. We are working well but will that continue during the race?!!

The speakers call the car to the track. Rick is to take the helm for the first part of the thirty minute practice run, Simon for the second half. The car is started, warmed up smoothly and is off to the track entry. I rush trackside with Simon and Audrey goes to seek a high perch for herself, the stop watch and her camera!
 

N.B. The Orebi Gann SLR was raced for successfully for many decades. It was painted red by Sir Aubrey Brocklebank after he and the car were singed in a fuel leak which caught fire at Silverstone in 1975.

The motor sounds great! But the times are less than hoped after the earlier tests, albeit at another track. There is not much time to dwell on this now as the 15 minute mark approaches and the car comes into the pit for a driver swap. That goes well, popping Rick out the car and securing Simon into it. Aside from a few seconds lost in misunderstanding, we have the SLR back on the course in under a minute.

Simon drives the car to the end of the practice session without incident. A post-run analysis of the cars's performance quickly occurs. Both drivers feel something is wrong in the rear handling ....something that neither experienced in previous tests. A deep investigation is warranted before the race next morning on Sunday.

The car is gone over with expert eyes. An anomaly is spotted. The axle saddle plate on the rear right is touching the chassis. That issue is addressed and clearance created at the quilty spot, but the day is done and there is no way of knowing whether this is a cure until the car is back on the track at speed, and that can only happen during the race itself!

The team heads for dinner and bed, wondering what the next day will bring. Splendid racing weather is forecast.

Sunday, May 10, 2009 RACE DAY: The sun is out! Kate and Andy have driven down from Oulton Park and the team is complete. It is good to see them both! Kate has one of those magical personalities that can calm a tense crowd simply by joining it. I have had the pleasure of pit-crewing for Andy Downes before. He knows his stuff, having been a team manager for years. He quickly details what he expects from each of us.

Outside of trackside support and swap assistance, racers need a constant feed of information when running. This is key to help them position their car and their skills, vital to their strategy. This information must be conveyed by the team to their pilot. Additionally, the flow of data assures the driver that they are part of a team and the team is behind them. Lap times, time remaining, laps remaining until swap and time behind the class leader are there at each lap. This data is timed by different stop watches, calculated with times and estimates placed on the Pit Board. Kate, Audrey and Andy handle the various stop watches and Andy makes the calculations and delivers the information for the me to place on the pit board. Andy would signal the cars expect ETA for that lap and I hold out the board for the split seconds as our man roars past. I will handle the driver swap with Andy's assistance and Audrey would free-lance with her camera after that change-over.

We reversed driver order. Simon would drive first. This is more than a tradition. The race rules for these classics require that the entrant's owner be behind the wheel during no less than 50% of the one hour time. We make sure he is secure, warm the engine and wait for the race call. It comes and Simon drives off with the hopes of the five of us with him.

THEY'RE OFF! Simon whips by the team well into the pack. Only one lap out and we clock him at more than 4 seconds faster than his fastest practice lap of the day before! This bodes very well if it continues. The sound of these cars is delicious and we are settling in to our tasks, the data is fed to Andy, Andy chews it and delivers it to me and the board goes out at the right times. We get smoother each lap, soon working quicker with body language than words. More importantly, Simon is holding his faster times. This is looking very good! Whatever was done the day before, is showing up in the times today. Click HERE!

In what seems no time at all, we are more than 30 minutes into the race and we signal Simon in. Rick, Andy and I prepare for the driver swap. In comes Simon! Unbuckled, out of the car, Rick in, five points on the harness secured in the correct sequence, tested and he too is OFF! A 46 second switch! We are doing great but no time to gloat, back to the track side, the watches, the board and more adrenaline.

Rick is also bearing his best times of yesterday by 4-6 seconds! Bourne wants to be the fastest Morgan on the track and he sets about it with purposefulness. Though more than 40 seconds behind the lead mog, each lap eats away at that margin and each bite gets the team more excited.

At the beginning of the last lap, right in front of the team at the paddock, Rick flies by formidable Rob Welles (who is driving a beautifully tuned 60's Plus 4) and takes the Morgan lead. There is no easing up. Rick wants the Ferrari ahead as another scalp on his belt! Negotiating though the other cars, he closes in and takes Enzio's baby at the last turn. Masterful! There is much attention and respect for the car as it taxis in front of the paddock. Click HERE!

We are all one very happy bunch of people! Happy relief (and pride) shines on Simon's face, Rick looks like a pre-teen who just kicked the winning goal and Kate has the wondrous glow of a Cheshire cat.