Riverside  6 Hours IMSA

      April 29, 1984

Tony pulls out of the pits at Riverside, on the way to finishing fourth in GTP with co-driver John Morton in the Lola T600 Chevrolet

     I had the first opportunity to drive for Phil Conte and his Conte Racing Team.  I came recommended by John Morton who was scheduled as lead driver for the team.  I had driven successfully with John as co- drivers previously and it seemed like a good practice to continue.  The Lola T600, one of the earliest GTP designs, was designed around a normally aspirated Chevrolet 350 V8, delivering close to 600 HP.

Willow Springs test.  The pair also finished 7th at Sebring 12 Hours.

     Although this car had some early success stories, the design was becoming very outdated, even though the sexy look of the car still drew crowds around it.  The top speed was probably around 180 plus MPH, due to its aerodynamic quality.  Fairly reliable for Lola standards, the chassis was quite manageable to drive.

     It was apparent that the new competition was coming from Porsche 962 turbocharged and the New March chassis with normally aspirated Chevy 350 engine.  The turbocharged Porsche's had a significant power advantage and with Porsche's Le Mans experience, much better aerodynamics.  John and I finished 4th at Riverside, primarily due to our familiarity with the track and our comparable & consistent driving styles.

Driver swap at '84 Riverside race

     Sebring in the same chassis was another story on March 24th.  The track took its toll on many chassis including ours.  The bumpy condition of the track overpowered our chassis causing numerous failures.  The last stint of the remaining twelve hours, our nose section was giving way and headlights kept drooping downward, providing little illumination around the dark airport circuit.  The majority of light came from other cars following us around the circuit.  The fact that we even finished at the 12 Hours of Sebring was largely due to the skill and daring of both drivers.  John and I both were glad it was over and Conte was receiving their new March Chassis for Charlotte.

Turn 7A at '84 Riverside race

John Morton hurls the Lola/Chevy into the Corkscrew ahead of Moretti's Alba at Laguna Seca 

Laguna Seca brake action in the Lola/Chevy

1984 Riverside race, My co-driver John Morton points to photog Frank Sheffield. 

Another shot from Laguna Seca

Tony Adamowicz, Gary Wheeler, Tony a2z, Tony Adamowics, a2zRacer, Gary Wheeler, Tony Adamowicz

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Entering Riverside's famous long back straight, coming off Turn #8

Hot and tired, Tony climbs out

of the Lola after finishing 4th.