By Sue Wambolt, Contributing Writer
Shrewsbury – Morgan Duffy, 43, prefers to live life in the fast lane. When not at the office, the Shrewsbury insurance broker and owner of Hayden Wood Insurance Company of Southborough can often be found at Monticello Motor Club in New York indulging in his favorite pastime – racing cars.
Duffy has been an avid car enthusiast for as long as he can remember. He started out drag racing for fun and moved from that to participating in High Performance Driving Experience (HPDE) events with clubs such as the Ferrari Club and the Sports Car Driving Association (SCDA). Later, he transitioned into time trials, in which drivers race against the clock for fastest lap times – competing with clubs such as the American Streetcar Series and COM Sports Car Club (COMSCC). Wheel-to-wheel racing in the member series at Monticello Motor Club (MMC) followed.
MMC is the premier automotive race track country club in the United States. It is there that, just this year, Duffy transitioned into Sports Car Club of America (SCAA) racing.
So far this year Duffy has raced in OTB Promotions (a new motorsports promotions company) Ice Breaker, the New England Region of the SCCA at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Monticello Motor Clubs Member Series and, most recently, Monticello Motor Club’s Queally Miata Challenge.
A self-proclaimed “car junkie,” Duffy said that he feels at home in a car and senses a strong connection between himself, the car and the track. He constantly strives to improve his driving to “get the most the car has to offer.”
“As a driver, you are constantly pushing the limits of physics and learning how all kinds of input factors change your outcome,” he said. “It doesn’t matter to me where I finish as long as the competition is tight as that is what makes it fun. I’ve made some fantastic friends in this sport and racing against them is what it is all about.”
Last fall Duffy was named track event chair for the Ferrari Club of American New England Chapter. As chair, it is his job to help coordinate any track-related club activities. Duffy said his goal is to expand the number of track-related events for the club and to get more members exposed to the thrill of track driving. It is on the track, after all, where members get the opportunity to “stretch their car legs,” he said.
Duffy shares his passion for cars with his children Hayden, 12, Bridget, 10, and Colin, 7. All three race and compete in F1 Boston’s kart racing series year-round. Hayden also competes in New Hampshire Karting Association (NHKA), Interstate Kart Series (IKS) & F1 Outdoors series races in the family-owned kart.
“Attending the kids’ races provides great quality time together as they are weekend events and I’m the pit crew,” Duffy said.
Duffy’s wife Erin is also a racer, but prefers running shoes to cars. She competes in numerous 5Ks, obstacle courses and marathons.
Ever the luxury car enthusiast, Duffy is the proud owner of a custom 1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS Convertible and a 2009 Ferrari 430 Scuderia.
“I love anything with an engine – from a Brass Era Buick to a La Ferrari and everything in between,” said Duffy. “My dream car list includes a Lamborghini Countach, an ‘80s Porsche 930 Turbo, a Buick Grand National, a vintage Land Rover and a Bugatti Veyron.”