Drive right up and win yourself a race
That’s exactly what Lowrey did in his one-day-old car back in ’59
Life couldn’t get much better for Ted Lowrey.
In August 1958, he picked up his new MGA, just a month before he started his career as a teacher.
“I bought the car from Carter’s British Cars on the Mountain,” Lowrey said recently. “Ray Carter raced sports cars himself, knew I’d race my car and sold it to me with a few minor race preparations.”
But it was one of the mechanics at Carter’s that really sealed the deal for the young Hamilton teacher-to-be.
“One of the mechanics was Craig Hill, who I always thought was the most outstanding combination of racing driver and mechanic in Canada,” Lowrey said. “He was to help me get out on the track at Harewood Acres in 1959.”
Hill was a Hamilton native who went on to a successful and varied racing career, competing in short track oval cars and Formula B road racing.
When he went to pick up his new MG on a Friday night in ’58, Hill discussed with Lowrey the break-in procedures necessary in those days.
“Don’t lug the engine, Craig told me, and don’t rev the engine over 2,500 rpm for the first 100 miles,” Lowrey said.
After showing off the new MG to friends, Lowrey headed out the next day to the Kohler dragstrip near Cayuga to watch some racing. He mistakenly got in the competitor lineup with his new car rather than following the other spectator cars. This was less than a day after buying the car.
“I got in the wrong line,” he admitted. “I was registered as a competitor but thought I can follow Craig’s break-in limits and run the car for a quick quarter mile.”
Among the early dragsters and Flathead-powered coupes in those days, there was a class for 1,500cc cars, which consisted of mostly British cars such as the Hillman and Morris Minor. After a couple of easy round wins, Lowrey pulled up with his car to start the final with a modified MGTC.
“The TC was the fastest car in the class. Mine was second-fastest, and we knew when we entered the final who would win the trophy. But, when I pulled up, my odometer indicated 100.1 miles, so I could now move up to the 3,000 rpm limit.”
Lowrey pushed his new car a little harder than before, but the TC driver pushed way too hard and broke, giving Lowrey and his new MG the win.
Lowrey road raced the MG for a couple of years, including a trip to Harewood Acres near Jarvis for the CDRA (Canadian Racing Drivers Association) 500-kilometre race in May 1959. Prepared in racing trim, Lowrey placed 14th in the 34car field, a race won by Ray Carter in his Jaguar XK-SS.
“I think I had the slowest car in the field,” Lowrey said. “But I won $50.”
He raced a Corvair after that, but, by 1962, stopped to concentrate on his teaching career and family. He became a warplane and baseball enthusiast as well as racing, but said his trophy from Kohler remains front and centre in a room in his house. “I’ve got a great den in my house filled with memorabilia,” he said. “But the display item I enjoy the most is the drag-racing trophy I won with my MGA when I’d had it for less than 24 hours.”
NOTES: A reader contacted me recently with an offer of 200 Stock Car Racing magazines he would like to pass on. They are from 1970 to ’96 and, if interested, let me know and I will hook you up . ... Following strict provincial guidelines, Flamboro and Merrittville speedways will be open for practice sessions this weekend. Flamboro is allowing 20 cars to take part, and each team will be allowed a driver and four crew members.