Club racing spotlight: Dave Lowe

Dave Lowe has raced in FF1600 since the 1970s

Dave Lowe in car number 69

It was in 1982 that our paths first crossed, when Dave Lowe’s Lotus 61 stood out as something of an antique in Pre ’74 Formula Ford racing. “My brother and I shared that car from the early 1970s,” Lowe says, “but then he got married and I took it over. I only sold it in 2017, though I hadn’t raced it much in recent times.”

That’s because he subsequently acquired a Lotus 69, with which he has just completed a 20th straight season.

“I used to mix and match Historic and Classic championship events,” he says, “but now I focus on the Classic series. I’ve won the title 13 times, I think, but I’m not really chasing that any more. I missed the first couple of races in 2018, because they were quite early and I thought it would be a bit cold and wet, so I’m just here because I enjoy it.”

And he still ended the season third in the standings, behind youngster Benn Tilley and veteran Stuart Kestenbaum.

Lowe acquired a taste for competition in his native Guernsey, autotesting an MG Midget and hillclimbing a borrowed March 722, but his main focus has always been FF1600. “I leave the car at a farm near Gatwick,” he says, “which makes life a little easier. Commuting from the Channel Islands is time-consuming, but once I’m at the track I absolutely love it. How long will I continue? I’ve no idea. My next birthday will be my 80th, but I’ve just bought some new tyres so I guess that means I’m planning to race again in 2019.”