Journal-News

David Lowry really never had much of a chance to be anything other than a drag racer. "It started with my grandfather, who was a drag racer, and it's progressed through my dad and now to me," the 31-year-old explained.

"Dad bought a GTO years ago, before I could even drive so when I was 16, I had my first muscle car," Lowry added.

After a number of years with the GTO, Lowry got the bug for something different, and a 1991 Mustang moved into the garage.

"I decided I wanted a true race car, so I tore it apart and pretty much started over. I met up with Jim Unger of Unger Racing, and he told me what the chassis and frame needed to be successful. I turned it over to him to build the suspension and cage roll bars," Lowry said.

The formerly black Mustang was then painted '67 GTO Blue, just like Lowry's first car. "I couldn't decide what color to do it in, and I had some paint left so we went that route."

Under the hood, a 351-cubic-inch Ford Windsor engine took up residence.

The engine features a Holley 850 carburetor, a Crane custom grind cam and aluminum AFR 225 heads. The engine was built by longtime Dayton-area engine builder and drag racer "Ohio George" Montgomery. The 600-plus horsepower gets to the strip through a C4 3-speed automatic transmission, attached to a Strange 9-inch rear end with 4.57 gearing. Top-end RPMs peg the tach at a little over 8000.

Lowry races the cars about 10 times a year, mostly with the NMRA, which are Ford-only events. Those meets are held in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and Florida and feature head-to-head racing rather than bracket racing.

"You get 10 to 15 passes on a good weekend, assuming you're winning a few rounds," Lowry said. "My best time so far is a 10.14 sec. at 133 mph. I've had a couple of runner-up finishes."

Lowry admits that it's a money-losing proposition, since there is very little prize money to be won. "You can hardly pay the motel bill for the weekend, even if you win the whole thing," he said. "But I do it because I love it. I've probably got 30 grand tied up in the whole car. Heck, I race against guys who spend that much alone on the engine."

Lowry acknowledges that making his dream come true has not been easy. "I'm really lucky to have a great wife, Erin, and two kids who support me, plus all the friends who have helped me out on this project. I can't ever repay Jim Unger for all of his advice and work," Lowry said.

Next week: Wheels will visit Jim Unger at Unger Racing and see how he turns steel and aluminum into nostalgia drag cars and other works of high-performance art.

To nominate your special vehicle for Wheels of the Week, contact us at: Wheels, Marketing Publications Department, Dayton Daily News, 1611 S. Main St., Dayton OH 45409 or via e-mail at arollins@coxohio.com. Include your name, daytime telephone number and a photo of your vehicle.