Comments on: Road America, 1956 June Sprints

By: James Trigwell

James Trigwell — Sun, 29 Mar 2026 13:40:53 +0000

From my book ‘The Postwar Frazer Nash’ published by Palawan in 2009. (Note Frazer with a Z not an S) :

Ordered by James Lowe of Santa Cruz, California. Jim Lowe became San Francisco Regional Executive of the SCCA in 1955 and National Secretary in 1956. Raced by Lowe in California Sports Car Club and SCCA races from 1953 to 1956, and sometimes by his wife Marion who usually raced her own Frazer Nash. Both cars were prepared by Bill Breeze who owned the Sports Car Center in Sausalito, California. Lowe was SCCA National Class E Modified Champion in 1955.

New full-width body by Nadeau Bourgeault, also of Sausalito, fitted winter 1955/56. Raced By Jim Lowe throughout 1956

Sold to Jim Firestone, February 1957. Firestone crashed the car and was killed at Paramount Ranch, 8th December 1957. Car apparently flipped several times, was severely damaged and was scrapped.

By: Willem Oosthoek

Willem Oosthoek — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 19:16:23 +0000

I am pretty sure that the photo with John Fitch in the#58 D-type was taken during practice, trying out a car not assigned to him. The booklet The First 10 Years of Road America features a start photo of Race 7, with on the front row of the grid Sherwood Johnson in the finless #58, next to Fitch in the D-type #60 with fin. So, the program turned out to be correct.

By: Willem Oosthoek

Willem Oosthoek — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 14:53:02 +0000

I tend to agree it was James Rowland Lowe in the #139 Fraser Nash. He often ran the car, a Le Mans Replica Mk 2, under #39.
The fact that his wife ran at RA under #138 further indicates a husband-wife team approach.