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Don Fowler


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This is going back to 1969 or 1970 when I first started going to Pan American - I recall that he raced Super Stocks, which was Pan Am's top class. I think he had a Mustang, but my fuzzy kid's memory from that time may be incorrect (I was rooting for Harold Oatman, so everyone else was secondary) :D

 

There is a post about Clarence Lovell (spelling?) in the History forum that mentions Don Fowler.

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My memory of Don, starting from maybe late '60's, was that he was always in a purple Ford with the number 29. Something that I've not seen recognized on this forum is that he was always one of the top three or four cars to beat. Always great equipment, driving and driving strategy.

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Don changed his number to 29 after the old PanAm closed down. He always drove a Ford and it was always Purple and white. I was told that he raced alot in Mexico and almost lost his life in a bad wreck over there. The last time I saw him race was at SAS. If you take all the names like Yantis, Doyle, Jerkins, White, Jett, Harper, etc. you will find Don Fowler. They all raced together back in the day and everyone of them could win on any given race. I wish we had Camcorders back then. Many of you never had the pleasure of watching these guys race. My memory is not as good as it once was but the memory of watching these guys race will never fade.

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Don Fowler was driving in 51 and 52 at Oak Hill Downs and also at the old club track that was on Mr. Brodies property located about where the Ann Richards school ( was Porter Jr. High) behind where Pep Boys is now off of S Lamar, back then they called it Fredricksburg Hiway instead of Lamar. I believe he drove a car for Ray Cameron some but what ever drove he was always good. I remember he got up on two wheel and ran most of the front strech leaning on my car which probably kept him from turning over. At that time they only had one class of car. On another ocassion he did a wicked flip at the club track but came out of it ok.

Junior

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You bet, Junior. I remember that track. Seems like it only ran a year or two. It was out in that big field by T.N. Porter, Jr. High School. I went to school there 7th through 9th grades. (I can't believe they changed the name of it and named it after that idiot ........... err .............. I mean nice lady.)

 

At the time the school wasn't built yet. That was off the intersection of Fredericksburg Road and Alred Lane (long before there was a Ben White Blvd). The Brodies owned that big ol' red brick house that sat up on the hill over-looking the Barton Creek valley, where Toys-R-Us now sits. Great memories. :)

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There is a link that shows the #12 Don Fowler drove on TXTOM's post #287 at Tx Racing History, Old Modifieds, pg 12.

The first night that Speed O Rama opened in 1960, they had midget races. Parked in the infield there was the #12 purple and white that Don Fowler drove and the #22 that Waldo Harper drove. During intermission they did some hot laps. They were faster than the midgets and a lot louder and I've been hooked ever since.

There are several more cars from that era on Txtom's post.

I have a picture of the #12 when they put the roadster body on it in 1961. Painted lavender and white, Ford powered. Buddy Yanis and Don Fowler both drove the car.

 

Rodney

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Don raced a 55-56 ford with a 312 c i motor superstock class which belong to EJ Weaks in the late 60's, out ran the chevy's with the 283 punched out to 292, put a 289 finally, one year late 60's won the track championship at pan american speedway san antonio, austin and corpus all in the same year, I know because I helped Harold Oatman who was my cousin and Buddy Yantis my best friend, Don also raced a fairlane and mustang, all his cars were # 29, he was one hell of a driver, Buddy Yantis and him raced all over south texas in midget, jalopys, the old coupes and super stocks also sprint cars, those were the good old days 50's and 60's I was there.

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