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July 3, 2000

Jason"The Heartbreak Kid" Lowe Story



My name is Jason Lowe. I race the #4 Modified at Florida Speed Park. The year 2000 marks my return to racing after a two-year ordeal that is the focus of this story.

Prior to racing modifieds, in 1990, 91, and 92, my father, brother and I raced sportscars.
I had the pleasure of winning races at Daytona International Speedway, Sebring, Moroso Motorsports Park, Road Atlanta, Roebling Road, and got to race Charlotte Motor Speedway in the rain...something I will never forget.

But the thing about racing that I remember the most is what it felt like to have it taken away, and how good it feels now, to be back... I was riding a bicycle at St. Augustine Beach, from one friend's house to another's. It was near dark, but I was going only 4 blocks, and I had lived near this area all my life. They always tell you accidents happen close to home ………. I was not wearing a bike helmet.

I woke up in the ambulance, strapped to the gurney. I asked one of the folks working on me, who ran me over….. they looked a little confused … and told me nobody; I had ridden into an open drain on the street. Then I passed out again.

LISTEN TO JASON LOWE INTERVIEW ON REAL PLAYER

To briefly summarize what happened, a Jacksonville, FL-based construction company just neglected to cover a drain they installed in the street. It was dark enough that I didn’t see a black hole on the asphalt. I busted my head open pretty darn good, crushed my cheekbone, and tore about half my face off, basically. I was diagnosed with a severe closed head injury, and shipped off to neurologist, Dr. Jacob Greene, who is one of the best in the country, and works right here in northeast Florida.

I got to see the insides of all kind of nifty medical equipment, in between neurologist and plastic sugeon visits. I bet most of you didn’t know that they updated the classic old term, “brain damage” the new and improved version is “cerebreal dysfunction”.

My family still maintains we will never know exactly where I was starting from, brain wise,and that while the plastic surgeon did an excellent job of returning me to the condition I was in before the accident; they doubt that much money has ever been invested to make somebody look like this ….. you gotta love family !

The damage was to my vision and reflex centers mostly. My eye/hand reflexes were shot, and I had trouble processing what I saw at the correct speed. Dr. Greene didn’t pull any punches, he is a classy guy, (by the way, I hope none of you have to meet him at work), but he is a great doctor. He flat said after the tests had been done that I would never race again. The ride home after that visit was like what walking to the gallows might feel like to a condemned man. I couldn’t believe it; all the things I had gotten away with, and a bike almost kills me and ends my attempt at a racing career.

For the first 6 months after that day, I was still seeing the plastic surgeons, and doing other therapy to help me gain mental focus. I was confused some of the time (more confused than my normal state). I used biofeedback and other forms of therapy, right up until the point my wonderful insurance company decided that how dare I actually USE the coverage I had been paying for, and started refusing to pay for any further treatment. Sigh, this whole ordeal was starting to get depressing. Yes, I am kidding, this was slightly beyond that.

I was rather self-conscious about some of the scars on my face, and my confusion when dealing with old friends who didn’t understand why I didn’t remember them. I became a little isolated. My dad noticed and suggested maybe a home computer would help me “use my brain” … another really funny idea, take an isolated person, and put them ONLINE ….. like giving a drowning man a drink of water, haha. But actually, that was a turning point for me.

The whole computer internet thing was completely new to me, and while I got so frustrated trying to learn and remember the things I did learn, it really was the beginning of me learning what I COULD do, instead of what I could not.

It was about a year later I watched my first race since my accident. It was like watching somebody kiss the woman I loved. But … I refused to believe I couldn’t try again someday. I began doing all kinds of hand/eye coordination exercises, and playing a LOT of driving simulators. At first, I wasn’t encouraged. But, like with the computer, I slowly gained ground. I was also playing “Trivia” on the internet, and I credit a lot of my regained mental clarity from the hours of concentration there and I met a bunch of great people, who welcomed me into their “ gang” and many remain friends today, and ask me about my racing through e-mails.

After about 20 months, my brother completed a “Thunder Truck” built to compete at Florida Speed Park. Mike, my brother asked if I wanted to go out during the testing session, just to run a couple slow laps. Yeah, right. We had been building that truck for almost 5 months; I had planned this moment for quite a while. I put on my uniform for the first time in almost two years. I was nervous. I idled out, and ran a warm-up lap ….. it was like crawling into the bed you grew up in …… I WAS HOME ! Completely against all my doctors wishes, I began planning to return racing. Too bad - eat healthy, exercise every day, die anyways, you know? We someday all are going to die, I’m more interested in LIVING now.

Once my father and brother saw the truck test, they stopped discouraging me from returning, and my father began to encourage me 100%. I discussed the choice to return with those people closest to me ,and everyone wished me the best.

The year, 2000, has marked my return to racing modifieds at FSP. Other than one night we had motor troubles, I have finished every regular feature race in the top five, with a second place in the second race I ran. I am top 5 in points (my personal goal) AND, I have more fun just going to the track than I think some people have the whole night.

My eyes have been opened to how Blessed I was and am, to have these opportunites, and to have the chance to do the thing I love most of all. I realize at age 28 now, I am getting long in the tooth to climb much further up the ladder in motorsports but somehow, I’m just not discouraged right now.

Special thanks to Dr. Greene (neener neener, I’m racing) my father and brother, Scott Boutwell who always has built my motors, my grandma who listens to all my races on the radio, and the fans who remember me, and the fans who are just now getting to know me. Thanks to the folks from trivia, and thank you God, for letting me have a second chance.

NOW, think about it...wear a helmet when you ride a bike, a four- wheeler, when you rollerblade. If you have kids, I know it’s a handful to make sure they always do the same - but if just one little boy or girl doesn’t have to meet Dr. Greene at work, then this story was worth reading.

WWW.BIAUSA.ORG is the National Brain Injury Association's website, which was formerly known as the National Head Injury Foundation. They help people in all walks of life with injuries, and can use your support.

I do still have effects from my accident, but they only remind me of those that I overcame - when you see me somewhere, with a grin on my face, now you know why.

Best Wishes,
Jason Lowe, Atlantic Racing, St Augustine, FL
Modified # 4 , Florida Speed Park
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