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May 19, 2004: Mark Lowrey, the driver of the No. 1 Parker Racing Team Truck on the AllStar Race Truck circuit, will dedicate the rest of the 2004 season to the memory of New England Racers Hall of Fame member Booker Jones.

Lowrey, like Jones an African American, will carry a 27 – Jones’ number – on the truck beginning with this week’s ARTs event at Thompson Speedway. Jones, a Springfield, MA-based racer for three-plus decades, died in 2002 just prior to his election into the Hall of Fame.

“Actually,” said Lowrey, last year’s ARTS Northeast Region Rookie of the Year, “I learned about Booker Jones in a conversation with some friends at Waterford Speedbowl. They were very complimentary and it wasn’t until late in the conversation that I became aware that Booker was African American.”

Lowrey did more research and came upon a line in a story. “Booker told the writer he didn’t remember ever racing against another African American,” continued Lowrey. “That really hit home and I decided this guy deserves some recognition.”

Jones was hardly welcomed when he began racing at Millers Falls, MA in the 1950s but he refused to quit. He went on to be part of Modified racing’s golden age, competing regularly at Riverside and at Stafford and Thompson. He ventured to Islip Speedway and into New York State as well.

“I was moved by how generous he was lending other drivers his car,” continued Lowrey, a one-time High School athlete who didn’t realize his boyhood dream of becoming a race driver until a dozen years later.

“Shawn Parker (three-time ARTs champ and the head of Parker Racing Team) gave me a chance and now he’s really behind honoring Booker,” said Lowrey. “I really appreciate that.”

A computer programmer, Lowrey is also involved with the Buck Baker Driving School.

Lowrey’s mom, who was involved at the long-gone Plainville Stadium in Connecticut, remembers Jones. When Plainville closed, Lowrey’s parents went to Riverside Park where Jones was racing. “Interestingly enough,” said Lowrey, “my Mom didn’t know he was black until I told her a week or so ago.”