What starts as a childhood fascination with comic books and slot cars can sometimes lead to a life immersed in motorsports history. For David Lowe, ambassador of the ACO USA, that journey began with a vivid image: a villain flicking a cigarette at the hero on the Mulsanne Straight. That comic book moment sparked a lifelong love for Le Mans – and ultimately, a mission to bring the spirit of the 24 Hours to American fans.
David’s first real-world connection to Le Mans came unexpectedly through his work in the hardwood industry. A French client – who turned out to be a race car driver – invited him to the 1994 race. That trip, hosted by Werner Racing, placed David in the pits beside legends like Derek Bell. Though the team retired early, the experience lit a fire that never went out.
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Years later, a chance encounter on a beach in Phuket led David to his future wife – a native of Le Mans – and deeper ties to the ACO. He began assisting the club’s official photographer, Nicholas, eventually helping to digitize race coverage and support the club’s media efforts. When Nicholas became director of the ACO, David pushed for a stronger American presence. After years of persistence, he presented an eight-point plan to launch ACO USA—and checked off the final box just five days before the 100th anniversary race (below).
David’s induction as an ACO administrator gave him a new vantage point for the 2023 race. From the Sportive Model to the finish line, he witnessed the centennial in all its glory. His favorite moment? Watching the parade of 81 historic Le Mans winners take to the track, many under their own power, with legendary drivers at the wheel.
He rooted for Ben Keating, a club member who staged a dramatic comeback to win his class. And like many fans, he welcomed Ferrari’s return to the top step and the end of Toyota’s dynasty. “It’s not that Toyota’s the villain,” David said, “but dynasties can dull the thrill of competition.”
Spotlight
Synopsis
This Break/Fix episode spotlights David Lowe, the ambassador for the ACO USA, the Automobile Club of the West, which organizes the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans race. Lowe recounts his personal journey from a passionate young petrol head to his significant role in the club. He narrates memorable experiences, such as his first visit to Le Mans in 1994 and a serendipitous encounter with his future wife in Thailand, which deepened his connection to Le Mans. The podcast explores the ACO USA’s initiatives to enhance member engagement, offering exclusive experiences, such as interactions with motorsport legends and access to live streaming of races. Lowe’s efforts aim to expand the ACO USA membership and provide value to motorsport fans unable to attend races in person. The episode underscores the community spirit among ACO members, highlighting events, volunteer contributions, and future plans to grow the club’s presence in the U.S.
- What’s your motorsports past? How many LeMans have you been to, etc?
- Quick recap on the 100th – thoughts?
- The “Automobile Club” de L’ouest — it should be obvious from the name that it’s a club, but many people just associate it with the 24hrs race itself. Let’s shatter that glass and talk about the club, its members, and what it’s all about?
- People join all sorts of car clubs: PCA, SCCA, etc. Why the ACO? How did you become a member?
- What are the benefits of joining the ACO? Why join? Key differentiators from other clubs. What does it cost? Any Perks (general discounts, lounge access at the races, etc)?
- ACO USA Events – what’s coming up?
- ACO USA needs help – volunteers? Describe opportunities that members can be involved in.
- “The Legends” – more detail on them and their involvement in the club.
Transcript
Crew Chief Brad: [00:00:00] BreakFix podcast is all about capturing the living history of people from all over the autosphere, from wrench turners and racers to artists, authors, designers, and everything in between. Our goal is to inspire a new generation of petrolheads that wonder. How did they get that job or become that person?
The road to success is paved by all of us because everyone has a story.
Crew Chief Eric: This episode of break fix has been brought to you in part by the ACO USA, where you can become part of the legend membership in the automobile club of the West. The founding and organizing 24 hours of Lamont’s is open to all the club hosts events.
In Le Mans and around the world attracting fans who enjoy their shared passion for motoring and motor racing
Our guest will be taking you on a thrilling journey through the world of motor sports and the rich history of the automobile club of l’Ouest also known As the [00:01:00] ACO. Established in 1906, the ACO is a prestigious organization based in Le Mans, France, and is best known for organizing the legendary 24 hours of Le Mans endurance race.
And just back from celebrating the hundredth anniversary of this great race, David Lowe, ambassador for the ACO USA, joins us to delve into the origins of this iconic race and the incredible stories that have unfolded on the Circuit de la Sarthe and why you should become a member of one of the oldest motorsports.
Clubs in the world. So with that, let’s welcome David Lowe to break fix. Well, thank you, Eric. It’s certainly an honor and a privilege to be on the show. Before we jump into the details of the ACO, like all good break, fix stories. Everybody has a superhero origin. So let’s talk about David Lowe, the petrol head and how and what led up to your involvement with the ACO.
David Lowe: I look back and it started about the time I was 11 years old, with a classic comic book about Le Mans. I’ve looked for the copy, I can’t find it anymore, but I certainly remember [00:02:00] the two panels. The villain in the race was flying down the Mulsanne straightaway, smoking a cigarette, and he flicks it out the window.
At the good guy. It’s a vivid memory in my head for me when I raced my Aurora slot car set. I was always at Lamont driving an XK, but my buddy across the street on his slot car. He was at the Indianapolis 500 big difference in our racing styles right from the very beginning. Fast forward a couple of years and I’m in the hardwood industry.
And one Christmas, we get a call from a French company that wants to come over and buy some cherry veneer logs. I got the short straw for the Christmas holiday. They arrived and I took the company plane up to Titusville, Pennsylvania. It was about three or four inches of snow. I’m brushing the snow off the veneer logs and they purchased a container of cherry veneer logs.
And I’m the hero that week with the most sales in the company, the only sales in the company. Anyway, the interesting thing was as the talk to them, you know, I understand he’s a race car driver and he drives at Lamont. Always [00:03:00] fascinated. I got the chance to come visit him and go to the shop and see the cars.
And then one day I get a call. He says, look, I’m getting ready to race this season. I’d like to invite you over for the 24 hours. I said, I’d love to, but you know, my boss is not going to let me come unless you invite him. He called my boss and invite him. So we came over. It was 1994. It was my first Le Mans.
I was a guest of Werner Racing. It was pretty cool to be there in the pit. The hospitality right over the pits. It was all the excitement and thrills of being there. In fact, Derrick Bell pitted right beside us in that golf livery. So it was a really, really cool event. Unfortunately, they retired in the middle of the night.
But it was still a cool event. It was my first Le Mans. And then we kind of went through a little bit of a dry spell. I switched companies, ended up working in South America. It was Christmas time. I’d been working on a project and I needed to move some product. Thought I’d take advantage of the Christmas holiday and head over to the Far East and look up a couple of customers.
I knew they’d take an order. New Year’s Eve, I landed in Bangkok. The airport’s probably less than 20 [00:04:00] miles from downtown, but it’s a four hour trip. So I went back to the counter, I said, tell me, where can I fly tonight? And she looked and she said, we’ve got a flight going to Phuket. It’s going to leave here in 30 minutes.
We can get you on that flight. I said, I’m on. Landed in Phuket, checked into the hotel. Freshened up a little bit and thought I’d go for a walk on the beach. Couldn’t really see anything, but there were a lot of little outdoor bars. And at one of the bars, there’s this young lady, blonde, black dress, sitting at the bar and the seat beside her was open.
Well, with some hesitation, I walked out and said, excuse me, is this seat available? And she said, Yes. And so I sat down. I said, Where are you from? She said, Well, I’m from France. And you speak English? Yes, we speak English in France. Well, great. We’re great. So where do you live in France? And she said, Well, I live in a little town outside of Paris.
Okay. Does your little town have a name? She says, I live in Le Mans. And I said, do you know Jean Francois Yvon? And her face dropped. The Yvon were very good friends of her parents. So she traveled [00:05:00] halfway around the world to meet an American she didn’t know that knew her parents. It was a long distance relationship.
I ended up marrying in Le Mans at the cathedral. And my son was born beside the Mulsanne straightaway. Yes, I’m kind of getting to be a little bit of a Le Mans man. She had a friend, a very good friend from childhood, who was the official photographer for the ACO. And so with Nicholas, I would get to come to the races and I would assist him in the media center as he was processing the photographs and helping him as we started to get them out on the web.
And this was years ago. And over the years, I’ve worked with Nicholas, providing technical assistance from time to time. And then Nicholas was appointed the director of the club. I’ve been working with him and I said, guys, we’ve got to do something. Every year I would say something, we really need to do something in the American market.
And there was kind of like a little bit of pushback. So last year, right after Le Mans Classic, I sat down and I said, here are the eight things that we need to do for the U. S. market to make it a successful membership program. Five days before the race, I was able to check off the last [00:06:00] box.
Crew Chief Eric: And we’ll dive a little bit more into that as we go along, but let’s expand a little bit upon your past.
As you said, you’re a Le Mans man, you’re a Le Mans. Family. I mean, to think back over the last 30 years, going back to 94 and that chance encounter with a French customer that wanted veneer over Christmas, that’s pretty amazing how it evolved into all this inside of that 30 year span. Have you yourself gotten more involved in motorsport?
Have you picked up some sports cars? Have you turned some laps? Have you been around Le Mans itself? Years
David Lowe: ago, I had a formula Ford van demon chassis, 1600 had a sponsor. But I didn’t have enough money to really go racing. Lamar has been my race for all my life. I think I’ve been to mid Ohio once. I’ve been to VIR Sebring is out in the middle of nowhere.
You got to book your room early, but I found some good places to eat, but it’s a long drive, but I haven’t been to all the tracks around the country. So you can put all that together. And for those out there that do race. It’s a little different sport. I’ve been fortunate enough to have three Porsches. And for those that enjoy going fast, [00:07:00] I’ll have to be honest.
Once you get to a certain speed, you take off. And I became a pilot, which goes a whole lot faster than this three dimensional.
Crew Chief Eric: So you’ve experienced other clubs as well. Member of PCA, involved in SCCA, things like that. So you’ve carried with you to the ACO, some of those personal experiences, part of those check boxes that you talked about, how to make the ACO better.
And we’ll get into that again, as we go along here. But since we both were together at the hundredth anniversary of Lamont’s, I want to get your take, your recap, your thoughts on the Centennial.
David Lowe: I have to be honest. It was very special. The 23rd of May, prior to the race, I was fortunate enough to be inducted as an administrator for the ACO.
With that, I had the opportunity to see the race from a different vantage point than I had in the past. And so for me, it was a very, very memorable experience. Being able to watch the start from the sportive model as well as being at the finish line was really the first time that I’ve had that opportunity.
Crew Chief Eric: Knowing the outcome now, who were you [00:08:00] rooting for in the beginning? Were expectations met? Did you have a favorite horse in the race? I did.
David Lowe: Ben
Crew Chief Eric: Keating
David Lowe: is one of our members of our club and a big contributor. You know, we were certainly excited for Ben. We’re fortunate enough he’s on an episode of Evening with the Legends, so I don’t want to take all the thunder out of his thing, but to come from two laps down and finish first was absolutely incredible.
And I think the other was to see something other than Toyota winning. Anything but Toyota. It was exciting to see Ferrari come back. put it all together. Glickenhaus did a really strong finish. There was a lot, a lot of good, exciting races. I think
Crew Chief Eric: that sentiment was shared with a lot of folks and it’s not because Toyota’s the villain in the equation.
I think a lot of us in motorsport might be growing tired of these dynasties, whether it’s in Formula One or in rally or any of the disciplines to include Le Mans. I mean, you had a stretch. With Audi, what of 11 wins 19 overall with Porsche, but they had a concentration of them before Toyota took [00:09:00] over between Audi.
And it’s just these long stretches of the same people winning over and over again. And so it feels like competition is at a minimum.
David Lowe: I was working with the museum prior to the race and they brought in all of the winning cars. I believe there was 82 winning cars. Maybe it’s 81 winning cars. They were able to get all of the winning cars at Le Mans over the 100 years back, except one.
But Tom Christensen’s cars were coming in and they were taking them off the track. Tom, Tom, okay, okay. But you didn’t, you don’t realize the legends that have just really. Dominated there as drivers. It’s impressive.
Crew Chief Eric: Over a hundred years, there’s been so many different winners, whether it’s Bugatti or Bentley or Simca, or, you know, some of the other brands that you’re just like, there’s been so many winners and there’s been dominant players as well, but I agree with you that moment when they pulled all the cars out of the museum, all the ones that could run under their own power and took them out on track for that half an hour for those parade laps.
And they were going at a good clip. That was the [00:10:00] moment at Le Mans for me, where it set it apart from everything else. It was seeing these cars that I’ve only seen in books, magazines and old movies and things like that out on track together. It was just absolutely amazing. And with some of their remaining drivers too, with these legends that you’re talking about, that was special.
For the
David Lowe: listeners that may miss the 24, the classic is one of my favorite Le Mans classics, every two years, that takes me back to my childhood. I get a chance to go out in the pace car or take a lap during the classic. It’s a little, a little easier to do things like that, but to hear those roar, don’t miss an opportunity to go to the classic.
Is
Crew Chief Eric: there a favorite Le Mans car of all time for you? Growing up was a GT40. So if I take you away from the VIP booths and the start finish and the ACO lounges and stuff, where’s David Lowe’s favorite place to watch? What’s your number one corner? I really
David Lowe: like Indianapolis. I really like being able to stand there.
It’s a little dangerous. Those rocks are a whole lot bigger than they look on TV. When they fly, you’ve got to be, [00:11:00] uh, on your toes. The other part is eight o’clock on, uh, Sunday morning. I’m usually working in the ACO headquarters and there’s a back door that goes out on a balcony. So I usually come out and get a cup of coffee and a croissant and go out on the main straightaway and watch the cars and you’ve got a great view of the pits activity.
You see them coming up through the Porsche curves. That’s really kind of my favorite time is eight o’clock on Sunday morning. Nobody’s around. It’s kind of quiet in the way of activity and I can have 15 minutes of just enjoyable time.
Crew Chief Eric: So let’s switch gears a little bit in the introduction. You know, I spelled out what ACO stands for, right?
Automobile club of the West. If you translate it from the French, the emphasis on automobile club, it should be obvious from their name that it’s a club, but many people just associate the ACO with the 24 hours, the race itself. So let’s shatter the glass a little bit and talk about the club. It’s members membership and what it’s really all about.
David Lowe: The ACO originally started out as what we would consider AAA. It’s the French equivalent of what we have. That’s [00:12:00] been grandfathered for the old members, but you can’t join it now, new. So they’ve kind of phased that over. But now the ACO, the club is, as they say, a club. The French package, if you would, the European package, provide you access to tickets early at a discount and some perks around the, the Lamar area, access to the, the museum, and a chance to go into the track every now and then.
If you’ve lived in Lamar or lived in France, you absolutely are gonna be a member of the A C o, and that’s the majority of the members of the A C O are French
Crew Chief Eric: people join all sorts of car clubs, whether it’s P C A or Ss C C A or others like we mentioned. Why the ACO and how do you become a member?
David Lowe: So what the ACO USA Members Club is, is a community of fans who are passionate and committed to the race and are ambassadors for the event as well as endurance racing in general.
What is our mission? The mission of the ACO USA Members Club is to create a vibrant community of [00:13:00] devoted fans who share a deep passion for the 24 Hours of Le Mans and are committed to sharing the thrills and excitement of this legendary race. Particularly with those that may not be able to attend in person.
That’s what we’re about. The ACO had traditionally been a way for a U. S. person going to the race to purchase their tickets early and get a little discount on the ticket. If you weren’t going to the race, there was no value. When I looked at the American market. And the fans of the 24, not everybody can afford to go to Le Mans when I took over as the ambassador, I made almost 400 phone calls a lot to pass members to say, Hey, why did you leave to existing members?
You know, why are you staying with us to try to get a pulse on it? One of the interesting revelations was the fact that Americans that can’t afford to go to Le Mans, go to the petite Le Mans as if it’s Le Mans. That was really an eye opener. And, you know, I took that back to Lamont and said, Hey guys, you know, Petit Lamont, yes, it’s an IMSA race, but [00:14:00] we have to be there because our fans are there.
When I set out last July, I had a blank canvas and I’m going to create a membership that addresses the real needs of the entire U S market. So we have created this incredible community of volunteers. And just less than a year that I’ve done some amazing things. And as I said, the last checkbox was to ensure that as a member of the ACO in the U S you would be able to watch the 24 live stream.
And that was the final checkbox of the membership package. And we’ve got that five days before the race. So as a member of the ACO, not able to attend the race live. You could plug in for the live stream of the race.
Crew Chief Eric: What’s great about this is even though the formalized ACO USA, let’s say is about a year old, maybe a little bit older.
It sounds like because of your passions, your interest in being involved in this for so long, it’s had some fits and starts along the way. And you’ve been petitioning for this for quite a while. And it’s great to see it become realized. So you mentioned [00:15:00] your eight big bullet points. And that last one was the live streaming available to the US members.
But what else was on that list? What other things did you do behind the scenes to really bring the ACO USA to where it is today? And you’re not alone in this journey. I met some of the board members that you’re involved with, some of these volunteers that are part of the head of the ACO USA. What are they doing and how are they helping you to continue to expand the program?
So you talked
David Lowe: about what my focus is. My focus is to give the members things that they can’t buy. Just like you saw in Le Mans, people would talk. Hey, you know how to ask the question, do you know who the first American woman, you know, no, no, well, it’s Margie Smith Hawes. Oh, really? Yeah. Would you like to meet her?
Oh, Margie, come over here and say, hi. It was, you know, people don’t expect that and that’s the type thing. And so we’ve had Jim Busby, Doc Bundy, and now we’re coming up on Ben Keating with a huge crowd, actually. We’ll be at almost capacity.
Crew Chief Eric: You know, when you look at the membership of any club, the ACO included in this case, granted it’s.
Again, one of the oldest [00:16:00] running clubs in the world. And why not be part of something like that? Getting in really here on the ground floor as part of the U. S. People are looking for exclusivity. You got to get a low membership number. That’s pretty awesome. That’s something to talk about. I got in in the beginning.
But there’s intangible things like these experiences, like the opportunity to ask a question to Ben Keating or Jim Busby or any of the legends really, or to meet them face to face. Like I had the privilege of doing at the 100th. But then there’s the tangible things like you mentioned live stream access, but there’s also other key differentiators from other car clubs or other motor sports clubs as well.
And those are the carryovers for American members still benefit from all of the perks. that the Europeans get as well. That’s
David Lowe: correct. So you still get the advance ticket option, uh, booking. You get all that plus one of the popular, which comes in our packages, your name on the fan wall, you know, your plaque on the fan wall.
That’s really kind of cool. And the legends like that just as much as the fans do. So it’s kind of funny that I’m the legend. [00:17:00] Give me a picture of my name on the wall, even though, you know, they have the club to pull out. But we have the fan wall. The other interesting thing that we have is a USA members only Facebook group.
And that’s kind of cool because you’ve got to be a member to have access. And the legends do post on their things that they wouldn’t open normally post on a public Facebook page, and they’ll engage a whole lot easier in the realm of a private Facebook group, that’s been really cool, as I said, we’ve just started out and through the graciousness of one of our members, actually, we’re going to have an event in San Diego.
It’s called Blown Away in San Diego. Sunset Sail on the Schooner America, which is actually the yacht that won the original America’s Cup race for which the race was named, followed by dinner at the San Diego Yacht Club. On the face, it’s like, well, a boat ride and dinner, but no, each table at the dinner will be hosted by a legend.
We’ve got a pretty good lineup and it’s actually growing because Steve Earl called me the other day and said, David, I’m [00:18:00] coming. Out of the blue, he had talked to Dick Barber, Dick had told him about the event, and Steve just called me up. I’m coming. Yes, sir. We’ll make room for you. So we have an incredible group of legends that show up.
Part of our agreement with the legends is we don’t use their name in our advertising. We don’t say, hey, join the ACO USA and talk to Ben, what have you. That’s not what we’re about. Although Ben knows that we do that. But that’s not our intent. But we do have an incredible lineup. Rick, Jim Busby, Doc Bundy, Margie, Steve Earle, and Jim, Rick, and Doc have not been together in the same place in over 30 years.
So this is like a legendary event. And. You’re going to be on the boat, be in the cocktail hour, each legend hosts a table. So you’re going to sit down and have dinner with a legend. So those are the type things that bringing the 24 to the fans in
Crew Chief Eric: America. It’s an awesome opportunity for folks. And then obviously it’s going to be an awesome experience if you’re able to go.
Outside of all of these perks and these wonderful [00:19:00] things that we’ve been mentioning, to include discounts on merchandise and all those things you can shop on the Le Mans store, it begs the question, for all this exclusivity and awesomeness, how much does it cost? It’s
David Lowe: only 98 euro. Depending on what the exchange rate, it’s like 105 a year.
It’s incredible value. You get back a whole lot more than 105. Even if you don’t go to the race, and that’s the whole focus, is to give you the value and not have to go to the race. To realize
Crew Chief Eric: it. I hear it all the time from people because it is a struggle every year to get the race on television. Well, I got Motor Trend.
Well, I don’t. And it’s on Peacock or it’s on this. It’s on some other thing. But with this, you bought in and now you have access to the race. If you’re a diehard fan, like many of us are of the 24, I personally try to stay up just like I did when I’m there in person as much as I can to not miss a moment of the action.
Having that access is super important. So for me, it’s worth its weight in gold to say. This year, next year and beyond, I can tune in and watch the race with no interruptions. And then I think a lot of people are going to benefit from that and [00:20:00] really enjoy that. There was one other thing that really stood out at Le Mans.
Obviously the hundredth was a big to do. It’s just like a week long circus with everything that happens at the
David Lowe: event. You know, when you think about Le Mans, you can’t take it all in at one time. And like I said, I’ve been going for quite a few years. Le Mans as an event is like a diamond. Each time I go. I see a different facet that I didn’t see before or didn’t notice before.
So each time you go, and you can go many times, but each time you’ll see something you didn’t see the last trip.
Crew Chief Eric: But there are specific designated areas at the track, the ACO lounges, that was also worth it. If you’re going over there, if you can afford to go, if you’re going to be there, there’s ACO lounges all over the main one up by Dunlop, ACO 18 by the Porsche boxes, you know, and throughout the rest of the track, it was well worth the discounts on food, stuff like that was amazing, but it.
Made me wonder, and you brought up Petit Le Mans earlier, it has a similar feel, but on a smaller scale with the ongoing growing relationship between WEC and IMSA, are [00:21:00] we going to see more bleed over from the ACO at IMSA events? Is there going to be something at Road Atlanta that we should be looking forward to anything that you can give us a little spoiler on what maybe some of your future plans are?
David Lowe: John Doonan and I have spent quite a bit of time together here, particularly at Le Mans during the 24, I had a chance to spend quite a few hours with him discussing how IMSA could develop a fan club, integrate how would that look, ACO slash IMSA relationship. So it’s certainly something that we’re looking at because we promote all endurance racing.
So we’re not exclusive. We have one race. However, we do have the WEC races. So that’s something that people really haven’t grasped yet. So the ACO does run the WEC series of which Le Mans is one race in that series. If you followed the WEC championship series. I think there’s a lot of significant opportunities for us to work together.
I use the example. We used it in the wood industry. Everybody’s competing for market share. Your percent of the [00:22:00] market is never going to change. If you have 15 percent of the market, it’s not going to change to 20 overnight. It probably never will. It won’t. So what you’ve got to do is make the pie bigger.
So if we grow the fan base in the U. S. Everybody benefits because their share of that pie will continue to grow. Personally, I’d like to see a couple of WEC races in the U. S., maybe one on the East Coast, one on the West Coast. Now, I’m not involved with that, but if we had a membership base that would dictate that, absolutely, WECs would certainly have to consider that.
Crew Chief Eric: Would it be a stretch to say that maybe in the future, with our ACO membership, not only would we get to see Le Mans? on a live stream, but maybe some of the other races in the series that we don’t have access to.
David Lowe: So on the ACO webpage, you do have access to the films of all the WEC series, not live, but after the fact.
So I think one of the requests that we have for the 2024 action plan is not only the live feed for the 24, but also the live feed for the WEC [00:23:00] races. So that would continue to expand the package for the U. S. members now. They don’t get the live stream anyplace else as part of their membership, only in the U.
S. And
Crew Chief Eric: so now you take that 100 and you divide it over the course of, let’s say, 12 races in the series, that 100 suddenly became really, really cheap. If you’re looking at a monthly race that you could watch even in replay form, that’s better access than we have today here in the States. I think that’s good value for money, considering everything else you can pile on top of that membership cost.
You know, you mentioned some upcoming ACO events. Anything else you have in the
David Lowe: works? Anything else you can share? I just, in preparation for the 2024 plan, we’ve identified 16 nodes in the U S that will be our focus in the coming year and node was defined as an area with 10 or more members within a 40 mile radius.
So we’ve got 16 of those across the country. My idea is that once the race film for 2023 comes out, that I’ll travel around to each one of these nodes, we’ll have a watch party, we’ll sit down and [00:24:00] watch the entire race film with chicken tenders and nachos. I found that the members don’t like wings. They love chicken tenders, but they don’t like the wings.
So chicken tenders,
Crew Chief Eric: not just. I know a lot of things come out in the newsletter, which is actually a fantastic read. At this point, you’ve put out more than a dozen newsletters. So anything else upcoming that you’d like to share with maybe potential members that are going, I need to sign up now. It’s no time like the present.
David Lowe: We’re on a real drive right now. Our next big event will be at the Petit Le Mans. We’ll have a booth there. As we get a little closer, we’re also planning to have a meetup, so we’ll have some sort of social function. We will go to Coda next year. The WEC will be in Coda. Texas is a big market for us, so I’m excited about that.
California is growing very, very quickly. As I said, Margie’s out there just doing an incredible job networking for us out there, as well as Rick. And we’ve got an incredible set of volunteers in Florida and in the D. C.
Crew Chief Eric: area. I’m glad you brought up volunteers. And we’ve mentioned it several times already.
You always need help. You’re [00:25:00] always looking for more people. Why don’t you describe for our audience What some of the opportunities that ACO members could be involved in, how they can help talents that you’re looking for, the types of things that you just need help with, there’s only so many hours in a day and people to go around.
So what’s on your list of things you need to get accomplished. We’ve
David Lowe: got an incredible range of volunteers. We’ve got a whole set of lawyers now working on our next steps as a club. Of course, there are legal aspects to this, so they’re definitely. Pro bono work, helping us get set up in the areas that we need to do.
We’ve got graphic artists, IT folks, sales people are the type that they’ll pick up the phone. They’re, they’re not afraid to cold call people. We have folks that do the setup for our events, organize the meetups, catering. One volunteer that does this incredible job with swag, getting it ordered, getting it picked out, getting all the, everything, get it shipped out.
It’s just incredible. Can’t say enough. Thanks, William. Ruben Sanchez has done just an absolute incredible job [00:26:00] with, with our Facebook account, getting the media, getting the, uh, posting. So that’s a humongous task. So, you know, people that are social media savvy, there are a couple of people out there that like to support that by all means.
Cause I don’t have the time.
Crew Chief Eric: Well, it sounds like ask and you shall receive some sort of task. So we’ll give people your contact information at the tail end of the episode here. But if you’re looking to become a member or are already a member and want to give back to the ACO, sounds like David has some open opportunities for you to contribute and be a bigger part of this growing organization.
I mean, obviously we’re going to do our best to try to help you guys out as well. We want to be involved. There’s a bunch of us here at GTM that are members of the ACO. We saw this opportunity to get in on the ground floor, be a of something of legend. This is just a great way to give back to the racing community.
And there’s a lot of different ways to do that. I’m glad that you have this opportunity open and available for people.
David Lowe: And like I said, we’ve got 16 nodes and over the next couple of months, I’ll be looking to identify individuals within those 16 areas that want to [00:27:00] take a more active role because I just physically can’t travel to each one of these every time.
So we’ll be looking for people in those areas that want to step up. As you saw when you met in Le Mans, it was pretty cool. Give back to a large group of volunteers. I was able to get credentialed for the race, which is kind of a really cool thing. If you’ve never been credentialed, particularly for the 24, that’s a really cool perk.
So they put in the hours for it, but I was able to recognize them with that.
Crew Chief Eric: As we kind of move into our final segment here, I want to talk more about the legends, more detail on them, how they’re involved in the club, even outside of like. Just the speaking engagements that they’re doing in some of these events.
Who else is out there? Who else is a figurehead for the ACO USA?
David Lowe: Harley Cluxton is my counterpart for Club de Pulo in the U S and Harley and I are working very, very close to merge the legends. with the fans and get them involved. The legends really, really, they’re over the moon about the activity that we’re having, an opportunity for them to get involved in [00:28:00] something active and a chance to meet the fans, to talk, to share.
And you understand these guys have stories to tell and they want to tell. For those that are a member, Brian Redman gave us an incredible memoir. It was a donation to the club. And it was actually given to Reuben by Brian, and he asked Reuben to share it with the club. And we waited until after the race, because that was the most appropriate time to do that.
And I don’t want to give it away, but if you have not read it, I believe Brian is 82 years old, a very, very accomplished person. And for him to have written what he did. It’s incredible. Man that has everything has five regrets.
Crew Chief Eric: And we don’t want to spoil them. You got to
David Lowe: read. I don’t want to spoil them.
I’m just saying those are the type of things that we’re getting from the legends. They have a lot to give back. We don’t have the wherewithal to pay, uh, appearance fees. We’re a nonprofit working on a shoestring budget. But the legends understand they want to contribute and they do.
Crew Chief Eric: You talked about competition earlier and make the pie bigger so that your slice of the [00:29:00] pie gets bigger being in business, as you have been for many years, you know, you gotta be forward thinking about this and the club is growing at a very rapid rate and it’s going to continue to expand.
So we talked about some short term goals, but what about some of your longer term? What’s the five and 10 year
David Lowe: outlook for the ACO USA? I don’t want to give all the secrets away, but as we talk about intermission statement, we want to share the thrills and excitement, particularly with those that may not be able to attend in person.
I want everybody to have a chance to go. And then for those that are thinking about to go, we do have an incredible prep program, Zoom meetings, guidebooks for people that are interested in or considering going to Le Mans. It’s usually about a 12 month planning process for the first time, getting your budget right, you know, figuring out.
Where are you going to stay and what you want to do? So we have a whole series of zoom meetings with, with a team that walked
Crew Chief Eric: you through the steps. As we planned out my trip for the hundredth, it took us about two years. And we were by ourselves trying to figure out all the ins and outs, reading blog posts and experiences of other people, and just trying to discern, you know, what it [00:30:00] was going to be like when you got there, expectations, you know, what you do’s and don’ts, all those kinds of things.
Going to Lamont is not like going to your local NASCAR race or even an IMSA race for the weekend. And Petite’s a big deal. And some of the other races are too, but Lamont was a week long of sleepless nights and a lot of things that we couldn’t anticipate and you just had to adjust for the minute you landed at De Gaulle and it all kind of went downhill from there, but I don’t regret a minute of it.
And it was worth every moment of painstaking planning that it took to get me there. So if you’re looking into making your travel arrangements to the hundred and first Lamar and beyond definitely take up the ACO and their wealth of knowledge on how to arrange this sort of trip.
David Lowe: You definitely want to take advantage of what the members club has to offer.
Like you talked about the, uh, ACO Tribune, 1718. That’s my go to Tribune. Purchase access to La Chapelle, which is incredible, uh, hospitality facility [00:31:00] located there, uh, just beyond the Dunlop bridge, which is an incredible, uh, Viewing of Tetra Rouge, you know, cars coming through the Dunlop. It’s a great place to view as well as the hospitality tents area.
Honestly, big screen TVs give you the best view. They’re just these huge screens and you hear the sound right there and you see him right now on the big screen. So it’s a, it’s a wonderful place. Plan to go for a week. If you only go for the day of the race, you’re going to miss a lot. You need to. Kind of watch the race come alive.
The pits get built out and you want to get a paddock pass. Might cost you a few extra dollars. You want to do that with the club. So you’ve got access to La Chapelle and the members areas there at T17. So, but in the meantime, throughout the year, as we build up, you’ve got these events that we’re putting together around the country.
Got the zoom meetings each month, evening with a legend, which. Absolutely are incredible. We’re open to suggestions. A lot of the ideas we get come from volunteers that actually set it up for us. We have a lot of past presidents from other car clubs that are members that provide good [00:32:00] sound wisdom and guidance for us as we grow our wings, if you will.
Well, David, we
Crew Chief Eric: reached that part of the episode where I get to ask any shout outs, promotions, or anything else you’d like to share that we haven’t covered thus far. I tell
David Lowe: the story was on a meeting one night at nine o’clock. One of the staff wanted to do a follow up call as he was asking me that I got a text message from Margie.
That’s Margie Smith Haas. She said she wanted to talk to me. I said, listen, I’m going to need 15 minutes. I need to return this call. I hadn’t spoken with her before. She said she wanted to talk to me. So I’ve got to take this call. That was at nine o’clock at 11 o’clock. I said, Margie, I’m going to have to hang up now because I’ve got to get up at five o’clock in the morning.
Make a long story short. Margie’s lost her husband in. late March. This was in early April when I was talking with her, and she was really in the doldrums. But in the course of that two hours, she went from a low to this high in the sky. And in the course of conversations, she said, well, you know, Paul would have really wanted me to go to the 24 this year.
I’m going, Margie, I don’t know how [00:33:00] that we can do that. We’re sold out for the race. There are no tickets. And I felt really bad. I said, well, I can’t really promise you anything, Margie. So the next morning I called the committee member and I said, yeah, I’m sorry, I didn’t get back with you last night. It was Margie and she really wants to go to race.
And I don’t know how we could pull that off. There are no tickets. And then there was a silence on the line and he said, I’ll give her one of mine. That’s incredible community. That’s just an example of the way the members step up and take care of one another. Absolutely takes you away.
Crew Chief Eric: And I’m glad you brought Margie up.
And we hope to have her on a subsequent episode of break fix here in the near future. And for those that are tuning in and wondering, Who is she exactly? She’s one of the Le Mans legends, and she’s the first woman from the United States to run at Le Mans. She actually predates Lynn St. James by about four years, and she did it in a Porsche 935.
So quite the achievement to be the first woman, especially American woman to run at Le Mans. So I got to meet her. She was an absolute delight to talk to. And again, I hope to have her on the show here in the near future. Oh, [00:34:00] absolutely. And
David Lowe: for those listening, I just wanted to point out that. Jim Busby was the driver that transitioned Margie to the 935 and she hasn’t met him in almost 40 years.
Yeah, talk about an amazing reunion. When Jim did his evening with the legend, Margie was in the audience and I got her in the room early so she could talk to him, but she hadn’t spoken with him for 40 years and to see that was priceless. Just a shout out to Ruben Sanchez, who is our media director. He hooked me up with Rick Newt early on when we started, and Rick was gracious enough to be our first Evening with a Legend.
It’s an event that we have once a month. Right now we focus just on the 24 hours, so the presentation is just about the 24, and then you have a chance to ask them a question live right there on the Zoom. And it’s really kind of funny to watch as the moderator. He’ll get to the end and says, Anybody have a question?
It’s like tearing the headlight. What are you going to ask a legend that’s going to be nearly as engaging as what they’ve just been telling you for, for the last 45 minutes. But people are getting a little more brave now and [00:35:00] they’ll start asking questions. But early on, they wouldn’t ask a question just because the legends and their stories are just so captivating that it’s intimidating to ask a question.
Hopefully we’ve got members watching your episode tonight, a real shout out to all the volunteers and the legends that have gotten us this far in such a short period of time and the gracious hospitality of people like yourself and other folks that have lent and contributed to our success along the way.
So many things. From the awe
Crew Chief Eric: inspiring speed demons that have graced the track to the courageous drivers who have pushed the limits of endurance, the 24 Hours of Le Mans is an automotive spectacle like no other. For over a century, the 24 Hours of Le Mans has urged manufacturers to innovate for the benefit of future motorists, and it’s a celebration of the relentless pursuit of speed and excellence in the world of motorsports.
To learn more about the ACO USA, you can reach out to David via email at d. lowe at aco lemans.[00:36:00]
org. And if you’d like to become a member of the ACO, look no further than www. lemans. org, click on English in the upper right corner, and then click on the ACO Members tab for club offers. As a member, you can follow all the action. On the Facebook group, ACO USA members club. And with that, David, I cannot thank you enough for coming on break fix, sharing your personal story, your journey through LeMans all the way to the head of the ACO USA and helping promote one of the longest running, but fastest growing new motorsport and vehicle enthusiast clubs in the world.
So thank you for everything you’re doing. And we look forward to your continued progress and being part of the
David Lowe: next a hundred years of LeMans. We certainly appreciate the opportunity to promote on your show. It was very gracious of you to have us. Thank you so much, Eric. It’s been an honor and a pleasure.
Thank you.
Crew Chief Eric: Are you tired of just sitting in the pits? Explore the many advantages of becoming an ACO member today. ACO [00:37:00] membership benefits. Exclusive to the United States include live streaming of the 24 hours of LeMans free practices one, two, three, and four qualifying, hyper pole, morning warmup, and the race.
You can get your member name on the fan wall at the famous LeMans circuit. Invitations to an evening with a legend series presentations that are exclusive to USA members where a legend of the famous 24 hours will share stories and highlights of the big event regular interactive video conferences featuring technical experts and racing personalities as well as ACO USA member merchandise, but most of all, as a member of the automobile club of the West in the United States, you will be part of a community of fans that share your passion for the excitement of the 24 hours of Le Mans and endurance racing around the world.
If you’d like to become a member of the ACO, look no further than www. lemans. org. Click on English in the upper right corner, and then click on the ACO [00:38:00] members tab for club offers.
Crew Chief Brad: If you like what you’ve heard and want to learn more about GTM, be sure to check us out on www. gtmotorsports. org. You can also find us on Motorsports. Also, if you want to get involved or have suggestions for future shows, you can call or text us at 202 630 1770. Or send us an email at crewchief at gtmotorsports.
org. We’d love to hear from you.
Crew Chief Eric: Hey everybody, Crew Chief Eric here. We really hope you enjoyed this episode of BreakFix, and we wanted to remind you that GTM remains a no annual fees organization, and our goal is to continue to bring you quality episodes like this one at no charge. As a loyal listener, please consider subscribing to our Patreon for bonus and behind the scenes content, extra goodies, and GTM swag.
For as little as 2 and 50 cents a month, you can keep our developers, writers, [00:39:00] editors, casters, and other volunteers fed on their strict diet of fig Newtons, gummy bears, and monster. Consider signing up for Patreon today at www. patreon. com forward slash GT motorsports, and remember without fans, supporters, and members like you.
None of this would be possible.
Highlights
Skip ahead if you must… Here’s the highlights from this episode you might be most interested in and their corresponding time stamps.
- 00:00 Introduction to BreakFix Podcast
- 01:30 Guest Introduction: David Lowe
- 01:50 David Lowe’s Early Motorsport Memories
- 03:15 First Le Mans Experience
- 03:54 A Chance Encounter in Thailand
- 06:00 Involvement with ACO and Motorsport
- 07:23 Reflections on Le Mans Centennial
- 11:28 The ACO Club and Membership
- 14:34 ACO USA: Building a Community
- 18:52 Membership Perks and Costs
- 19:26 Access to the Race and Viewing Options
- 20:00 Le Mans Experience and ACO Lounges
- 20:48 Future Plans and Collaborations
- 24:54 Volunteer Opportunities and Contributions
- 27:26 Legends and Their Stories
- 29:16 Planning Your Trip to Le Mans
- 31:38 Upcoming Events and Community Engagement
- 35:09 Final Thoughts and Shoutouts
Bonus Content
There's more to this story!
Be sure to check out the behind the scenes for this episode, filled with extras, bloopers, and other great moments not found in the final version. Become a Break/Fix VIP today by joining our Patreon.
All of our BEHIND THE SCENES (BTS) Break/Fix episodes are raw and unedited, and expressly shared with the permission and consent of our guests.
Learn More
To learn more about ACO USA, you can reach out to David via email at d.lowe@aco-lemans.org and if you’d like to become a member of the ACO, look no further than www.lemans.org, Click on English in the upper right corner and then click on the ACO members tab for Club Offers. As a member you can follow all the action on the FaceBook group ACOUSAMembersClub.
The ACO USA isn’t just a ticketing service – it’s a community. David made nearly 400 phone calls to past and present members to understand what they wanted. The result? A club that offers exclusive access to live streams, private Facebook groups, and events that money can’t buy.
One standout event is “Blown Away in San Diego,” a sunset sail aboard the Schooner America followed by dinner at the San Diego Yacht Club. Each table is hosted by a racing legend – Jim Busby, Doc Bundy, Margie Smith-Haas, Steve Earle, and more. These legends don’t just show up – they engage, share stories, and connect with fans in ways that transcend autographs and selfies.
Membership Perks and Future Plans
For just €98 (about $105), members get:
- Early access to discounted race tickets
- Name on the fan wall at Le Mans
- Exclusive merchandise and discounts
- Private Facebook group access
- Live stream of the 24 Hours of Le Mans
- Invitations to member-only events
And the club is growing. With 16 regional “nodes” identified across the U.S., David plans to host watch parties featuring the full race film – complete with chicken tenders and nachos (wings are out, apparently). The club will also be present at Petit Le Mans and WEC’s return to COTA in 2024.
ACO USA thrives on volunteer power. From lawyers and graphic designers to social media managers and event planners, there’s room for everyone. “Ask and you shall receive a task,” David joked. Whether it’s organizing meetups or packing swag, members are stepping up to build something legendary.
David Lowe’s story is proof that motorsports isn’t just about speed – it’s about connection, legacy, and passion. Whether you’re a lifelong fan or new to endurance racing, ACO USA offers a front-row seat to history. As David says, “Le Mans is like a diamond. Each time you go, you see a different facet.” So why not become part of the legend?
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