Flight cancellations significantly delayed Lowe, who ultimately took an indirect route from Manchester to Orlando via London and New York.
The Wolverhampton, England-based racer was a notable absentee in free practice and, after getting his first sighting of the notoriously bumpy Sebring circuit in Qualifying, his programme was curtailed further when a water leak forced him to retire on lap four of Friday’s 90-minute endurance race.
Wet weather tyres were required in Saturday’s (18 January) practice sessions, but the Floridian circuit dried out in time for Qualifying and Lowe took the #35 Radical SR3 to tenth on the 27-strong grid.
There was still work to be done to acclimatise to Sebring’s unique demands, but Lowe improved on his starting position to finish ninth in race one and then mustered an eighth-place result from the second contest, a Safety Car planting him at the centre of entertaining battles with a wide array of cars, including GT1-specification Porsches.
Lowe’s confidence was relatively high by Sunday (19 January) morning and he took his SR3 from eighth to fifth in what turned out to be a lonely, uneventful third race, which served as an opportunity to improve his consistency by refining his driving and attacking the braking zones.
The British racer took a significant step forward by racing the stopwatch under the tutelage of EVR Motorsports Team Principal and DW Racing driver coach, Tom Gladdis, as he repeatedly posted personal best lap times on his way into the top five.
However, inclement weather was on the horizon and the championship organisers chose to condense Sunday’s programme by amalgamating two series into one final race, which commenced on a bone dry track.
The rain eventually arrived on lap ten and Lowe’s experience of racing on wet tracks in the Radical Cup UK shone through, as he scythed his way into first position at the expense of rivals who appeared to lack confidence in the low-grip conditions.
Lowe himself was unsure of how much grip Sebring’s concrete surface would yield, but his pace was such that he was able to back off the throttle with six laps remaining, gapping drivers in much faster machinery to seal a valiant race win on his NASA Winterfest debut.
“I have had a thoroughly enjoyable weekend racing in the 2025 National Auto Sport Association Winterfest at Sebring International Raceway,” said Lowe. “Just getting to Florida was a challenge, and my progress was hindered because I missed Friday practice. Brushing the barriers and then retiring only four laps into race one with a water leak also prevented me from getting acquainted with the demands of the bumpy Sebring circuit, which is nothing like I’ve ever driven before – the concrete rattles your brain and you have to hold onto the steering wheel for dear life, but it’s a great experience that makes me appreciate the smooth British and Middle-Eastern tracks more.
“I got my head down and worked hard with Tom (Gladdis) to get to grips with what is very a physically demanding circuit. I ended up posting personal best lap times on Sunday morning, but then the rain hit and my experience of racing in the changeable British weather paid dividends, as I pushed on to victory in the final race of the weekend. It’s a great result and I’m sure this experience will help me going forward into the next round of the Gulf Radical Cup at Yas Marina Circuit.”