Ken Rowley, who drove in ARCA Menards Series and USAC Stock Car Series races from 1974-1998, died October 19, 2024, in Florida at the age of 77.
Racing out of El Paso, Illinois near Bloomington, Rowley began his career in 1971 and was 1973 champion at Henry’s Speedway in Boswell Indiana. The USAC Stock Car Series provided Rowley great success early in his career as the 1974 Rookie of the Year and 1976 USAC Stock Most Improved Driver when he finished sixth in points, driving cars owned by his brother Ernie Rowley and Bill Hendren.
In the series’ final year of existence, 1984, he was championship runner-up, and won the final race ever run, a preliminary event at Eldora Speedway with the main event rained out and never rescheduled. Rowley then, with father-in-law Ken Smith and Rusty Erlenbusch as owners, joined a group of USAC Stock Car Series racers who transitioned to the ARCA Menards Series in the mid-1980s after running USAC and ARCA co-sanctioned events at the Springfield, DuQuoin and Milwaukee mile tracks.
His wife Gail was the team scorer, attending every race Rowley ran throughout his career. His ARCA career highlights included pole qualifying awards at DuQuoin in 1989 and 1990, best finishes of third at DuQuoin, Springfield and Toledo, and other top five finishes at the St. Louis International Raceway and Heartland Park Topeka road courses. In 43 career ARCA starts he had eight top five and 14 top 10 finishes.
Rowley, a commercial truck driver by trade, underwent a successful double lung transplant procedure in 2009. He and Gail still attended the mile dirt races at DuQuoin, where they met 50 years ago, and where he had his best runs in USAC and ARCA. The couple moved to Punta Gorda, Florida, a decade ago.
Ken Rowley is survived by his wife of 48 years, Gail; daughters Stacey, Jacque and Loni; 5 grandchildren; one great-grandchild; a brother; and a sister.
The family is planning a Celebration of Life for Nov. 17 at Davis Lodge on Lake Bloomington in his native Illinois.