Two Bay Area Vintage Car Racers Form The 'Two Boars Racing' Team to Drive in Mexico's Historic Carrera Panamericana

Terry O'Reilly and Pat McDowell to race a restored 1949 Lincoln in famous 2,200-mile race

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 31 -- Terry O'Reilly and Pat McDowell, two veteran Bay Area vintage car racers, have formed a team called "Two Boars Racing" and have entered their 1949 Lincoln in the 2200 mile Carrera Panamericana to be held in Mexico, November 10th through the 16th.

The race, begun in 1950 to celebrate the opening of the Pan American Highway, lures seasoned drivers from around the world to race vintage cars from Oaxaca, in the center of Mexico to Monterrey with stops in Puebla, Morelia and Zacatecas among others cities. The cars often reach speeds of 190 miles per hour. The race is helped along with the assistance of Mexico's Federal police. About 100 cars are entered in this test of skill and endurance.

The cars are all pre-1955. The car that O'Reilly and McDowell have entered, a 1949 Lincoln Coupe, ran in the 1950 Carrera Panamericana as Car 54. The car failed to start on the fourth day. A Lincoln expert looking for parts found the car years later in a San Jose wrecking yard. This fully restored Lincoln ran successfully in the California Mille this year and is now being prepared by Ian Gordon Racing in Sonoma CA for the Carrera Panamericana event.

The race began in 1950 with current model cars. Due to safety concerns, the high-speed race was cancelled after the Le Mans 1955 disaster. The Carrera was resumed in the 1980s as a rally for vintage cars only. The famous Porsche Carrera was named in honor of this race.

O'Reilly, a resident of San Mateo, grew up in England, a great fan of early racing legends Mike Hawthorne and Duncan Hamilton. His first car was a Morgan and he has owned a large number of sports and racing cars even since. His collection includes a 1949 Talbot Lago T26 drophead, to a 1949 Jaguar 120. O'Reilly has raced in a number of long-distance rallies, including several Copperstate and Ferrari Challenge events. He is Director of the Candy Store, a private motorcar museum in Burlingame, CA. O'Reilly is the founding partner of O'Reilly & Danko, one of the nation's top trial law firms.

McDowell lives in San Francisco and is a long time car buff. Since the mid-1970s he has owned a series of sports and racing cars, primarily Ferraris.

In 1996, McDowell was co-driver in the famous Mille Magalia in Italy in a 1957 Reventlow Scarab. From 1995 to 2000 he spent 50 days a year in a formula race care, driving primarily in the Russell Racing series at Sears Point and other California tracks. He has raced in both amateur and professional series.

McDowell is the founder of McDowell Properties, a real estate investment company that focuses on the acquisition and renovation of apartment communities throughout the Southwestern and Southeastern United States.