Fowler’s Georgia Asphalt Series Success Continues at Peachstate
14-Year-Old Driver Starts on Pole, Runs up Front All Day Long
To look at young Kyle Fowler, you’d think the rookie should be racing in one of the support divisions for the Georgia Asphalt Series. But in reality the 14-year-old, fresh-faced youngster is one of the rising stars of the GAS Series, and he showed it again on Saturday night in the first extra-distance race of the GAS season.
Fowler qualified fifth, started from the pole after the redraw and ran up front all night long to match his best-career GAS finish, coming home fourth in the final rundown in the Summer Sizzler 150 at Peachstate Speedway in Jefferson, GA.
“Now I know why they call it the Summer Sizzler; it’s hot and the cars are sizzling after the race,” joked Fowler after the event, which saw temperatures in the upper 90s all afternoon long.
“It was a good night for us. We got up in the high groove and tried to save some tires. I am still amazed how much grip there was up on the high side.”
Fowler matched a fourth-place finish from Peachstate just two races ago. One thing he didn’t match from a few races ago was trouble at the start of the event. Just like he did at Lanier National Speedway, Fowler started from the pole after the redraw. However, unlike at Lanier, Fowler didn’t miss a shift at the start and was able to run up front with the leaders all night long.
“I realized that I am never going to miss another shift on the start again if I can help it,” added Fowler. “We lost so much time at Lanier because of it.
“Late in the race, we were trying to pass the #98 (eventual race winner Russell Fleeman) for third place. We kept getting under him and I could get to his door, but we didn’t have enough grip to pass him.”
The Summer Sizzler 150 was the first GAS race of the season to run 150 laps instead of the customary 100. With Peachstate Speedway being one of the most abrasive tracks in the Southeast, Fowler was able to hold on and conserve his tires to keep himself in contention to win.
“Every one of the tires is worn out, but we did everything we could and we came out of it okay. This is a great night for us and just what we needed. We are really starting to learn these cars and we are starting to gain some momentum. I feel like when we come back here the next time, we’ll be just that much better. That is what we want to do each time we come to these tracks. We want to keep improving and learning more from the races that we run so that next time we’ll be that much better.”
Heading into the Summer Sizzler 150, Fowler was eighth in GAS points and was leading the charge for the Rookie of the Year title. Following his fourth-place finish, Fowler will likely gain several more spots.
For more information on Kyle Fowler, contact Matt Kentfield at (704) 788-2134 x 5 and be sure to check out the all-new KyleFowler.net.
