“I am fueled by hard work, sacrifice, dedication, Friday night lights, and dirt in my face. I am fueled by living on the edge, adrenaline, speed, and the taste of victory. I am Carl Bowser, driver of the #10 Sprint, fueled by Turner Iced Tea.”

That is the commercial that was filmed at Lernerville that shares Bowser’s thoughts about racing and his sponsor. It can be seen during NASCAR races or on YouTube. Bowser is a 25-year-old driver who lives in Sarver and already has secured two Sprint Championships, 2011 and 2014.

Carl’s dad Terry Bowser introduced him to racing at Lernerville as a young lad.

Bowser would watch Sprint driver Ed Lynch Jr race and barring mechanical problems, he said, “I knew if Lynch Jr started on the pole, he was going to win the race.”

At Freeport High School, Bowser played baseball in junior high but did not play in senior high because the games interfered with racing. Instead, he was a member of the basketball and track teams.

Terry Bowser Excavating became involved in racing by sponsoring Ralph Spithaler’s Sprint for about 10 years. Meanwhile, Carl and his dad bought a 270cc micro sprint and parts from Keith Barbara, who had joined the Late Model ranks.

Carl ran a few races in 2003 and then won nine races in 2004 before moving up to the 410’s in 2005. His car was No. 10 because his sports jersey was that number.

He earned Lernerville’s Rookie of the Year Award that season. He has also won the Auto Racers for Kids Driver of the Year Award (2009) and Lernerville’s Sportsmanship Award (2011), two of his favorites.

Terry Bowser bought a Sprint in 2008 and Carl and his dad raced together four years.

Last November, Carl went to work for his wife Kristen, who has a Motor Sports Marketing and Social Media Company, DirtyMouth Communications. They help tracks do events, coach drivers and plan dirt classics.

This season, as the defending track champion at Lernerville, Carl did not want to rest on his laurels. The crew made several changes to the car. The first two races resulted in a DNF (did not finish). The crew backed off some of the new innovations and kept about 50 percent of them. The immediate result was his first 2015 feature win.

The last show at Lernerville, Carl looked at the pit board and noticed that Ed Lynch Jr started on the pole of the 25-lap race and he was starting 10th. The race began and Bowser started weaving his way through the pack. On lap 18 of the race, he used the high side of the track, to steer around the veteran Lynch Jr and then went on to post his second win of 2015.

In victory lane the humble Bowser once again said, “When you see a guy as good as Ed Lynch, Jr. start on the pole, you think you don’t have much of a chance that night, especially when you’re starting 10th.

“We’re different from most teams in that we try a lot of new things in the beginning of the season to get better later on,” Bowser said. “After six wins last year, it was tough to question what we were doing, but we’re constantly trying to get better and it seems to be paying off now.”

This was his 23rd career win in the 410’s, with 16 at Lernerville, three at PA Motor and four at Mercer. Carl Bowser may be the next Sprint icon in years to come.

His crew chief is Mike Shick. Other team members are his brother Zane Bowser, Cody Weibel, Jeff Swartzlander, his dad, mom, Ruth, sister Michaela, and wife Kristen.

The drivers Carl enjoyed watching throughout the years are Sprint chauffeurs Mark Kinser in his No. 10 and Dale Blaney. He hopes to run more regional UHOH All Star Sprints races as well as World of Outlaws Sprints competition this season.

Heavy hitters

All Star Sprint drivers Dale Blaney and Cody Darrah were the heavy hitters at Attica Speedway finishing first and second in the recent World of Outlaws Sprint feature there.

Bolland returns

After three years, Kevin Bolland returned to Modified racing at Sharon, where he scored a fifth in the main event. Over the winter Sharon has added new clay surface to the track.

Tradition continues

JR McGinley continues a 65-year family tradition of racing by winning a 358 Modified feature at Mercer Raceway.

His grandfather John McGinley raced in the ‘50’s. His other grandfather was the late Dick Rankin, who won a track championship at Lernerville in the modifieds in 1995 and his uncle Craig Rankin, who was the sprint champions in 1995.

UNOH All-Stars

Saturday night PA Motor Speedway presents the UNOH All Stars Circuit of Champions plus the first appearance of the Super Late Models, Mercer Raceway will have the Crate Lates as their feature class.

Carol Gamble is a racing columnist for the Butler Eagle.