It looks like 2009 could be a breakout year for Kyle Fowler in the Pro Late Model ranks. Fowler was knocking on the door of some big things in his final races of 2008 and now he is determined and focused on getting his first Late Model win this season. If Fowler could get that first victory in the Pro Late Model portion of SpeedFest at Lanier National Speedway, it would be a storybook win for him. The youngster grew up in Smyrna, just an hour from Lanier. "I think that we have a really good shot at winning SpeedFest," Fowler said. "We know track conditions at Lanier change a lot and we think we can stay ahead of the changes and be really strong."
Fowler ran the Ice Cold Shriners’ Bowl earlier this month at Lanier and had one of the fastest cars in the field. After qualifying third, he raced in the top five all day long. A miscue with a lapped car caused Fowler to spin just 30 laps from the finish. He would recover to finish seventh.
"We learned about some things last weekend at the Shriners’ Bowl that we need to do," Fowler said. "We have some things we want to adjust on the chassis, and we’re going to try some different lines on the race track to make our car better."
One key to Fowler’s success has been the addition of former racecar driver Mike Garvey to his team. Garvey has won more than 20 events on the old ASA National Tour, including a pair of All American 400s. Serving as crew chief and driver coach, Garvey has taken Fowler under his wing and taught him so much in a short amount of time.
"He always knows what changes to make to the car," Fowler said of Garvey. "Being a former driver, he knows what to do to help you with the line on the track — more so than any other crew chief. We learned a lot by watching those guys who were up front last week. I think we will be able to keep up with them this time."
SpeedFest is a three-day event consisting of CRA Super Late Models and Georgia Asphalt Series Pro Late Models. The festivities start Friday, with practice and qualifying on Saturday, and racing action on Sunday.