The holeshot success continued for Fowler in the UTV race where he was the first to enter the woods from the third row. A UTV veteran passed Fowler on the second lap, but that allowed him to latch onto the back and learn some new tactics. When mechanical issues struck the driver in front of him, Fowler powered back by and continued the quick pace.

Many other drivers faced mechanical issues, but Fowler’s machine stood up to the test and his careful navigation through the South Carolina woods moved him into podium contention on adjusted time. Even though Fowler was in competition with the newly allowed turbo machines, his Yamaha 1000 YXZ made a statement where Fowler scored his first ever UTV podium in third.

The UTV races are a battle of attrition so if you keep the machine safe, odds are you will do pretty well,” explained Fowler. “Many drivers had issues and with adjusted time so I was able to land my first career podium. I don’t have a turbo vehicle, but I still feel like it’s plenty competitive and my goal for this season is to simply score points at all six rounds.”

After a successful opening round, Fowler felt confident heading into the Wild Boar GNCC this past weekend in Florida after training nearby for most of the winter season. Fowler got off to a great start and secured the lead before entering the woods. The champ used his expertise to set a quick pace and had nearly 30-seconds on second place when he checked through timing and scoring at the conclusion of the first lap. Fowler knew the demanding track had a potential to take its toll, so he reeled in his pace until his pit stop. Once he had a fresh tank of fuel, Fowler looked to power his way through the second half of the race.

Unfortunately, lap three didn’t go as well for Fowler as the first two did. Fowler slightly veered off the trail and clipped an unforgiving objected that booted him off his machine. Fowler’s quad stayed right-side up and once he remounted he noticed the steering was drastically bent. GNCC Racing is known for having multiple course obstacles, and Fowler told himself it was just another obstacle he had to face. After a few close calls within the next few miles, Fowler adjusted and picked back up the pace to secure his second overall win of the season. “Two races, two wins. That was the goal and we can check another one off the list,” said Fowler.

After the champagne was popped, Fowler traded in his gear for a fire suit and rushed to the start line for the UTV race. After making his first ever podium at Big Buck, Fowler had set some high goals for not only this race, but also the rest of the season. “I just tried to focus on remembering the keys to driving, which meant I apparently forgot how to start it, resulting in a poor start…” said Fowler.

After a slow start to the race, Fowler maintained his focus on riding a safe race. One by one the big names in front of Fowler began to have issues, while Fowler kept his UTV intact and was battling with the two-time UTV champion, Cody Miller, and other podium contenders where he was physically racing in third. On the last lap, Fowler lost some valuable time due to a minor mechanical upset, but the YXZ is more than durable, so after he backed off the throttle a tad it was good to go. Fowler narrowly missed out on the podium, finishing fourth. With two of the six rounds now complete, Fowler has proved he has what it takes to contend for two championships this year. “We are extremely satisfied with a 3-4 finish in the first two rounds, putting us tied for third in points and only two out of the overall lead,” said Fowler.