One of the more amazing stories to surface on the Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) tour this year has been the success of Cobra ECX70 mini quad racer Walker Fowler.
The 13-year-old honor student from Columbiana (Ohio) Middle School and his new Cobra ECX70 racing mini quad have swept the first six of seven GNCC rounds - and it would have been seven-for-seven had a rock not got lodged between his rim and brake caliper at the GNCC round in Missouri.
"This is a heck of a reliable little quad," said Walker's father and mechanic, Danny Fowler. "Because it's so new there was some question as to how it'd run and if it'd make it in the tough GNCC conditions for one hour straight through the woods and mud. But let me tell you this, Walker couldn't be any happier with it and, to be honest, we haven't really done anything to it other than narrow it up a bit so it gets through the woods easier. Outside that we ran it box stock through the first five races - and won all five!
When we got that Cobra in March we figured out right away that'd it'd be a pretty good combination with Walker," said Danny Fowler. "Our goal was to win every race and wrap up the title before the summer break - so we got one of the two goals accomplished. And hey, even Bill Balance loses one once in a while!"
Officials at Cobra are equally excited for Walker and the success he's met racing the ECX70 this year. "Walker's immediate success on the GNCC tour has exceeded even our loftiest expectations with the ECX70," said Sean Hilbert, President of Cobra. "We knew we'd come up with what we felt would be a very good quad cycle and Walker Fowler's made it a great quad cycle."
Fowler's most impressive win of the year came at the John Penton in Millfield, Ohio. In that event he won the one hour overall race by a stunning 18 minutes. Riding locally in Ohio with the likes of Dave Simmons (GNCC Sr. class racer), and Four-stroke A class racers Brandon Sommers and Mark Notman, Fowler has improved his quad racing skills immensely this year. And with the help of the ECX70 he's pretty much been unstoppable.
In addition to his quad skills, Fowler also has been racing - and winning - in the GNCC's 12-13 Big Wheel (motorcycle) class. In fact last week Fowler became the first racer ever on the GNCC tour to win his quad race on Saturday and follow it up with a win on his motorcycle on Sunday! For more information on GNCC, please visit www.gnccracing.com
Cobra, founded in 1993, produces the most successful line of competition mini cycles and mini quads in the United States with more than 100 national titles in the last decade. Soon to be based out of Hillsdale, Mich., Cobra's mission is to build premium products for the serious racer. For more information on Cobra products, please visit www.cobramotorcycle.com