The Fourth of July weekend is normally one of celebration.
For Steven Bowers Jr., who competes in the Modified class in Heartland Park Topeka’s Saturday Super Showdown Series, this year’s holiday was more about remembrance.
On July 4, 2009, Bowers’ father, Steve Bowers Sr., was killed in a racing accident at Thunder Hill Speedway. When the holiday weekend rolled around earlier this month, Bowers was back on the same track, using an off week at HPT as a chance to play homage to his dad.
“It was tough, but I needed to do it,” Bowers said. “I just went up there to honor my dad.”
Bowers and his fellow racers will get another chance to honor the memory of Steve Sr. on Saturday night, when a memorial race will take place at Heartland Park.
It is an event Bowers has been eyeing for a while now.
“It will be a great show,” he said. “I hope all the fans come out here and watch and hopefully we can put on a good show.”
Although Bowers misses his dad, a regular companion at the track, he never seriously considered not continuing to race.
“It was kind of hard,” Bowers said. “All my family members said, ‘Don’t get back in the race car.’ But that (quitting) is something my dad wouldn’t want me to do. He’d still want me to do what I love to do.”
Bowers made himself go back to the track the very next week after his father’s death.
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