Rowland native Jake Locklear sits in the legends car he will race this year at an appearance last week at Bleecker Buick GMC in Red Springs.
                                 Chris Stiles | The Robesonian

Rowland native Jake Locklear sits in the legends car he will race this year at an appearance last week at Bleecker Buick GMC in Red Springs.

Chris Stiles | The Robesonian

<p>Rowland native Jake Locklear stands next to the legends car he will race this year at an appearance last week at Bleecker Buick GMC in Red Springs. </p>
                                 <p>Chris Stiles | The Robesonian</p>

Rowland native Jake Locklear stands next to the legends car he will race this year at an appearance last week at Bleecker Buick GMC in Red Springs.

Chris Stiles | The Robesonian

PEMBROKE — For the last seven years, Jake Locklear has raced go-karts.

Now he’s ready for his racing career to make the next turn.

The Rowland native will race legends cars this year, including at area tracks in Fayetteville, Dillon and Florence.

“When you’re out on the track, everything goes away besides you, the next turn and the other drivers out on the track,” Locklear said. “It’s the adrenaline, the rush, the speed, I love everything about it and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

While legends cars will be a new level of racing for the 14-year-old, who is a freshman at Purnell Swett, those around him expect him to be competitive on the track quickly.

“I know he’s very talented; he can get on the wheel,” said Jermie Locklear, Jake’s father. “Based upon the practice that we’ve done, compared to the speeds of some others, high expectations.”

The COVID-19 pandemic caused a delay in Locklear’s ability to obtain a legends car to race with. Now he’s partnering with Three Sixteen Motorsports, based in Linden, just north of Fayetteville.

“His program is developmental drivers, and he’s very peculiar about who he (signs), so we feel honored to be a part of it,” Jermie Locklear said. “With us having no experience on who to look for and what to do, it just worked out great for us. He’s got a great program — easily wins.”

As the team name, a reference to John 3:16, suggests, faith is at the center of the operation — right down to the car number. Locklear will drive car No. 4, based on his “motto” of Romans 8:31, which states: “What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”

Legends cars are a smaller-size replica of American cars made in the 1930s and ’40s; they have about 125 horsepower and can reach about 120 miles per hour, faster than the go-karts Locklear has raced previously.

“In the go-karts, he’s ended up in the hospital twice, and I can tell you I’ve never been nervous,” Jermie Locklear said. “The first time we went and practiced this, and I saw the speed, and because he had never been in anything with this power, that’s the first time I’ve (been nervous). But as far as loving it, I don’t know if he’s as enthused about it as I am, because if he is he’s in trouble.”

Jake Locklear’s long-term goal is to continue moving up through the ranks as far as he’s able to — possibly even all the way to NASCAR.

“After this, we’ll see how far this takes us, then I’d like to race a super truck,” Jake Locklear said. “After that maybe move to ARCA and see where that takes us. I’d like to end up in NASCAR.”

The Locklears are seeking sponsorship to help support Jake’s season racing legends cars. Anyone interested can contact Jermie Locklear at 910-374-9710.

Chris Stiles can be reached at 910-816-1977 or by email at [email protected]. You can follow him on Twitter at @StilesOnSports.