E3 Spark Plugs News

Team E3 Racing winner David Cerer co-founded Lawmen Racing, Inc.

If you’re cruising the highways of Antioch, Ill, it’s best not to speed. You won’t outrun Officer David Cerer. A no-nonsense law enforcer by weekday, Cerer revs things up on the tracks every weekend, competing as part of the Lawmen Racing Team.

Lawmen Racing’s founder, drivers and crew all are past or current fulltime police officers dedicated to the “pursuit of speed.” And Cerer is one of the team’s stars. He, along with fellow lawman and racer Erik Gherke, also is the newest Team E3 Racing Tier 1 winner.

David has raced competitively for more than a decade, starting with Mini-Modified Sprint Cars in 1994. In 1997, he founded his first race team, CPM (Cerer Performance Motorsports) Racing, driving a Legends Car. It was during this time that he honed his professional racing skills, both trackside and on the business side of the sport, managing, securing sponsorships for and promoting the team. In 2003, Cerer was sidelined with a work-related injury and eventually sold CPM Racing. But he wasn’t finished with racing yet – far from it. Three years later, he and Gherke founded Lawmen Racing. Today, he pilots the #7 Chevy Super Cup car with help from daughter, Jen, who serves as his spotter.  He also races in the American Super Cup Series.

Team E3 Racing winner David Cerer and his beautiful daughter, Jen, who serves as her dad’s spotter.

Along the way Cerer realized that while being a tough competitor on the tracks, he also has a real knack for the business side of racing. And he decided to share that talent, establishing a racing sponsorship package and consultation service to help other race teams in their pursuits.

Over the past 7 seasons, Lawmen Racing has racked up 57 race wins and captured back-to-back Midwestern series driving championships in 2007 and 2008. Drivers and crew regularly attend car shows, parades and charity fundraisers as well as sponsor appearances. And Cerer credits much of his and his team’s success to E3 Spark Plugs.

“I have been using E3 spark plugs in my race car for the past three years and I’m very impressed with their performance,” he says. “It’s nice to promote something you actually use and believe in which make this sponsorship very exciting for the Lawmen Racing team.”

E3 Spark Plugs congratulates Cerer on his continued success. Welcome to Team E3 Racing!

If you’re in the area, check out Cerer and Lawmen Racing on the tracks during throughout the 2013 American Super Cup season:

• Sun May 5th Slinger Super Speedway
• Sat May 18th Rockford Speedway
• Mon May 27th Golden Sands Speedway
• Sat Jun 8th Indianapolis Speedrome
• Sat Jun 22nd Rockford Speedway
• Sat Jul 6th Lacrosse Speedway
• Sun Jul 21st Slinger Super Speedway
• Sat Aug 3rd Dells Raceway Park
• Sat Aug 17th Rockford Speedway
• Sat Aug 31st Indianapolis Speedrome
• Sun Sept 1st Indianapolis Speedrome
• Sun Sept 8th Slinger Super Speedway

Team E3 Racing winner Erik Gehrke busts speeders on the roadways, but beats 'em all on the raceways.

Call him the big man in the little car. Erik Gehrke is a three-time MiniCup Car Season champion and a new member of Team E3 Racing.

Whether on the track or on the streets, Gehrke is a force to be reckoned with. By trade, he’s a police officer and hostage negotiator. But there’s no negotiating going on when he’s behind the wheel and on the race track. He’s out to win and he’s proven it by winning three back-to-back championships and dozens of feature races.

Gehrke races a Chevy Impala Minicup car in the American Super Cup Series and also has raced Legends cars and mini sprint cars. But he’s most proud to be part of Lawmen Racing, a motorsports team founded by fellow police officers. Based in Antioch, Illinois, Lawmen Racing is made up almost entirely of current or retired police officers and their families, performing every racing-related task from driving the cars to maintaining the engines to marketing the brand.

When he’s not in his uniform chasing down speeders on the highways or in a race suit being chased by competitors, Gehrke participates in parades, car shows and fundraisers. And he credits E3 racing spark plugs with helping to boost his ride and his career.

“I believe switching to E3 sparkplugs this past season led to the return of my winning ways and my Season Points Championship,” says the fourth-generation police officer.

We’re proud to have one of Illinois’ finest on the Team E3 Racing roster. Check the E3 Spark Plugs blog and Facebook fan page for updates on Gherke’s racing career.