Up-and-Coming NHRA Driver Blake Alexander
Be on the Lookout for Up-and-Coming NHRA Driver Blake Alexander
Watch out, NHRA fans – there’s a new player in town and he means business!
Say hello to Blake Alexander, a newcomer to the NHRA circuit. Although his name may be new to even the most avid enthusiasts, Blake is not new to racing. This 23-year old has been racing since he was just 11, and is actually the third generation driver in his family, continuing a tradition that began with his grandfather back in the 1950s.
Blake was born in Glendora, CA, but he has spent most of his life in Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia, and calls that home. You could say that Blake has always had the racing spirit within him – after all, he started saving for his first race car when he was just four years old. Yes, you read that right – 4! How many tykes do you know who are that goal-oriented?
By the time he was 11, Blake had saved enough money to buy half of his first car. Luckily, his father, who was also a racer, was proud of his son’s commitment and fronted the other half of the car’s cost. Blake completed his first junior race when he was 11, and won the My Cause East Coast Nationals when he was just 12. As the years went by and Blake became more comfortable with his racing skills, he decided to quit other sports he had been playing in school and focus on racing.
These days, Blake has a lot on his plate, trying to balance the demands of school, a social life and his career. Being a communications and public relations student at Radford University continues to pay off, as Blake uses his business and communications skills to land sponsors like Auto-Plus and Exide Batteries.
When asked about his favorite part of drag racing, Blake shows that he is remarkably mature in spite of his early success. He expresses respect and gratitude for the people who have helped make it possible for him to become a top young driver, and says he enjoys being surrounded by a lot of intelligent and successful people in the pits – both crew members and drivers. Blake continually applies the advice he gets from more experienced drivers to improve his skills, and is in love with the competition and mind-blowing speeds that go with NHRA racing!
Right now, Blake is gearing up for the O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Nationals at zMax Dragway in Charlotte. While he is almost guaranteed approval to start racing professionally in the NHRA with one more win, Blake says he is focused on taking his time to do things right, rather than rushing through the licensing process. He will be driving a 8000hp Paul Smith Racing Fuel Funny Car in Charlotte and hopes to finish on top!
After Charlotte, Blake heads to Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, PA, for the Auto-Plus NHRA Nationals, September 29-October 2. This is the third of six races in the NHRA Full Throttle “Countdown to the Championship” and is sure to be a great weekend for all drivers – and especially for Blake. Don’t look for him in his usual Top Alcohol Dragster or Comp Eliminator divisions this weekend, for the weekend at Maple Grove will be Alexander’s official professional NHRA driver debut, as he takes on the Funny Car circuit! Quite the birthday gift, if you ask me, as the young driver will be turning 24 on September 26.
So, if there weren’t enough reasons to come out to Maple Grove on the last weekend of September, now you have another. Make plans now to join Blake Alexander and the rest of the NHRA world at the Auto-Plus NHRA Nationals!
About the Author:
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