Blaise Alexander facts for kids

Blaise Alexander (born March 26, 1976 – died October 4, 2001) was a talented American stock car racer. He came from Montoursville, Pennsylvania. Blaise started racing at just 12 years old in go-karts. He even won a big championship called the World Karting Association East Regional in 1992.

In 1995, he moved to Mooresville, North Carolina, to chase his dream of becoming a professional racer. He joined the ARCA Racing Series and was named ARCA's Rookie of the Year in 1996. Blaise also competed in NASCAR races, including the Busch Series and Craftsman Truck Series. Sadly, Blaise passed away on October 4, 2001, after a racing accident at Lowe's Motor Speedway. His death led to important safety changes in racing, like making special head and neck safety devices (like the HANS) a must for all drivers.

Becoming a Race Car Driver

Blaise Alexander was born in Montoursville, Pennsylvania. He started his racing journey very young. At age 12, he began racing go-karts. He quickly showed his skill, winning the East Series championship in 1992.

After go-karts, Blaise moved on to Micro-Sprint racing. He raced on tracks in states like Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New York. He won an amazing 48 races in this series! In 1995, Blaise moved to Mooresville, North Carolina. This move helped him focus on his racing career.

Blaise's Racing Career

Racing in ARCA

Blaise Alexander started racing in the ARCA Re-Max Series in 1995. He raced a full season in 1996. That year, he earned the Rookie of the Year Award for ARCA. He even finished second in a race at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

In 1997, Blaise had two more second-place finishes. He won his first ARCA race in 1998 at Toledo Speedway. He won another race that same year at Pocono Raceway. Blaise led a total of 490 laps in 18 ARCA races. His last win was in July 2001, at Michigan International Speedway. He also earned four pole awards, meaning he started in the very front of the race.

Racing in NASCAR

In 1997, while still racing in ARCA, Blaise also began racing in NASCAR. He competed in the Busch Series and the Craftsman Truck Series. He only raced twice in the truck series.

In the Busch Series, he had some good results. In 2000, Blaise joined Team SABCO. He finished in the top ten twice that year. He ended the season in 25th place overall. After 2000, he decided to go back to racing mostly in the ARCA series for 2001.

Blaise's Final Race

On October 4, 2001, Blaise was racing in the EasyCare 100 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. He was in a close battle for the lead with another driver, Kerry Earnhardt. On lap 63, Earnhardt had to slow down suddenly. This caused Blaise's car to hit Earnhardt's.

Blaise's car then crashed hard into the wall. It bounced back and hit Earnhardt's car again. Earnhardt's car flipped over, but he was not hurt. Blaise, however, was knocked unconscious. Race officials quickly stopped the race. Rescue workers rushed to help Blaise. He was taken to the infield care center. Sadly, Blaise passed away there at 10:20 PM. He was 25 years old. Blaise was buried in his hometown of Montoursville, Pennsylvania.

After the Accident

Blaise's passing was caused by a serious head injury from the crash. This was one of several similar accidents that happened around that time. Other famous drivers like Dale Earnhardt (Kerry Earnhardt's father), Adam Petty, Kenny Irwin Jr., and Tony Roper had also passed away.

Because of these accidents, NASCAR made a big change. They announced that all drivers must use head and neck restraint devices. These devices help protect drivers from serious head injuries during crashes. Before Blaise's accident, using these devices was optional. Most drivers already used them, but after his death, they became mandatory.

NASCAR also started installing SAFER barriers on all oval tracks. These special walls help absorb the impact of crashes. By 2015, most tracks had these safer barriers.

Blaise's Lasting Impact

After moving to North Carolina in 1995, Blaise became good friends with fellow racer Jimmie Johnson. They raced against each other but also supported each other. Blaise also had mentors like Jimmy Spencer.

Jimmie Johnson has honored Blaise's memory many times. He dedicated his first big Cup race win to Blaise. He also supported charities that Blaise started in Pennsylvania. After Blaise's death, one of Johnson's crew members drew a flame design with Blaise's initials on Johnson's car. This tribute continued with a special sticker on Johnson's cars. Blaise's family also created several Blaise Alexander car dealerships in Central Pennsylvania.

Motorsports Career Results

NASCAR

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Winston Cup Series

Busch Series

Craftsman Truck Series

ARCA Re/Max Series

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

See also

• Driver deaths in motorsport