Wild Ride for Blake Alexander at the Gatornationals‏

Wild Ride for Blake Alexander at the Gatornationals‏

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Despite a wild ride during qualifying and a first round loss against the eventual race winner, Blake Alexander is optimistic about his inaugural Gatornationals appearance. The gradual addition of new equipment will surely show improvement in the coming races for Blake and the Auto Service Plus Funny Car team.

“We didn’t have an opportunity to test the new car and parts before the race, so we were still working out the tune-up for the new chassis, based off the tune-up from the old car. Most of the issues should be worked out for the next race in Charlotte,” said Alexander.

During the second round of qualifying, the 8,000 horsepower nitro funny car took Blake for a ride skyward. The run made for excellent replays on ESPN2, but also helped tuner Paul Smith adjust the tune-up to the new car.

“Basically the car didn’t have enough weight in the front. This didn’t show up in the first run because it shook the tires very early. When the clutch locked up in the second run, that’s when it hooked up and lifted the front end off the track. It was up in the air before I had the chance to lift, and had enough momentum to slide across the center line and take out a couple timing blocks,” Blake said of the run, which was broken down in detail by ESPN2 analyst and former driver Mike Dunn.

The NHRA Gatornationals is only the beginning for Blake Alexander and the Auto Service Plus team. The next race for Blake is the unique 4-Wide Nationals at zMax Dragway. Though the format can challenge even the veteran drivers, Blake looks forward to the new experience.

“The only change is the staging process, from there it doesn’t matter to me how many other cars there are. I’ll take time in the weeks leading up to the race to study video of drivers staging in the four-wide format. Other than that, it’ll just be business as usual. Paul’s car won first round there last year, so we’ll try to go one round more and mix it up a bit,” claimed the 23-year old college student.

Blake Alexander Racing is a company that was started and maintained by nitro funny car driver Blake Alexander while in college. Blake worked his way up from Jr. Dragsters through the competitive sportsman ranks, now achieving his goal of driving a professional Nitro Funny Car. Through his efforts on and off the track, Blake secures corporate sponsorships and works actively with each supporter to activate and stimulate their respective brands from market to market. Blake Alexander drives for iconic master tuner Paul Smith, who owns and operates Paul Smith Racing out of Boynton Beach, Florida.

Companies that support Blake Alexander Racing include: Auto Service Plus, Gates Rubber Company, Exide Batteries, Tenneco Automotive, Valvoline, Standard Motor Products, and Pro Jack Race Car Stands.

Auto Service Plus is a North American leader in automotive repairs and supplies the customer with its quality repair guarantee, comfortable waiting areas, and believable estimates. Select Auto Xpert pledges to provide an experienced and knowledgeable staff, quality brand-name parts, and the tools and equipment for proper repair and installation.