DON BLAKE JR. CLOSES IN ON TRI-CITY THUNDERCAR TITLE
by Brian Spaid

August 27, 2004 

   This Sunday night, Tri-City Speedway will declare its 2004 season champions. Although Buckeye State star Jarod Larson was named the Super Sprint point champion last Sunday, there are still some close title chases in the other four divisions.

   Among the potential champs is Titusville driver Don Blake Jr., who currently leads the Thundercar standings by 21 points over Kennerdell favorite Robby Switzer. To date, Blake has seven feature wins. With his win record and points position, Blake was recently asked how he did it.

   “I really don’t know,” he laughed.

   Blake, 46, has raced since he was 16 years of age. He started out racing Spectator Stocks at Stateline Speedway in Busti, N.Y., and Eriez Speedway in Hammett. He won several features in the trophy-only class, then pulled out of racing for several seasons.

   He returned to sport in the mid-1990s competing in various Pro Stock-style divisions at Tri-City, Sportsman’s Speedway in Knox, and Raceway 7 in Conneaut, Ohio. Although he finished second and third a number of times, he never won a feature race.

   So, with little success and growing expenses, Blake again returned to the sidelines. He was a frequent visitor to area tracks in demolition derbies with his son, Joe. Then, in 2003, Tri-City decided to start the Thundercars. Blake was rejuvenated.

   “When they decided to run this class, I knew I could afford it. So, we built a car for Joe.”

   Last season, Blake piloted his son’s car to a victory. That taste of success led to his decision to join his son racing another car. That orange and white Chevrolet No. 43 is the most successful car in the field this season.

   “I’ve got about $1,200 invested in this car,” noted Blake. “The most expensive things were the safety equipment and tires. The engine only cost $150 and the car itself ran me about $100. I’d recommend this class to anyone that wants to start racing.”

   In fact, Blake is very proud of his accomplishments this season with such little money invested compared to some of his competitors.

   “The car is all stock. It has a 265-cubic inch engine under the hood. Most of the other cars have more motor. The tech officials have torn it down twice and deemed it legal. Really, this is the best handling car I’ve ever driven. I’ll have it back out here next year.”

   Blake’s assessment of the car’s handling is evident on the track. Both Blake and Switzer consistently drive the ragged racing edge on the top groove around the Tri-City half-mile oval. Nearly kissing the wall each circuit, they keep the fans and other drivers on the edges of their seats each week.

   “The car handles the best up high,” said Blake. “I think Robby’s does too. Once you get the handling right, you just keep up your momentum around the track.”

   In addition, Blake finds some extra motivation in one major rivalry. Blake and fellow Titusville racer Curt Bish Sr. are like fire and water. Three weeks ago, fists were flying in the Thundercar pit area after the races. There is no love lost between the two men, and this becomes more awkward due to the fact that Blake’s son, Joe, resides with Bish’s daughter, Kacie.

   “We’re rivals. He thinks that he’s the king of the class. One night, he called me up and told me that his car was running better than mine. I was so ticked, I went out to the garage at two in the morning, and tore the car apart. I actually think he did me a favor that night. Ever since then, my car runs better.”

   Pointing to the dents in the side of his car, Blake also notes that he received the damage from racing against Bish at Mercer Raceway Park, where Bish and his son, Curt Bish Jr., have 14 wins combined.

   “Let’s just say that we don’t celebrate holidays together,” smiled Blake, whose car is sponsored by his employer, Townville Truck & Auto, Sue’s Bait & Tackle and Monaco Cycle Sales of Franklin, Delps Salvage of Tryonville, Dennis Smith Logging Co. of Erie.

   Regardless of rivalries, Blake advocates for all of his fellow racers about one change he would like to see in 2005.

   “I’d like to see Mike (Graham) and Roger (Crick) add heat races for the Thundercars next year,” said Blake. “Right now, we run a couple of hot laps at the beginning of the night, then you don’t get to race again until the end of the night. There’s no time to really test your car, check out the track conditions, and setup your car. I’d like to be able to run heat races to do that.”

   Despite that request, Blake would change little else about the class.

   “They’ve got a good class with these Thundercars. They’ve really got to keep the costs down. Running for a trophy helps to do that. I wouldn’t want to see this thing die because guys start to spend a lot of money.”

   The past two weeks, Switzer has closed the gap in the point standings. On Aug. 15, Blake was leading when his car jumped out of gear. The problem allowed Switzer to race by him and take the win with Blake in second. Last Sunday, Blake suffered a flat tire, which forced him into the pit area on the second lap. Switzer finished fifth while Blake settled for 19^th. Ironically, Bish Sr. won his first career feature that same night.

   This Sunday, Blake only needs to finish 10^th or better to clinch the track championship. It may end up to be the longest 12-lap feature of his career.