Remembering a fallen Driver By-Bethann Puderbaugh Check out ALL our sections and features here!! There is plenty to keep you busy on our main page! As I watched the first Arca Race of 2002 at Daytona I had mixed emotions. On one hand, I was excited for our fearless leader Rob who got to spend the day with the crew for Chase Montgomery the pole sitter. He had a great time by the way! On the other hand, I was sad. Last year we lost a great Arca driver by the name of Blaise Alexander and here is why I took that loss so hard. Back in August I decided it was time for a new vehicle, being a Chevy fan I drove past all the Ford dealerships..eww (sorry all Ford fans), after visiting a few dealerships I ended up in Montoursville, PA and pulled into a Chevy Dealership. It just happened to be the Dealership of Blaise Alexander Sr., Blaise's Dad. It was just about closing time but he and one of his employees stuck around while I looked. I ended up looking at a Silver Chevy Tracker, they grabbed the keys for me and my brother and I took it for a drive. I fell in love with that Silver Chevy and when we returned I hopped out and said, "I like it, its a keeper". We all went inside, filled out some paperwork and waited for the credit check to come back. As we waited Blaise Sr. and I got to talking. As I looked over at all the trophies and pictures he had on display from Blaise's racing wins, I took the opportunity to tell him that I thought his son was a great driver and that I believed that his son had the ability to be a GREAT driver. He told me that Blaise had a Busch ride lined up for the 2002 season, and you could tell that he was excited for his son. I told him to tell his son hi for me and wish him luck in next weeks race, he said "I will, and I'll tell him he has a fan.". The credit check came back and they said "you're approved, you could buy a car anywhere in the United States if you wanted", well wasn't that great to hear! Lets just say Blaise Sr. gave me a GOOD deal. I drove off the dealership that day with my new 2002 Silver Chevy Blazer. A few days later I went back and dealt with the rest of the paperwork and it was mine! It was a Thursday night about 5 weeks later...I was so tired from work I couldn't stay awake to watch the Arca Race so I popped in a tape to record it. The next morning I hear my mom yelling from the living room to turn on the TV. A groggy me turned it on just in time to watch the crash and hear the news...that Blaise Alexander had died in the Arca Race. I couldn't believe it, just couldn't believe it. Not another racing death, our sport, its fans and Kerry Earnhardt have been through enough heartache. As the racing community and the fans descended to Montoursville to pay their respects, it was easy to see that this kid was dearly loved and respected by many. The racing community once again grieved, but we continued to race and in doing so we paid tribute to his memory. So, here we are again at the beginning of a new season. As I look back, I am so glad that I made a point to talk with Blaise Sr. about his son, and I hope that it gives him comfort to know that we the fans and the racing community are always here, and that his son will never be forgotten. So as I end this column I will repeat what you see written at the end of all my articles....Lets hope for a safe and competitive season for all. If you would like to contact me about this or any other article, you can reach me at Bethann@insidethepitbox.com Thanks and keep reading! Check out ALL our sections and features here!! There is plenty to keep you busy on our main page! (Editors Note:The views and opinions of our writers are just that, theirs. If you have comments, write to them. We take no responsibility for their articles... Do you blame us?) Article archives Return to the Main Page