ALEXANDER, VANDERGRIFF JR RACING TURN HEADS AT ATLANTA
So much for an adjustment period.
In just his second race behind the wheel of the Bob Vandergriff Jr.’s Top Fuel dragster Blake Alexander made it to the final round of the Southern Nationals near Atlanta before losing to Leah Pritchett when he had a red-light start.
Although Alexander came up short in the finals in his Valvoline and Pronto Auto Parts-backed entry, he did have an impressive run to get to meet Pritchett. He knocked off world champions Antron Brown and Brittany Force, and then upended points leader Steve Torrence in the semifinals.
“It was great,” said Alexander, 29. “I was very, very happy and everything went well, and it was great that we went to the finals, but we were a little disappointed that we didn’t win.”
Alexander made his debut for Bob Vandergriff Jr. Racing at the Arizona Nationals Feb. 23-25, qualifying No. 7 and beating Terry McMillen in the first round and falling to Torrence in round two. Ron Douglas is the crew chief for the dragster.
“I don’t think we are an underdog,” Alexander said. “We are a team that has the know-how and good parts and good people. Our qualifying effort (at Atlanta, he was No. 10), didn’t necessarily show that, but it’s kind of hard when we had not run on the tracks with the new preparation. It is a real thing that the track prep is different. We didn’t have the opportunity to dissect it until got through all four qualifying runs. Did we ever really understand it? No. But we were doing our best throughout eliminations.”
Alexander said he and the BVG Racing team will return to the track at the Jegs Route 66 NHRA Nationals May 31-June 3 at Route 66 Raceway near Chicago. The next race on NHRA’s circuit is the Heartland Nationals in Topeka, Kan., May 18-20.
“When I was younger it used to bother me a lot more when I was missing races,” Alexander said. “Now, it is nice to come in with Bob Vandergriff Racing and do our thing.”
Alexander acknowledged he’s enjoyed being part of this new team.
“It has been really nice to work with such talented people and have the opportunity to focus on driving,” he said. “These guys do a great job turning the car around and they basically let me set my sights on what I’m supposed to do. The car is really nice, so I just have to focus on doing my job.”
Prior to making his Top Fuel dragster driving debut last season driving a dragster owned by Del Worsham, Alexander was driving in the nitro Funny Car ranks.
Alexander’s career-best performance in a nitro Funny Car is his runner-up finish at the 2013 spring race at Charlotte, N.C., when he lost to Matt Hagan in the finals.
Alexander made his first career nitro Funny Car start in 2011 at Reading, Pa. Alexander is in selective company in that he has won rounds in Top Fuel and Funny Car not something that many racers have done.
“It’s obviously really cool,” said Alexander when asked about winning rounds in Top Fuel and Funny Car. “I don’t do it to be in that conversation, but I’m happy to be in that group. It’s all I have ever done is drag race and being able to do it is obviously a blessing. A dragster gets from A to B quick and you have to be gentle with it, and a Funny Car you can manhandle it from 60-feet on. Right now, my full focus is on maximizing each race I do with my sponsors and try and provide the best opportunity I can to get them in the winner’s circle.”