Blaise Alexander- Rest In Peace

BLAISE ALEXANDER
DOB 3-26-76

Blaise Alexander, of Mooresville, North Carolina, died Thursday, October
4 from head injuries sustained at Lowe’s Motor Speedway as a result of a
crash in the closing laps of the ARCA RE/MAX Series 100-mile race. He
was 25.

Alexander, while racing for the lead, made contact with the outer
retaining wall just before the start-finish line on the 63rd lap of the
67-lap race. Alexander was unconscious and unresponsive with no pulse
when emergency medical technicians arrived at the scene. Alexander was
transported to the infield care center where he was pronounced dead at
10:20 PM ET.

Alexander, also a veteran of the NASCAR Busch and Craftsman Truck
Series, first raced in ARCA competition in 1995 and was making his 68th
career start at the time of the accident. After winning the ARCA Rookie
of the Year honors in 1996 and finishing fifth in points that same year,
Alexander went on to post three ARCA RE/MAX Series victories: Toledo
Speedway and Pocono Raceway in 1998 and Michigan Int’l Speedway in July
of 2001. Alexander also posted four career pole awards at Toledo,
Winchester Speedway, Watkins Glen Int’l and Michigan. In all, Alexander
had 22 top-five finishes and 38 top-tens.

Additional highlights throughout his ARCA career include a runner-up
finish at Charlotte in his 1996 rookie season as well as on the
short-tracks of Toledo and Kil-Kare Speedways in ‘97. Second place
finishes on the half-mile West Virginia Motor Speedway dirt-track, also
in ’97, and at the Watkins Glen Int’l road course in ’01 coupled with a
pole there further cemented his reputation as a skilled driver on a
variety of track conditions. Alexander also had runner-up finishes at
MIS and Winchester in ’99 and Pocono and Charlotte in ‘01 as well as
third place finishes at Pocono in ’97, the Anderson Speedway
quarter-mile in ’99 and at Atlanta Motor Speedway also in ’99. Other
top-five finishes include a pair of fourth place finishes at Pocono in
’96, a fourth place finish at Charlotte in ’99 and a fifth at Pocono in
’95. In addition, he raced his way into the lead in 18 ARCA races
earning a career total of 490 laps led.

Born in 1976 in State College, Pennsylvania, he began his racing career
at the age of 12 in WKA go-kart competition where he was the 1992 East
Regional Series WKA champion. From there, he moved into the Micro-Sprint
divisions racing at tracks throughout Pennsylvania, Ohio and New York
posting a career total of 48 feature wins. After relocating from his
hometown of Montoursville, Pennsylvania to Mooresville, North Carolina
to pursue a stock car career in 1995, his reputation as a talented racer
began to flourish. In 1997, while competing in 15 ARCA events, he
expanded into both the NASCAR Craftsman Truck and Busch Series.  In
August of ’97, he posted a top-10 finish in the NASCAR Truck Series at
Watkins Glen, one of only two truck races he entered that season. In
addition, he made his first Busch Series start that same year at
California Speedway and posted a top-ten qualifying effort at Rockingham
in only his second Busch start. His career-best Busch Series finish was
seventh at Atlanta Motor Speedway in 2000 driving for Team Sabco.

He is survived by his father Blaise J. and mother Anne L. Sebastian
Alexander of Montoursville, two brothers, Adam and Aubrey Alexander, and
a sister Maureen Alexander, all of Montoursville, and his paternal
Grandmother Amelia Alexander of Elysburg.

Blaise was a member of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in
Montoursville, ARCA, NASCAR and the Williamsport Country Club. In the
last three years, he helped raise over $15,000 for the NASCAR Busch
Series Ladies Association, which helps injured drivers.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Tuesday, October 9 at 10:30 AM
from Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, 100 Walnut St., Montoursville,
with his pastor, the Rev. Monsignor Francis J. Castellano of Mater
Dolorosa Catholic Church, Williamsport, officiating. Interment will be
in the Montoursville cemetery. Friends will be received on Monday,
October 8 from 2 PM until 9 PM at the Spitler Funeral Home, 733 Broad
St., Montoursville.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions can be made to the
Make-A-Wish Foundation of Northeastern PA, 515 Sandhill Rd.,
Montoursville Pennsylvania 17754 or call (800) 480-9474.

CONTACT: ARCA PR (734) 847-6726