After making his Top Fuel career debut in Englishtown, N.J., last month, Blake Alexander is entered in his second race – the 20th annual NHRA Route 66 Nationals July 6-9 in Chicago.

“We’re just going to go out there and try and make some good runs when the conditions allow for it,” Alexander said. “Then, when it heats up, we need to be able to take advantage of any mistakes people make and I have to do my job on the starting line. If all that stuff comes together we could have a good outing.”

Alexander, a veteran nitro Funny Car driver, received his Top Fuel license in Reading, Pa., June 7. Like he did in Englishtown, Alexander will be driving Del Worsham’s dragster at Chicago.

Pronto Auto Services Centers will be sponsoring the dragster driven by Alexander.

At Englishtown, Alexander’s dragster struggled in qualify and ended up No. 14 in the 14-dragster field. He did bounce back in the first round and clocked a decent 3.992-second lap at 289.32 mph in the loss to No. 1 qualifier and world champion driver Antron Brown’s 3.783-second lap. Brown was the eventual race winner.
“I tried really hard on Sunday (in Englishtown),” Alexander said. “There are a lot of good cars in Top Fuel and it’s fun to get to compete in this class.”

Alexander acknowledged piloting a dragster is a different experience for him.

“It’s strange because like on the starting line, I don’t see anything,” he said. “I’m just in front, and all the guys are working behind the car, so it feels a little lonely out there. I’m adapting to it. I have my license in Funny Car and Top Fuel and I don’t know if I will do Top Fuel forever, but I’m enjoying it now and having fun. Your steering is a lot more precise in a Top Fuel car. In a Funny Car, you have to be ahead of it all the time or else you will hit the wall or (cross) the center line. I also feel like the (Top Fuel dragster) is a lot calmer than a Funny Car.”

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.

Driving for Worsham, an NHRA Top Fuel and Funny Car world champion, has been a thrill for Alexander.

“He’s cool,” Alexander said. “Each person I’ve ever raced for from the time I drove Junior Dragsters to all the other stuff I drove, you learn so much from each person you work with and he (Worsham) obviously has a lot I can soak up and I’m having fun working with him and he does a good job.”

According to Alexander, he’s hoping to run at least two more times in Worsham’s dragster this season after Chicago.

“I think we going to get to go to Dallas (Oct. 12-15) and Pomona (NHRA Finals, Nov. 9-12),” Alexander said.