Firestorm Episode 9 -- Another One

About this episode

This episode revisits the life and legacy of driver Blaise Alexander following his tragic death during a race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

The morning after Blaise Alexander died, I walked into the Charlotte Motor Speedway Media Center and watched a member of the NASCAR press corps hold court for anyone who'd listen. Then he bellowed it: "Old Billy France has killed another one." I had never spoken a single word to that man in my life. What happened next was the most unprofessional moment of my career — and I have never regretted it for a single second. In October 2001, a young driver named Blaise Alexander died chasing a win at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Thirteen days later, NASCAR changed its rules forever. Blaise Alexander Jr. was an emerging talent — a prankster with a warrior's heart, a driver who had already won four ARCA races and stood on the verge of a full-time Busch Series ride. Then, on October 4, 2001, during an ARCA race at Charlotte, the sport lost him. His death sent shockwaves through the NASCAR community — and within two weeks, NASCAR mandated head and neck restraint devices across all three national touring divisions. For Alexander's father, Blaise Sr., that mandate was both a painful acknowledgment of what time could not undo and a lasting tribute to the son he lost. In this chapter of Firestorm…

People in this episode

Host: Rick Houston

Topics covered

• NASCAR history
• Blaise Alexander
• safety in racing
• driver legacy
• motorsport tragedies
• NASCAR rules changes

Keywords

• Blaise Alexander
• NASCAR
• Charlotte Motor Speedway
• safety devices
• motorsport
• ARCA
• Jimmie Johnson
• Kenny Irwin

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: NASCAR

Places: Charlotte Motor Speedway

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