“O” What A Season! When it comes to prowess behind the wheel Bunbury based racer Brad Blake is arguably one of the best Australia has ever produced when it comes to the Late Model division, and during season 2008/09 he once again proved just how high a skill level he has. What makes it more incredible that he was able to achieve such success was the fact that Blake and his entire family based team had a lot more to worry about than just getting the car to the track each week, as a family health crisis has been their major concern for more than twelve months now. Noeleen Wheat has been a part of Brads life for close to thirty years now as the partner of his father Allan, very much as a mother figure during his formative years. So the news that she would be battling cancer hit home hard, with Blake even considering to park up and not race during last summer as he knew that the fight she had would be a big one, taking a toll not just on her but also on his father. He felt the time needed to prepare the race car would take up to much time and that it was more important to worry about Noeleen's health than ‘going racing’, but both of them didn’t have a choice when she wouldn’t hear of it. Come October and Noleen was sick in hospital and the new car nowhere near fully prepared, so it was decided that if the team was to make it to the season opener in Kalgoorlie plan ‘B’ had to be hatched and some favors were needed. Previous year’s car owner Marc Zimmer was more than happy to lend them the car from 07/08, the team borrowed a tilt tray from Australind Towing and hit the road to the Goldfields to compete in the Kalgoorlie Fireball event. The effort was worth it with Blake opening up his summer campaign with a win. It was obviously the tonic needed as the team returned to Bunbury itching to get their new Rocket chassis finished and to hit the tracks of Australia with one mission – to be Australia’s leading Late Model driver, and the records show he would be hard to knock down from that perch. When you look through the seasons results it is a very impressive sight. Blake competed in eighteen race meetings, and finished in the top three in fourteen of those meetings, with the incredible statistic of eleven wins in those fourteen podium finishes. Of the four other shows he raced at he had one fourth place finish and only three DNF’s. It was with this consistency that he claimed the season long points title, the Champion Canopies Pro Dirt Late Model Series. He won races all over Australia, taking out two state championships. In early January he claimed his ninth Western Australian Championship at the high speed Manjimup circuit in his own car, and at the end of March he headed over to Gunnedah to drive for Zimmer once again and claimed the NSW title. He also claimed wins at Narrogin, Bunbury, Kwinana, Albany, Newman and Port Headland. But one win was very special to him. This came at Margaret River for the “Rumble by the River III”, and it was special for two reasons. “The race between myself and American driver Doug Drown was the highlight of the year. To take on one of the best we have seen here from the USA and beat him was fantastic, but the best bit about it was that we won that night with Noeleen watching in the crowd” he said. It’s all about family for Blake. “I couldn’t have done this without Dad. His dedication to give me a car that was a dream to drive every night was unreal, especially as he struggled with Noeleen’s health. To my wife Jodie and all the kids thanks for supporting me all year as I wouldn’t be able to do this unless I had your support. To Buster and Pocket Rocket your help crewing on the cars is so appreciated, as is the support I receive from my sponsors United Finance, AJN Race Engines and Fuchs Lubricants. None of this would have been possible if I hadn’t had all of you there.” Brad Blake Season Statistics 2008/09:- November December January March April May
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