(Photo Credit: Action Sports, Inc.)
Blake Koch has his own unique story — growing up racing on two wheels opposed to four. 31 year old Koch, driver of the #11 LeafFilter Chevy, has taken the fast track into the world of NASCAR. He started his stock car journey in the late 2000’s after being introduced to the sport by his step father Tim, who’s a lifelong NASCAR fan. Since making his start in stock cars, he has never looked back. What has become a career started as a hobby back in Orlando, Florida.
Growing up, Blake Koch raced motocross. Not only did Blake enjoy racing dirt bikes, he was good at it. He still vividly remembers his childhood days, where he lived and dreamed motocross. From the age of 12-18, Blake spent every summer racing. Racing dirt bikes became a family activity, and he was able to make a lot of friends through the sport. When asked about his unique journey, Blake says that there’s no one way to make it to the top in NASCAR, and that’s what makes the sport so unique. It wasn’t until he was 20 years old that Blake decided to take a chance driving stock cars. He was apprehensive at first and didn’t show much interest in racing stock cars. But, he took a chance and made his start in 2007 at Orlando Speedworld. It wasn’t easy from the get-go, though. He recalls giving up on the sport after 6 months because it was tough dealing with constant rain delays and frequent car repairs. But, after coming back to the sport with a more competitive mindset, Blake started winning races and enjoying the ride. Nearly a decade later, Blake is still on the track and making strides with Kaulig Racing.
Last year, Blake finished seventh in the NASCAR Xfinity Series points standings. He credits this accomplishment to his own hard work and to his team, Kaulig Racing. 2016 was his first season with the team, which he says he has a wonderful relationship with. His 2016 finish brought Blake and his team a lot of momentum coming into the 2017 season, where he’s currently sitting as 7th in the points standings. This season, Koch is focusing on having more discipline and more confidence behind the wheel. Although he’s doing well right now, he still has goals set for this season. First off, he wants to win a pole this season. Blake goes on to add that he has his goals written in his office at his house, helping him stay focused. Secondly, he wants to bring a trophy home. He has the resources to make it happen, and he finally wants to achieve that goal. Blake always remains focused on the race track, but he uses his free time outside of racing to relax and enjoy the life that God gifted him.
While home in Florida, Blake embraces life by the beach. Along with being an ambassador for Salt Life, he enjoys fishing, surfing and spending time by the water with family and friends. Racing is a fun career, but family and faith are two of the most important factors in Blake’s life. Constant prayer and faith is what helps keep him going both personally and professionally. He praises MRO for their programs, providing drivers with a place of worship every weekend and also providing childcare for drivers’ children so their loved ones can enjoy the race. When it comes to his children, Blake says his son Carter is in love with racing and competition. He laughs, saying that he tries not to influence his children, but it’s hard when he’s always in a race car and his wife Shannon is the Better Half Dash champion. Along with his family and faith, Blake looks to some of his fellow drivers for inspiration on and off the track.
Koch is good friends with his fellow NASCAR driver, Michael McDowell. He notes that Michael is smart and provides wisdom to him about all topics, on and off the track. His biggest influence by far is Matt Kaulig, who brings his career to a “new level”. He goes to Matt to advice for everything and has the upmost respect and appreciation for him. Both his team and sponsors give Blake the opportunity to interact with his fans — which he says is a very important part of success. Blake says that he has fans that have stuck with him since his start & park days, back when he believed that he couldn’t possibly have any fans. He reaches out to fans weekly on Facebook Live, noting that interacting with fans on a new level is “the coolest feeling in the world.” In addition to reaching out to his fans on social media, Blake enjoys visiting the LeafFilter display in the Fan Zone on race weekends, engaging with fans. LeafFilter caters to Koch fans, providing them with games and free estimates. In addition to having LeafFilter as a sponsor, Blake adds that he knows nearly everyone in the corporate office and it’s surreal to walk in and see people wearing his shirts and supporting him. Although he’s now at a place he wants to be with a wonderful sponsor, there’s always more work to be done.
Blake says that in order to reach success in NASCAR, you must work harder than anyone else out there. There are thousands of drivers across the country with dreams of making it into 40 seats in NASCAR’s biggest series, or around 60 seats if you’re counting the Xfinity Series. Success isn’t going to happen overnight, and you must work to make it happen. He says that you must “Work harder than you can possibly imagine” and make your dreams a reality.
Blake is a genuine and hardworking person on and off the track. His faith in God keeps him going every day and is something that carries him to new heights in his life and career. With his faith, family and friends providing him with constant inspiration and support, he can achieve anything.
We wish Blake the best of luck during the 2017 season!
Catch Blake on social media here:
