BAKERSFIELD, CA- In just his second career appearance with the lauded Lucas Oil Modified Series, short track freshman Blaine Perkins tallied a 9th place finish at Irwindale Speedway. The June 27th event served as Round 5 of the 2015 season, and provided Perkins with another outlet to further solidify himself as one of the top rising stars on the West Coast.
“It’s an honour to be able to run side-by-side with the drivers on this tour,” smiles Perkins when asked about his spirited top-10 performance. “I don’t think I could possibly stress how much respect I have for these guys. It’s unreal. This is some of the toughest competition I’ve ever faced in a race car”
Perkins once again teamed with the perennially competitive Highpoint Racing team, impressing in his first open-wheel start at his home track.
“This team is pretty amazing,” muses the 15-year old. “The amount of hours the guys log in the shop are unbelievable. Every time we get this car on a race track, it feels better and better. At Irwindale, it just seemed like the car got better the longer the race went on”
And though he is still lacking in experience compared to the wildly talented, veteran-heavy Lucas Oil Modified Series roster, Perkins’ willingness to learn and adapt is near second to none.
“I’m still learning,” admits the personable rookie. “These cars are completely different from anything I’ve ever been in. Every lap I’m picking up little nuances that I didn’t even know were there. We’re going to keep improving – I can guarantee that”
“The way that I’ve been able to gel with this team is as encouraging as anything,” continues the first-generation racer. “For all of this to feel as natural as it does after only two races is pretty remarkable. I’m hoping to do as many Modified races as I can through the second half of the season. So, we’ll get to work together more as a unit”
The high-school student hopes to continue his pursuit of an aggressive touring schedule through the second half of the 2015 season, with appearances in a number of different cars at a handful of facilities across the West Coast.
“Our plan is still to race as much as we can – against as many different top-tier competitors as we can,” explains Perkins. “These Modified guys are some of the best on the West Coast, which is what drew us to this series in the first place. We’re also going to continue our weekly Irwindale [Speedway] Late Model program, and I hope to be back with the SPEARS SRL Southwest Tour at least once more before the year is over”
No matter the results, Perkins maintains he’s still just enjoying the ride – and is grateful for every minute he’s able to spend behind the wheel.
“Some days I have a tough time wrapping my head around just how fortunate I am,” beams the rising star. “I can’t thank my Mom, Dad and every single one of our sponsors enough. In a lot of ways, this season feels like a once in a lifetime opportunity. It’s just my job to make sure it doesn’t pass me by.”
Marketing support for Blaine Perkins’ 2015 season comes courtesy of Four Star Fruit, KMC Wheels and Campbell Motorsports.
Fans can stay up to date on Blaine’s busy schedule by visiting the official Blaine Perkins Racing page on Facebook.
By Spencer Lewis (@itsspencerlewis)
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