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Blaise Robert Alexander Jr. (March 26, 1976 – October 4, 2001) was an American professional stock car racer fromMontoursville, Pennsylvania. He began racing at the age of 12 in go-karts, winning the coveted World Karting Association East Regional championship in 1992. In 1995, he moved south toMooresville, North Carolina, and drove in theARCA Racing Series. Named ARCA's rookie of the year in 1996, Alexander was a regular driver in that series while also driving in both theNASCARBusch Series andCraftsman Truck Series.

On October 4, 2001, during the ARCA EasyCare 100 atLowe's Motor Speedway, Alexander's car crashed into the outside retaining wall nearly head-on. He died from abasilar skull fracture, the fifth driver death from rapid-deceleration head-and-neck movements in 17 months, convincing NASCAR to mandate theHANS orHutchens devices for all drivers, despite the accident happening in ARCA.

Alexander was born on March 26, 1976, inMontoursville, Pennsylvania. He began his stock car career at the age of twelve in theWorld Karting Association and was the champion of the East Series in 1992. From that point, Alexander moved onto theMicro-Sprint racing series at tracks in different states includingPennsylvania,Ohio, andNew York, posting a total of 48 wins in the series. In 1995, Alexander moved from Montoursville toMooresville, North Carolina, to pursue a racing career.

Alexander drove a few races in the ARCA Re-Max Series in 1995. With a full season in 1996, Alexander won ARCA'sRookie of the Year Award. During his 1996 rookie season, Alexander pulled off a second-place finish atLowe's Motor Speedway. Alexander achieved two more second-place finishes in 1997. Alexander won his first ARCA race in 1998 atToledo Speedway and won a second race the same year atPocono Raceway. He led in eighteen ARCA races for a total of 490 laps led. Alexander's final win came in July 2001, atMichigan International Speedway. Alexander earned a total of four career pole awards, in races at Michigan, Watkins Glen, Toledo and Winchester.

In 1997, still running fifteen races in ARCA, Alexander began driving inNASCAR in theBusch Series and theCraftsman Truck Series. He only raced twice in the truck series, and had modest success in Busch. Alexander signed to run forTeam SABCO during the 2000 Busch season, posting two top-ten finishes and finishing 25th in points. After that year, he decided to return to the ARCA series in 2001.

At the EasyCare 100 atLowe's Motor Speedway on October 4, 2001, Alexander was involved in a 2-car accident during lap 63 of the race. He was fighting for the lead position withKerry Earnhardt for most of the race.^[1] During the lap, Earnhardt had to dodge a lapped car by hitting his brakes, which caused Alexander's No. 75 to catch up to Earnhardt's No. 2. Alexander began to inch into the lead when Earnhardt's car made contact with Alexander's, sending Alexander's car head-on into the wall and then back into Earnhardt's car, causing Earnhardt to flip over onto his roof and slide into the grass. After the wreck, Earnhardt got away unharmed, while Alexander was knocked unconscious.^[1] The ARCA race officials quickly threw out the red flag to send rescue workers onto the track to check on Alexander. Earnhardt had already got out of his car and wanted to go check on Alexander, a friend of his. Officials would not allow Earnhardt to see him and was taken to the infield care center. Alexander was pronounced dead at the infield care center at 10:20 PM. He was 25 years old.^[1][2] Alexander was interred at the Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in his hometown of Montoursville, Pennsylvania.^[3]

Alexander's death, caused by abasilar skull fracture sustained in the impact, was the sixth in two years. Other high-profile drivers killed in this period includedDale Earnhardt (Kerry Earnhardt's father, who waskilled in February that same year),Adam Petty,Kenny Irwin Jr. andTony Roper. As a result of Alexander's crash, NASCAR announced that the use ofhead and neck restraint devices would be required to keep drivers safe from these types of injuries, caused by rapid deceleration in wrecks. The use of such devices had been optional up until Alexander's death, though 41 out of 43 drivers in NASCAR's top series were already using them; onlyTony Stewart andJimmy Spencer had not worn them yet.

In response to these deaths, NASCAR eventually installedSAFER barriers on all NASCAR oval tracks. As of 2015, most tracks have the exterior walls covered with the barriers.

After his 1995 move to North Carolina, Alexander enjoyed a close friendship with fellow Busch rookie driver and eventual NASCAR superstar,Jimmie Johnson, as they competed against each other on the track, while supporting each other off it.^[4] Other close relations included Spencer, who served as his mentor, andIndyCar driverP. J. Jones.^[5]

Alexander's memory has been honored by Johnson in several public and private ways. He dedicated his first Cup win to Alexander during a televised interview in Victory Lane, sent condolences in a Victory Lane interview after the death of Alexander's mother, and supported various charity causes and events that Alexander initiated in his hometown area of Central Pennsylvania. Shortly after Alexander's death, one of Johnson's crewmen drew a flame pattern with Alexander's initials on his driver's front left bumper; the tribute was continued in the form of a decal on Johnson's Cup cars.There are quite a few Blaise Alexander automotive dealerships in Central Pennsylvania originally created from his family.^[6]

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time.Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time.Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

• Driver deaths in motorsport

• Blaise Alexander driver statistics at Racing-Reference
• Video of crash onYouTube

• 1976 births
• 2001 deaths
• Sportspeople from Williamsport, Pennsylvania
• Racing drivers from Pennsylvania
• ARCA Menards Series drivers
• NASCAR drivers
• NASCAR team owners
• Racing drivers who died while racing
• Filmed deaths in motorsport
• Sports deaths in North Carolina

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