After two years away from racing, Dominion Raceway's Alex Brock picking up where he left off
After finishing second in his race division in 2018 and third in 2019, Alex Brock looked well on his way to a championship at Dominion Raceway.
But the COVID-19 pandemic put a halt to the 24-year-old‘s race career. His family owns a restaurant in Virginia, not far from Woodford, where his home track of Dominion is located. Brock was forced to take two seasons off to help his family through the pandemic. In 2020 and 2021, he raced a total of four times.
“That was kind of a heart break for me,” Brock said.
This year, Brock teamed up with Virginia‘s Sellers Racing, owned by defending NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Division I national champion Peyton Sellers. Not only is Brock back at the track full-time, he‘s showing no signs of rust after taking time off.
RELATED: Dominion Raceway’s track schedule
Brock is now racing in Dominion‘s Virginia Racer Late Model class, because he said “It‘s a lot more affordable, we‘re able to run more races, and we‘re not having to purchase more tires every week.”
He won the first race of the season, and three of the last four for five total victories this season. He currently leads the points in his division at Dominion by more than 40, and he‘s also currently tops in the Virginia state championship points, and second in the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Division III Southeast Regional points.
“It‘s incredible,” Brock said of his season. “Our team, we‘ve hunkered down, we found out what the car needs, and we‘ve been able to go out there every race being consistent and taking them one at a time to get these races won. It‘s incredible.”
Fans and officials at Dominion have given Brock the nickname “The Brocketship” for the speed he‘s shown this season.
A lot of people have asked Brock if it was difficult physically to get back in the car after two years – not just for one race but having the endurance to make it through an entire season.
Thankfully, he said, for him, getting back into racing felt like nothing.
“I got right back into the car,” he said. “My first test session we were right there running pole times and everything. We were right there, right out the get-go. Nothing had changed for me.”
Even though he wasn‘t racing himself, Brock was still at the track every week for the last two years working with the late model team of Sellers. He learned a lot from working with the national champions, and, most importantly, was able to gain their trust to bring him in as part of the team.
The biggest thing Brock has learned from his time working with Sellers is car control and management, and making the right changes on the car to be there at the end of the race.
Every week, HC Sellers or Brock’s crew chief, Eric Winslow, will call the Brocks and tell them what changes they think need to be made ahead of that weekend‘s race. The Brocks will then make the adjustments at home.
“It‘s one whole package that we come to the race track every week and we have a chance to win,” Brock said.
Brock and his dad Jimmy, who has been by his side for Brock‘s entire 10-year race career, work on the car just about every night at their home with Brock‘s best friend, Shannon Marano.
“We‘re a father-son race team,” he said. “Me and my dad have been doing it since Day 1, and I want to make him proud this year.”
When Brock won on opening night this season, not only was it his first points win of his career, it was also the first win as a crew chief for Winslow, who has won many times as a limited late model driver, but never in the pits.
“For him to be a crew chief that has won races now is just something even bigger for all of us,” Brock said.
Brock wanted to thank his sponsors and partners for their help this season.
“It‘s a huge blessing beyond measure,” he said. “All of my sponsors, my partners, everybody that works together with me to make this happen. I couldn‘t do this without my team. A lot drivers take it for granted, but all the hard work happens in the shop.”
Brock‘s goal coming into the season was to fight for his first championship. After finishing no worse than seventh in 11 races this year, that championship could turn into three. He called it the “Triple Crown of the Coast.”
“We have had our uphill struggles,” Brock said. “We went on a drought for about two months this year, but we finally reeled back in what we needed and we‘ve just been picking them off one at a time.
“For me, as a driver being in racing for 10 years, I went from racing UCARs to this. It just shows that no matter how long it takes, it can happen. Never let your dreams get taken aside because one day it‘ll all click and the stars will align.”
Racing will return to Dominion this Saturday with twin late model races, twin Dominion Stocks, Twin UCARs, Virginia Racer Late Models, Twin Mini Cups, Legends and Bandoleros, all beginning at 7 p.m. ET.
