Tough 2018 – Rocha Focused on 2019

Blaine Rocha will open his 2019 season at the Spears Srl Southwest Tour Series event presented by Traffic Management, Inc. at Irwindale Speedway on March 23. Rocha will look to bounce back from a dissapointing 2018 season in the SRL, after finishing 10th in the standings. He was winless in nine championship starts, after scoring victories in 2016 and 2017.
Entering the 2018 season, Rocha was counted as one of the favorites for the championship, after finishing sixth, fifth and third in the proceeding seasons. The 2018 season, however, was the most difficult of the 21-year-old drivers SRL career. Rocha entered the seventh race of the season with only one top-ten finish, but showed the team was still capable of running up front with a second place finish. He followed that up with a seventh at Kern County Raceway, giving the team hope, but a 25th, to finish off the year, summed up their season.”For myself and some of my guys last year was one of the hardest”, Rocha told the SPEARS Southwest Tour Series. “Racing is all about having your mind focused only on racing at the time. There were things that went on that made it hard for our team to work together the fullest, make the best calls and have clear minds. Everyone knows how hard this sport is to compete for wins, and it takes a lot to stay calm and collected.” Despite last seasons difficulties in the SRL, Rocha, and the Collins Motorsports Team, are confident they will get back to Victory Lane in 2019. Rocha and the team were victorious at Madera Speedway, in their televised Pro Late Model Series, in each of the last two seasons. An early pre-season test also bolstered their confidence.”I know after a test day earlier this year, that we are going to get this year off to a great start”, Rocha exclaimed!. “We are here to win this year. I wouldn’t still be doing this, if it wasn’t for my team sticking by my side, and knowing we have the talent to do it. I can’t thank Gary Collins and the whole CMS crew enough for everything they do, and the people at Port City Racecars getting us ready for this year.”On March 23rd, Rocha will join a large field of SPEARS Southwest Tour Series Super Late Models, at Irwindale Speedway, gunning for the $5,000 first place prize and additional halfway bonus from Kevin Harvick, Inc. Management. He will be looking to pull off that win on the route to a possible season championship.