Rocha Looks for PLM Hometrack Success in “Asparagus Cup 125” at Stockton 99

Bakersfield, CA; Oakdale, CA driver Blaine Rocha is set to make his debut in the Spears Srl Southwest Tour Pro Late Model Series presented by Sigma Performance Services at The New Stockton 99 Speedway on March 13th. The “Asparagus Cup 125” will pay $7,500 to the winner and will be race #2 of 11 in the series inaugural season. The multi-time winner, in Madera Speedway’s Nut Up Pro Late Model Division, will seek his first SPEARS Pro Late Model win, at Stockton’s historic ¼-mile oval.

Despite Stockton being his home track, Rocha has limited experience on one of the West Coast’s oldest racing venues. Rocha got his start in Late Model racing in 2014, winning at Stockton 99 Speedway in their Late Model Division. Since then, he has only six touring series starts at the action-packed oval. His best performance was a sixth in the SRL’s Legends Tour in 2013. He finished seventh in the SPEARS SRL Southwest Tour Series in 2014, in a car owned by the Strmiska family. But his luck has been poor since that effort, finishing in the teens in the four remaining starts.

Rocha will look to turn that streak around, and based upon his recent Pro Late Model success, a victory would not be a surprise. At the 2020 October Classic, at Kern County Raceway, Rocha swept the weekend in his Pro Late Model, at the ½-mile facility, taking home $5,000 for his efforts. He had a second-place finish in the $10,000-to-win Short Track Shootout at Madera in 2019. He has also collected two Super Late Model wins in the SPEARS SRL Southwest Tour Series. Watch for Rocha to be on the watchlist of drivers looking to take home the $7,500 prize.

Rocha will face some tough competition at Stockton, with 31 cars already pre-entered. 38 Pro Late Models appeared for the season opening All-Star Showdown 150 at Irwindale Speedway.

Rocha’s Chevy is sponsored by Masellis Drilling, HCI Docks, Rocha’s Valley Enterprises, Frontier Lubes, Farmers Blacksmith & Welding, and MASROC Farms .  Saturday’s race schedule will feature five Heat Races that will set the first 20 positions in the “Asparagus Cup 125”. The remaining positions will be filled by the top-four from the Last Chance Qualifying race. Heat positioning is determined based upon the reception date of the pre-entry form.  Rocha will roll off fifth in Heat Race #2, based upon that criteria. Four cars will transfer directly to the feature event, from each Heat. The Pro Late Models will be joined by the Legends of the Pacific.

For those unable to attend, the broadcast can be seen live at www.SpearsRacing.TV and delayed on MAVTV.