Rocha Just Misses SRL Championship
Blaine Rocha entered the 2024 SRL Southwest Tour Series season looking for his first series win since 2017. He completed the campaign with a victory and a near championship, as he and the Duane Sharp led team rebounded from several seasons of bad luck. The championship came down to the last event of the season, where the best finish between Rocha and Buddy Shepherd would decide the title. Unfortunately for Rocha, an “October Classic” win by Shepherd sealed his fate.
Rocha had been winless since April of 2017, after taking the checkered at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway. The span included 57 starts heading to his hometrack, The New Stockton 99 Speedway. Rocha was the fourth of four leaders that day, grabbing the top spot on lap 44. Rocha would lead the remainder of the “JM Environmental Inc Wild West Shootout – There’s Gonna Be Some Rockin 127” to take home $10,000. The win placed him in prime position, one point behind Shepherd, for the series 24th championship.
The win in the penultimate event set up a dramatic finale at Kern. But a third place effort for Rocha, left him just short of the championship. Despite the disappointment at Kern, Rocha had a great season finishing in the top five in five of the six events. He had three third-place results and a worst run of sixth in the “All-Star Showdown”. He led 136 laps during the campaign while also earning a “Hard Charger Award”. Rocha also finished all the possible laps with 679 and earned a RaceCals Fast Time Award.
The Oakdale, CA driver now has 85 career SRL starts, good for eighth all-time. His three wins are tied for 13th, his 27 top fives are also eighth. He has four fast times (tied 10th), 46 top 10’s (7th), 498 laps led (12th), 30 top five qualifying efforts (8th), and $109,500 in earnings (6th).
With a successful 2024 season behind Rocha, a championship in 2025 is a distinct possibility. The SRL Southwest Tour schedule will be announced in the near future for its’ 25th anniversary season.
Celebrating its twenty fourth season in 2024, the SPEARS Southwest Tour Series is a regional stock car series competing on paved ovals in the southwestern portion of the U.S. “The SPEARS Southwest Tour Series…Where the Champions Race”.
