If you follow the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West, you are familiar with 24-year-old Blake Koch who drives the number 21 car for the Golden Gate Racing Team. His story is a story about trust in God and walking by faith in the steps He has provided…even in the rough world of NASCAR racing.
Koch, a Florida native, was late to the racing game not starting until he was 21-years-old. He rode in motocross for about eight years before moving from two wheels to four. And as is often the case he realized it’s “what he wanted to do for the rest of his life.”
He always had a strong Christian faith based not on a specific experience but more of a day-to-day walk with God, who always provided for him. So, with the racing bug now in his blood he again turned to his Provider.
“After only eight races in a crate-motor pro truck ride (in Florida) an opportunity came up for me to race a late model,” says Koch. “Some people thought I was moving up way too fast, but all my life I just go with the flow and follow the stepping-stones that God has laid out for me; because that is what I pray for.”
After about 10 late model races another opportunity was presented – this one was to try out for a Richard Childress Racing development team racing team racing in NASCAR’s Western regional series.
He went with the team to Thunder Hill Raceway in Kyle, Texas and proceeded to qualify fourth-fastest. After finishing 11th in his first race the team was interested in signing him to drive. But, as with the case for so many young talented driver there was a hurdle to cross and that was sponsorship money.
“I signed a contract knowing the God would prevail like he always does,” said Koch who’s family didn’t have the funds to support his racing. “However, weeks went by and all we were getting was rejections from sponsors. I tried not to be worried and just knew it was in God’s hands, but naturally that was very tough. My dad always told me that God always comes through and it’s in His timing.
“He was right; God came through in a big way. He brought GodSpeaks.com and the foundation behind it to us as a sponsor.”
GodSpeaks.com is the company that puts up billboards across the country with those catchy phrases like, “life is short, eternity isn’t”. The goal of the outreach is to get people thinking about God on a daily basis. What better way to reach millions of NASCAR fans than on the side of a race car.
And, his first full season of NASCAR West Series racing saw him finish in the top-10 six times and finish eighth in the points. He made to NASCAR Nationwide Series starts (Memphis and Homestead) as well as selected short track events in his native Florida.
As last season wound down, Koch made other contacts with Christian-based ministries and enters this season with the DAYSTAR.com Christian network, the IAmSecond.com ministry as well as sponsorship from Tire Kingdom.
The team has also expanded its outreach from “on-track” sponsorship to “at track”
marketing. At NASCAR Sprint Cup Series weekends at Atlanta, Phoenix and Texas the team had a show car and hauler on vendor row where members of the outreach team met thousands of race fans over the course of the race weekends.
“The biggest part of our racing program is the outreach events we do to help bring people to know Jesus,” said Koch. “We don’t sit there preaching all day; we simply plant the seed and let God do the rest.”
Koch will not only compete on the K&N Filters Pro Series West but also will continue racing at short track events in Florida.
“To sum it all up,” bottom-lined Koch. “If you accept Jesus Christ as your personal savior and stay obedient to His Word; He will show up in your life in such a big way. When God is in it, there is no stopping it.”