BLAKE HARRIS - ?/?/?
Blake Harris from Maypearl, Texas, began his racing career at the age of 11 in a dirt go-kart. He began racing stock cars at the age of 14 and rebuilt his first vehicle multiple times before making his dirt stock car debut at the age of 15. Harris switched to asphalt trucks in a touring series in his native state after finishing his dirt stock car season. Harris raced in the touring series for two seasons before relocating to North Carolina to seek a career in NASCAR. He joined Evernham Motorsports then, later known as Richard Petty Motorsports, in 2006 at the age of 18, and worked in both the engine and chassis departments. Blake Harris went to Colorado in 2010 to join Furniture Row Racing, where he became the car chief for Kurt Busch in 2013. That year, Harris and the team had 11 top-five finishes, 16 top-10 finishes, a pole position, and the organization's first playoff place. From 2014 through 2018, Harris was the car chief for Martin Truex Jr. The team earned 17 victories, 56 top-five finishes, 91 top-10s, 12 pole positions, and three Championship 4 places. He was a key member of Furniture Row's
2017 championship crew, which won eight races and led 2,253 laps. Blake Harris returned to North Carolina in 2019 to work as the car chief for the #19 team at Joe Gibbs Racing. He was a member of 12 victories and two Championship 4 berths over the next three seasons. He assumed the position of crew chief with Front Row Motorsports ahead of the 2022 season. In their first season together McDowell finished seventh in the Daytona 500, and had a best finish of third at Sonoma and Talladega. They also had eleven top ten finishes on the season. He moved to work for owner Rick Hendrick in 2023 and driver Alex Bowman. They finished fifth in their first run together at Daytona after winning the pole. They had a best finish of third on two occasions, Las Vegas and COTA. They only had three top fives on the year with eight top tens. Bowman missed three races with a fractured vertebrae. Josh Berry filled in those races and had a best finish of tenth at Dover. Harris paired with Bowman again in 2024. After a miserable season in 2023, the team looked to improve, and make a run at the championship. Bowman almost won the Daytona 500, finishing second behind teammate William Byron. His lone win came on the streets at Chicago. It marked Harris' first win as a Cup crew chief. But he showed consistency posting eight Top 5, and 17 Top ten finishes. Such consistent finishes saw him make the play-offs, but a DQ at the Charlotte Roval saw him placed 38th in the final running order, and he failed to make the Round of 8. At the Roval he was DQ'd for not making minimum weight. After Charlotte he had finishes of fifth; seventh, 13th and 14th and ended up finishing ninth in the season points race. The duo will be back together in 2025.
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