MOORESVILLE, North Carolina — It doesn’t get any closer than this. After winning the Sunoco Rookie of the Race award last weekend in Texas, Blake has moved even with Timmy Hill for the NASCAR Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year. With momentum on the side of the Daystar No. 81 team, Blake hopes he can take the lead this weekend in Phoenix.
"Daystar.com No. 81 heads to Phoenix coming off back-to-back Rookie of the Race awards."
“The February race at Phoenix was my first race for MacDonald Motorsports this season,” explained Blake Koch. “This time around I am much more confortable in the race car and we have a ton of momentum going into the weekend.”
Blake was two points behind Timmy for much of the summer before winning Rookie of the Race at Charlotte in October. Another Rookie of the Race award last weekend in Texas brought Blake to a tie with Hill for the first time this season. Fellow Rookie Ryan Truex now sits three points behind Koch and Hill.
In 11 short track races this season, Koch and Hill are virtually dead-even. Timmy Hill has finished ahead of Koch in six of those races while Blake has come out on top in five. Whoever comes out of Phoenix with a better finish will hold a huge advantage heading into the final race of the season in Homestead.
The Wypall 200 from Phoenix International Raceway can be seen live on ESPN2, Saturday at 3:30 p.m. EST.
