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GodSpeaks.com … Blake Koch

by Carl Foster | The Good News Sports Editor | November 30th 2009
Tags: Blake Koch, Chevrolet, GodSpeaks.com, NASCAR

In his rookie NASCAR season, Blake Koch carries the title sponsorship of GodSpeaks.com, and his voice in the auto racing industry brings a great deal of response to the non-profit organization as well as his drive with God.

“I’ve always had a strong faith in God. After all, it is God that has given me the ability and the opportunity to do this,” said Koch. “I came into this campaign prepared to represent them [GodSpeaks.com] well. In these cars we are driving well over 100 miles per hour. How could you not be close to God before doing something like that? I am grateful for the year we have been having, and I look forward to the future with all of my sponsors.”

Prior to strapping into the GGRT/RCR GodSpeaks.com No.21 Chevrolet, Koch had very little experience behind the wheel of a fully equipped NASCAR stock car. But the former Motocrosser, who had fewer than two dozen races in a car of any type under his belt, proved he was born to race, while the entire GGRT crew rallied behind their new wheelman. During the entire season, the team carried a very powerful message in the form of sponsorship throughout the season as one of the first NASCAR teams operating under the sponsorship of a faith-based organization.

During the 2009 campaign, Koch started all 13 of the NASCAR Camping World West series events.

During those races, he scored six top-10 finishes and one top-five. Koch finished eighth out of the 73 different drivers who earned points in the Chase.

Throughout the year, Koch was in a closely watched contest for the Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award with New Jersey’s Paulie Harraka. Koch and Harraka swapped the Sunoco Rookie point lead back and forth throughout the season with, Harraka edging Koch for the honor entering the final race of the year.

“I gave it a good run, and it was close for most of the year,” said Koch. “I’d like to congratulate Harraka on the Rookie title. He certainly earned it and had a great year. Now it’s time to set my sights on winning races and a championship.”

Earlier this year, I had a chance to go one-on-one with the NASCAR driver, Blake Koch, of the No.21 Godspeaks.com car about his first-year challenges:

CF — Typically, Blake, NASCAR drivers get their start racing go-karts. Is this how you started?

BK — Actually, I started racing Motocross when I was 9, and I did that for about 10 years. After some major injuries I set that aside and went to college. My step dad bought a race car and asked me if I wanted to drive it. I said sure, as I missed racing. And from the first time I drove the car it seemed natural to me, so I set out to achieve my goals.

CF — What is the big difference and adjustments moving from Motocross to four wheels, and how do you like it?

BK — I really enjoyed the Motocross sport growing up, as was a good family activity and required a lot of discipline. It was tough dealing with all the injuries, though, and ever since I’ve been racing four wheels my body sure does enjoy it more as I haven’t had any major accidents, thank God.

CF — What life lessons did you take away from all the Motocross injuries, and how did faith play a role in that decision to stop?

BK — Faith plays a big role in my life, as I’ve been a Christian since I was saved at a summer camp in Tampa at age 12. I always reach for my faith, as I’ve never been scared or feared getting hurt. I’ve never really been scared of anything, and I think that lends to my true faith in God. NASCAR is a much safer sport, but Motocross was really my training with those skills that has me where I’m at today.

CF — Talk about this first year for you on the Nascar Camping World Series. It’s like the minor leagues, correct?

BK — Yes, it’s part of the Nationwide Nascar series, and I’m blessed to be racing with one of the greats, the Richard Childress racing team out of the Bay Area in San Francisco. It’s a standard Nascar, and we have about seven or eight of them that used to be the ones that Kevin Harvick won with, so they are really good cars. It’s exactly like the minor leagues of the sport, where I’ll race for a year and hope to move up to the next level in 2010. This is the development league, and I get a chance to still race against some big names like Kyle Busch and Joey Logano, who came out of this series.

CF — What’s it like to have a sponsor like Godspeaks.com, not a normal NASCAR partner?

BK — To have a sponsor like Godspeaks.com is really cool because you see all the beer sponsors and a lot of families don’t like to hang those posters in the house where the kids will see them.  Now you see this car with Godspeaks.com, with a saying on the hood like, “Life is Short…eternity isn’t…signed God.” A lot of people would be proud to hang this up and support us. Godspeaks.com started putting all those billboards on the side of the road nationally with sayings that all come from scripture, like, “If you must curse…use your own name...signed God.”  That’s the T-shirt I’m wearing right now, and we give out thousands of these when we minister at events. It makes you think about God on a daily basis, and that’s our goal.

CF — You must get a safer feeling driving a car with Godspeaks.com on it versus a Budweiser car, that you just might get some divine intervention that will keep you protected. No major crashes to date, correct?

BK — No, you’re right, I do feel very safe, and on the back of my fire suit it says, “I got your back…God.” And I do feel that God has my back, and it’s obvious my faith keeps me safe. A lot of people ask me if I feel any extra pressure driving a car that has God on it, and I typically say no. I feel less pressure because I know it’s all in God’s hands, and I just do the best I can every race and where I finish is where He wants me to finish.

CF — We see many Christians that talk the talk but don’t always walk the walk. You wear God on your sleeve, drive his car and have a sense of responsibility to carry yourself as a Christian driver. You are very competitive; how do you control your attitude and challenges of the races when we sometimes see other drivers facing off ready to fight  in the heat of the battles?

BK — That’s so true. About temper, ever since I was a little kid it’s been very hard to get me fired up and mad. Someone could just come and take me out of the race and I would just say that stinks and accept it. I think this is perfect for the position I’m in right now. I won’t start flipping the bird, and I’llremain calm and cool. I know things happen for a reason, and I don’t question them.

CF — You’re racing now at speeds of over 170 miles per hour in your first season. Does fear ever enter in your mind before or during the race, and how do you deal with it?

BK — This is my rookie season, and I never fear for my safety on the tracks. I’ve always been able to remain cool, but sometimes I fear about not placing in the top finishers. I fear wrecking the race car and not having a race car to drive. I’m human and always fearing the race may not go the way I want it to go and struggle with just leaving it as we should in God’s hands.

CF — Before you go into a race Blake, do you set any specific expectations, and do you have a life verse you pray beforehand?

BK — I set a lot of expectations and call on several scriptures. I pray throughout the day. First I pray that God will drive this car through my hands, my feet and my heart, as I qualify to try and finish first, to get the pole for raceday. And that my crew chief will have the wisdom to keep me informed, and to let me drive my race car faster.

CF — You also have DayStar, a Christian television network as one of your sponsors. Do you ever get any flack or intimidation by other drivers about your faith?

BK — No, not really about the sponsors. On the back bumper of the car it says, Godspeaks.com and there is one driver that keeps trying to take me out of the races. I just wonder how someone that sees God on my bumper can keep trying to run into me. He may have something coming his way, jokingly, but that’s not up to me (Laughs). I hope I can always have Christian and family based sponsors I can represent. That’s who I am and what I believe. I want to lead people to church and the Godspeaks.com website to get daily devotionals, and not influence young kids to drink beer as teenagers and sending the wrong messages to our youth.

CF — How much time do you get to minister while on the circuit and have bible studies like some other sports do?

BK — Overall, it does get very lonely traveling. There are a few drivers that get together for chapel before and after the races, but not many. I enjoy the larger events, like in Phoenix as over 100,000 people have a chance to stop by our booth so I can meet and share the Word with fans, sign autographs, and give out Godspeaks.com T-shirts. We keep our site, www.blakekoch.com site updated with race information and cool contests with my sponsors.

CF—Can you leave the fans with a verse that keeps you powered?

BK—I’d like to put this in people’s heads. With God all things are possible. That’s what I like to hear and live by each day and not just say it but believe with all your heart that With God truly all things are possible.