Blake Lothian fell in love wIth racing at the age of 7. PHOTO: BLAKE LOTHIAN
On July 26, 2002, Blake Daniel Lothian, a race car driver, was born in Fayetteville, North Carolina. There were several other race car drivers born in this world on that day. Still, none were as special to their parents as Blake, the first of two children (daughter Abigail, a student athlete currently attending Virginia Commonwealth University) that the couple would welcome into their (and our) world.
Today, their son lives and works in a world of speed where margins of victory are measured in fractions of seconds. And while he lives out a dream that began at age five, his father, Dan Lothian, is editor-in-chief and general manager of local news for GBH in Boston; and his mother, Cindy, an elementary schoolteacher who handles the executive duties of promoting her son via social media. The 23-year-old Blake drives in the NASCAR Truck Series with the ultimate goal of someday winning the Daytona 500 — the Super Bowl of NASCAR Racing.
“I want to elevate to the top of the NASCAR Circuit, win Daytona, and bring a message to all people, especially people of color, that this could be their dream, too.” During a recent interview with father and son, we gained the following insights:
“Blake began go-kart racing in fourth grade, building his own cart cars. He grew up racing and winning at every level in which he competed. Today, he is good enough to make it to the NASCAR Truck Series, a steppingstone to his dream of racing at the top level of NASCAR.”
“Our family supports him in every way. We are part of his team.”
Eastern Bank is one of Lothian‘s race sponsors. PHOTO: BLAKE LOTHIAN
And while “the team” keep their emotions, and the ever-present thought of on-track crash incidents buried in their subconscious, the star of the show continues his rise up the NASCAR circuit — finishing in the top 20 of the event held Sept. 20 at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway as well as holding a full-time position in the ARCA Developmental Series, the minor league of NASCAR racing, where he finished in the top 10 (number 9) of the event at Madera Speedway on Sept. 27.
“I’m the smiling face in the garage area, always trying to be on the right side of this business. Most people could never conceive of driving and controlling a 500-horsepower vehicle,” said Blake. “They don’t understand the dynamics of being able to control such power over a distance of miles and the skill level needed to maneuver in the tight quarters of racing against other drivers who are trying just as hard as you to push their vehicles across the finish line first.
Father Dan: “My son competes in the safest, dangerous sport. I think he is more concerned about his performance than any thought of danger.”
Still, the element of danger is always in evidence. Blake cites two incidents: “I spun out in turn two at the Anderson Motor Speedway in 2019, and at Daytona (blowing a tire during a test run, but recovered to save the vehicle) last year.” I asked him the same question I have asked race drivers over decades: Did time “actually slow down” during the accident? The answer was a definite “yes.”
The second question: Did any accident ever make you question your reason for driving? The expected answer was “no.”
“This is what I do. I feel privileged to do this job. Before every race, I say the prayer: ‘Armour of God,’ and then go to work and do the job I love to do.”
And while this race-driving son of Dan and Cindy Lothian battles against track competitors, as well as a fight for sponsorship dollars, he knows what is expected of him — to be the best race driver he can be — every time he gets behind the wheel. One of his major sponsors is Eastern Bank.
“We are proud to sponsor Blake Lothian in his NASCAR quest,” said Quincy Miller, president of Eastern Bank. “He is a shining example of what our bank represents — providing opportunity for people with dreams like Blake — a young person from the local community of Wellesley, Mass.”