Ladies and Gentlemen welcome back to another season of Driver Q&A’s, my first interview this season is 2021 Stadium Stock Rookie of the year, Blaine Curry driver of the #16. In just 19 starts Blaine has three wins, he has racked up 17 top 10’s, along with 13 top 5’s.
Q: What was it about racing that got you interested?
A: Well my dad has raced since I can remember, my uncle also ran some at Bowman Gray. My grandfather helped Ralph Brinkley for years. It’s just something I’ve been surrounded with for my whole life.
Q: Other than your dad, Who would you say you can lean on for advice when it comes to conquering the Madhouse?
A: Definitely Chuck Wall and Brandon Brendle, they are two guys who definitely know how to get around there.
Q: You’ve raced against some of the best in Stadium Stock history (AJ Sanders, Chuck Wall, and as well as Brandon Brendle) who would you say you enjoy racing with more?
A: My favorite person to race with is Wyatt Sapp. We always find each other on the racetrack and lean on eachother. We have a ton of respect for eachother and know we’re gonna get raced clean and hard.
Q: What is it about Bowman Gray that stands out to you compared to other tracks you’ve been to?
A: The fans and the logistics. Living 15 minutes away there is no where in the world I could go race for as little as I go to Bowman Gray for. Not to mention there are over 15,000 people in the seats every week. Sponsors love that. I also enjoy that fans can come down after the race and meet their favorite driver. The last thing is, I know when the show is going to start and when it’s going to end, everytime. The show runs smooth and is done at 11:30 everytime.
Q: Seeing your good buddy Brandon Brendle move up to Sportsman, Do you see yourself possibly moving up to another division in the future? If so which division?
A: No I don’t see myself moving up, I enjoy what I run and do not think I could afford to move up.
Q: Your dad(Charlie Curry) use to race, have y’all ever gone out to see who can set a faster lap and get bragging rights as to who’s a better driver?
A: Yes and he’s about a half a second slower nowadays. I think he’d be fine after a few weeks.
Q: Some drivers have a story behind the number they run, Is there a story behind the 16?
A: The main reason I chose it is simple, it’s the opposite of the number dad ran. While I share the same passion for the 61 he does, I want to have my own identity.
Q: I asked Wyatt Sapp this question in my interview with him last year, I wanna hear your take. In your opinion, what is it that Stadium stock is doing different than the other divisions that is actually making the series more interesting to watch?
A: Well the chassis are smaller, Treadwith and Wheelbase wise (narrower and shorter) so we can fit more cars into the same amount of space. And the ingenuity, 95% of the cars you see in other divisions are identical besides color and chassis manufacturer. Very few mini stocks are Identical, while there are a few Jigs floating around, 99% of them are built without a jig. I know none of the cars we’ve built are identical. In my division you have so much more variety, pinto’s,mustang’s or Toyota’s pretty much the only thing in common on them is the fact they have a 4cyl. If you travel outside Bowman Gray, you could see even more. The last thing is we are all momentum, a good 2300 Ford makes around 190/200 horsepower and we only weigh 2300lbs, this means we can drive it deeper and really push the limits of grip. We aren’t the feature division so I don’t expect it, but there’s a lot more to our division than people know. Most of us are way more than drivers. This division reminds me so much of what racing used to be. Most of the drivers can do a little bit of everything, like drivers used to.
Q: Of all your wins, which one stands out the most to you?
A: My last one, it was my first A race win at Bowman Gray.
Q: Obviously, you have the same goals and expectations as every other driver. But is there one in particular goal/expectation you have set for yourself this season??
A: My goal this year is to run for a championship and set the pole for the 50 lapper. At the end of the day I just want to put myself in position to have a shot at it on championship night.
Q: Last question, it’s something I like to ask drivers. “If you could race against any legendary driver (BGS or NASCAR) who would it be?”
A: If I could race against anyone, I would probably choose Johnny Burke. Really I would just like to have raced about 10-15 years ago in the Stadium Stocks. At that time there was 20 guys who could go out there and win on any given night.
Last but not least Blaine would like to give a special thanks to all of his sponsors, his parents, his girlfriend Maddie, Branson, Chuck Wall, and Brandon Brendle for all their support. His sponsors include Greg Butcher Trucking, Lindley Plumbing, Byrd’s Excavation, Infinity Insurance Group of NC, Everhart Lawn Care, Gordon’s Radiator & AC Service, Family Tire & Auto, Sass Seeding, John Baker Plumbing, Ryan’s Detailing, and Lil’ Doughnuts.
Make sure you check out Blaine this year in the Stadium Stock Division at the Madhouse. I want to Blaine for his time in doing this interview during the crunch time of getting ready for the season opener.
Be sure you are there when the green flag drops at the Madhouse on Saturday April 22nd for the Hayes Jewelers 200 presented by Q104.1 first race starts at 8:00. If you can’t be there to witness all the action, make sure you check out FloRacing for the live streamed action!
