Nathan Blok revved
Sports
Posted By STEPHEN UHLER
Updated 3 months ago
Now that he has his licence, Nathan Blok is ready to do some racing.
The 16-year-old from Beachburg spent last year obtaining the qualifications needed to race Formula 1600 this coming season, and is looking forward to getting on the track as a regular competitor as he continues his quest to become a Formula One racer. Speaking to a gathering of his sponsors at the Best Western Pembroke Inn recently, with his focus on completing the transition from karting to cars, Blok said he has found out a few things, such as the added expense of the cars and equipment needed to race at this level.
After some research, interviews, and discussions, he said the Blok Racing Team decided to join up with Nigel Mortimer, and the Mortimer Racing Team based in Ottawa.
"Nigel has the largest F1600 racing team in Canada, and his cars have won the Ontario Formula Ford Challenge for the past three seasons,' he said. "I am proud to be one of Nigel's drivers, and I would like to thank him for his assistance."
Continuing to help him to make the transition is his personal trainer Claude Bourbonnais, who Blok described as a good mentor and friend.
"Claude has competed in a wide variety of racing series and disciplines throughout his driving career, ranging from Indy Lights, to competing in the Indianapolis 500," he said. The driver also competed in the 24 hours of Le Mans, and was Jacques Villenueve's team-mate in the former Toyota Atlantic series.
"Claude helped me enormously last year, and he will be providing me with more guidance this season, and he has given me car control advice that I wouldn't have been able to get at any driving school," Blok said.
"Last season, I had an incredible amount of fun, and I accomplished an amazing feat by finishing on the podium in my first F1600 race weekend," he said. "This is no small accomplishment given the quality of the cars and drivers in the field."
Blok said he have his challenges in 2009. Following his win at the Calabogie Motorsports Park, a challenge as he spent much of the weekend wrestling with a cranky car, he prepared to race in Trois Rivieres at his first-ever street course. Then the officials pulled the plug because of his age, not allowing him to compete.
"Instead of leaving the track and going home, I stayed behind to help the crew take care of the other cars, and ended up having an excellent weekend, despite not racing myself," Blok said.
This past season, he has learned an awful lot about car control, set-ups, engine components, and how different parts of a race car work. Most importantly, when he was able to get behind the wheel, he had the most fun driving ever.
"If I had to choose between doing one Formula 1600 race per season, or every kart race I've ever done, I would easily choose racing in Formula 1600," Blok said.
"The atmosphere is more light hearted, welcoming, and all round more enjoyable than karting."
Blok said he is looking forward to this upcoming racing season, which gets underway at the end of the month. He said with its current finances, and the support from its sponsors, the team has enough money at this time to participate in four of the six races in the Quebec Formula Tour 1600, and the entire inter-provincial series which includes the Ted Powell Memorial Weekend at Calabogie.
"I am really looking forward to June, when we will be racing both Saturday and Sunday at the Canadian Formula One Grand Prix in Montreal," he said. "As the schedule now stands, our second event will be featured just before the F1 race," which takes him a bit closer to his dream of racing one himself.
As well as competing, Blok will be continuing to refine, and perfect his driving skills, as well as keep himself in fighting shape.
"There is more to racing than just going fast," he said. "There is physical fitness, co-ordination and seat time. I have been running, and each week I either increase my distance, or speed travelled."
When he isn't running, he is doing weight training, and training in Martial Arts, achieving his adult black belt this past March.
"I also work hard on my schoolwork, and as of my latest report card I achieved an over 80 per cent average, and am constantly looking to improve that grade," Blok said.
He said if it wasn't for his supporters and sponsors, he wouldn't have made it as far as he has, and he thanked them all for their help and backing.
"Without you, my racing dream would not be possible," Blok said.
Stephen Uhler is a Daily Observer reporter
