CONCORD, N.C. — Max Blair finally achieved his dream of running a national tour when he joined the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series in 2022.
However, when the Centerville, Pa. driver unloads his Rocket Chassis at Volusia (Fla.) Speedway Park during Sunshine Nationals on Jan. 19-21, it comes with a change of scenery.
Earlier this year, series veteran Boom Briggs announced Blair would join the Briggs Transport team in 2023—positioning the two Keystone State drivers as teammates.
For Blair, it’s a new atmosphere he’s excited about, primarily because of who he gets to work with.
“I’m excited. I can’t wait,” Blair said. “So far, working with Boom and Steve (Briggs) has been awesome. Working with Chub (Frank) has been awesome. When I shared the news, one of the coolest things growing up where I grew up in this little part of the country, I’m now getting the chance to run on a national tour with Rob Blair and Chub Frank in my corner.
“That’s a pretty awesome thing for someone who grew up where I did.”
While a new team means some changes for Blair, some things will remain the same for the 32-year-old driver.
His dad Rob also returns to the crew in 2023—a tandem that began when Max started racing.
“I wouldn’t do it if Dad wasn’t with me,” Blair said. “We’ve done this together my entire life, and that’s the only way I know how to do it. I don’t think I would be able to do it if he wasn’t with me for multiple reasons. When me and Boom talked, that was the first thing we talked about.
“I get to keep Trey (Armel) with me too. Last year was his first year going out on the road as a crew guy, and he’s learned a ton. He’s come a long, long way, and I’m excited. I can’t wait to get going.”
With a little more than a month until the World of Outlaws CASE Late Models season begins, Blair hopes to build off his third-place finish in the 2022 standings.
Despite having two wins, 11 top-fives, and 26 top-10s, he stated he felt he could’ve been better after grading his season.
“Let’s go with a B,” Blair said. “I’m pretty happy with it. I mean, I ran third in points my first year, but we just had to be a little bit better there in the final stage of the year, and we could’ve come away with a rookie title and second.
“I feel like I kind of let my guys down. We could’ve finished strong toward the end, but we kind of picked it back up at the end before Charlotte, but we weren’t consistent enough in the second part of the year.”
Even though he came up short in his bid for Rookie of the Year against Tanner English, he’s still excited for what’s to come in 2023—as he continues to sustain his dream no matter the scenery around him.
“I’m excited,” Blair said. “I’ve seen a lot of the places before and understand the grind a little bit more, maybe going into last year. Like I said, I raced a lot before. We just didn’t travel as much. The biggest thing we had to get used to was just driving up and down the road so much.”
Blair begins his tandem with Boom Briggs when the World of Outlaws CASE Late Models kick off their 2023 season at Volusia Speedway Park for Sunshine Nationals on Jan. 19-21.