(May 25, 2016) Watching someone you love buckle up and go racing is bound to make a person a little nervous. First and foremost you want them to be safe and then you want them to be successful. In this week’s Conversation, we meet Corrie O’Blenis who has not just one or two, but three drivers in her immediate family to worry about and cheer for! 

A Conversation with Corrie O’Blenis

Wade: Hello Corrie. I guess you knew Dave was a racer when you first met him because the O’Blenis family has been at this game for a long time.

Corrie: Yes they were always into racing.  Actually when Dave and I were first dating he was into drag racing.  It wasn’t long though before he got the bug for going around in circles.  Once he tried it he was hooked and he’s pretty good at it too.Corrie’s husband Dave has won five Re/Max Group Four Realty Pro Stock championships and one Irving Blending & Packaging 250 at Speedway 660.

Wade: You married Dave and then your daughters Alexandra and Courtney came along. I know you started bringing the girls to the races when they were very young, but in your wildest dreams did you ever think those two beautiful little girls would follow in their father’s footsteps and race cars?

Corrie:  Alexandra attended her first race when she was only two weeks old.  They let us take the motorhome into the pits and Dave’s grandmother took care of her. Both girls went to the races so much and were so used to it that they could actually sleep on the bench in the stands when they got tired.  When we had two girls, people used to tease us all the time because we didn’t have a boy to follow the family racing tradition. I always knew the girls would be involved in racing in some way and I was excited when they actually took an interest in driving.  We always told them that they could do anything they wanted to if they worked hard, tried their best and treated people fairly. I guess that was true when it came to racing.Alexandra (above) and Courtney (below) have always been around race cars. It was a natural thing for them to follow in their father’s footsteps and become stock car drivers.

Wade: It must be very nerve racking to sit in the stands and watch not only your husband, but your daughters go out there and race hard every week.

Corrie: My friends have the weekly bruises to prove that I get pretty worked up.  Sometimes I might grab them, but I am known for punching them in the arm while watching Dave and the girls race. I know they are safe out on the track, but it can still be scary to watch.  None of them just ride around hoping for a good finish. They all drive hard and do their best to finish strong.  I have actually had people say “oh she is coming up on so and so, but she won’t go around him”…and I know they are so wrong.  My girls don’t back off and aren’t scared out on the track and that sometimes gives their momma a heart attack. They are all hard runners and will race as hard as they can to try to get to the front.Alexandra drives sportsman and pro stock cars at Speedway 660. Last year she celebrated two Martins Home Heating Sportsman feature wins. At the end of the 2014 season she become the first lady to ever race a pro stock car at Speedway 660 and last season won the pro stock rookie of the year award!

Wade: We all know that Alexandra, Courtney and Dave eat, sleep and breathe racing. Do you ever get tired of all of this talk about racing and the countless hours they spend at the shop and race track?

Corrie: Never, because it’s their passion. Dave is an amazing Dad and racing has brought him and the girls really close and that’s great. But they are definitely momma’s girls too though.  They love racing and they are amazing young women who do not do things that a lot of kids their age are doing.  They are content to have a few close friends and to spend all their spare time in the race shop and that’s just fine by me.Courtney (above) and Alexandra (below) aren’t just drivers. Both girls are pretty handy in the shop. Word has it that Alex is a great mechanic and Courtney is an awesome fabricator. 

Wade: What’s a typical week like in your world during racing season?

Corrie: Well if the cars are all ready for the next weekend we try to do some non-race related things to give the girls some balance.  If there has been damage to any of the cars (and sometimes multiple cars) it can be a busy week, morning to night, in the race shop for all three of them.

Wade: I like the O’Blenis strategy of bringing the girls along through the Bando division and then on to street stock, sportsman and eventually to pro stock.

Corrie: Yes, Dave wanted to be sure that they got to experience racing in street stock and sportsman before giving them the opportunity to run pro stock. It is important to have respect for the other drivers, race officials and the sport. And it is also important for them to appreciate their sponsors and the opportunity they have been given to drive these race cars. Dave came up through the ranks of racing and he wanted the girls to get seat time in street stock and then work their way up. I think that other drivers respect them for taking the time to learn.Corrie has always been there for her girls every step of the way. Last week she celebrated with Courtney who had a strong 2nd place finish in the DMR Auto Sales Street Stock feature. Courtney was our street stock rookie of the year last season. 

Wade: Up until just the last few years racing has been a man’s sport. But Heidi Cooper, your daughters and a few other young ladies have proven that they have the talent and determination to drive hard and win races. You must be proud.

Corrie: I am extremely proud!!  It brings a smile to my face every time they suit up and strap themselves into those cars. They are the coolest girls I know and are amazing young women on and off the track.  I sometimes worry about them racing against mostly men.  I worry that they will not get respected because they are women, but I think that they have proven that they are contenders and have earned the respect from the other racers. It always makes me smile when their competitors congratulate them on their driving abilities.Alexandra and her Dad celebrate a Bandolero win back in 2013. Both O’Blenis girls were succesful bando racers before moving to the higher divisions.  

Wade: Dave has won lots of big races and championships. Alexandra and Courtney have been successful too, but what would it mean to your family to see one or both of the girls win a championship here at Speedway 660?

Corrie: Winning a championship at 660 would be amazing for them and I am sure that they will achieve that someday. Alex already has one championship, at another track, under her belt and with experience and time I am sure there will be more. Courtney is pretty determined, so you may see her get one too. But racing is not just about winning championships. It’s about being the best you can be and treating people with respect. Courtney and Alexandra were the first to congratulate their father after Dave won the pro stock feature last weekend at Speedway 660.

Wade: The girls know their way around the race track and are pretty good in the shop, but how are they when it comes to doing the laundry, washing the dishes and taking care of  other household chores?

Corrie:  The girls are great at home and help out as much as I need.  Most of their chores come in the garage though.  That is way harder to keep organized than our house.

Wade: Thanks for doing this Corrie. Have a great racing season and best of luck to all three of your favourite drivers!

Corrie:  Thanks Wade. All week long I look forward to the weekend and our trip to Speedway 660 so I can watch the three of them race!  They always make me proud and our week-ends are never boring.