By SCOTT POWELLLedger Sports Writerspowell@gaffneyledger.com

Lee Blackwell is shown with the 2002 Childress Monte Carlo he will drive in the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Racing Series this fall. He brought the car to the SunCom Family Day last weekend at the South Carolina Peach Festival. Lee Blackwell will begin living his dream this fall when he begins competing on the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Racing Series.

The Gaffney native will compete at Hickory Motor Speedway which has the DLSI, Gibbs and Hendricks Motorsport development drivers. This will be his first year competing in the NASCAR Late Model Stock Division.

Blackwell said he plans on running only five races this year in his 2002 Childress Monte Carlo.

This is all NASCAR will allow and still make Blackwell eligible to run for Rookie of the Year honors in 2006. He will race the same car that Kenneth Headen drove in the 2004 Greenville-Pickens championship.

“I love racing. Every driver dreams of driving in NASCAR races. This will move me one step closer to that goal,” Blackwell said. “I will run a full racing schedule in 2006. I feel confident with a good season I can compete for Rookie of the Year honors.”

Blackwell, who is in his 14th racing season, felt the need for speed at an early age. He started racing go-karts when he was seven years old, winning seven local championships and notching 250 wins in his career.

He finished second and fourth place in the WKA national championship races in Daytona.

Some of the drivers Blackwell competed against during his go-kart racing years are Brian Vickers, Casey Atwood, Adam Petty and Kertus Davis. He thanks retired NASCAR Goody’s driver Rodney “Pee Wee” White and Davis, a current NASCAR Busch Driver, for their help.

Blackwell ran 4-cylinder engine cars on dirt tracks for a couple of years before starting his NASCAR career.

He kids about having the only AARP crew on the race track.

“Every member of my crew is 50 years or older, but they have over 70 years of racing experience,” Blackwell said.

He is currently looking for a major sponsor to assist with his racing expenses. He would like to thank his associate sponsors Carolina Collision, Handy Hut, Gene’s Pit Stop, Upstate Signs, Double K Trailers and Beam Chevrolet-Nissan.