Blake Rowe snapped his career-long winless streak by winning the Turn One CRA Pro Series race at Berlin Raceway after taking the lead on lap 35. The victory moves Rowe up the standings with two championship races remaining in 2026.
Rowe grabbed the lead from Austin Hull on lap 35 and led the remaining distance of the 100-lap event. He had not tasted victory since his August 2024 win at Birch Run Speedway during his championship-winning season.
The long drought weighed heavily on the former champion. When asked about the significance of the victory, Rowe made no secret of his relief.
“Probably more than any of them, to be honest with you,” he admitted.
“This has been the longest drought I’ve ever been through. To have this group stick with me, it means an awful lot. Honestly, there were plenty of times they should have quit on me, and they hadn’t. I certainly haven’t quit on them. I’m just really thankful to finally wrap one up.”
The win did not come easily. Late cautions wiped out his solid lead and stacked the field right behind his bumper for dramatic late restarts. Seth Christensen surged forward on the restarts, but Rowe held his nerve to cross the line first. Christensen settled for second spot, with Brian Campbell taking third, Chase Pinsonneault in fourth, and Boris Jurkovic finishing fifth.
Rowe admitted those late yellow flags gave him nerve-wracking moments on the track.
“I would have preferred to have not even see the caution. Those are always a little bit hairy. You never know what you’re going to have when you fire back off. Just a really great race car, man. Honestly, I think any of the talented drivers in this field, had they been lucky enough to steer this one, they would have been right here, too. I just feel very fortunate.”
The victory revives Rowe’s championship push as the Turn One CRA Pro Series enters its final stretch. Rowe came into the weekend third in points behind title leaders Pinsonneault and Billy VanMeter. VanMeter finished sixth at Berlin, keeping the title fight tight.
Two races remain on the 2026 schedule to crown the champion. The series heads to Owosso Speedway on Saturday, September 26 for the Owosso Nationals. The final champion will be crowned at Winchester Speedway on Friday, October 9 during the Winchester 400 weekend. Rowe has blown the title race wide open.
