Blake McCandless
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Blake McCandless | |
|---|---|
| Born | Blake Russell McCandless May 18, 1996 Raleigh, North Carolina, US |
| Education | Gardner–Webb University |
| Occupations | Play-by-play and color announcing, pit reporter, sim racer |
| Years active | 2016–present |
Blake Russell McCandless (born May 18, 1996) is an American sportscaster and esports driver. He last raced for JR Motorsports in the 2025 eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series.
Career
McCandless' first foray into sportscasting came in 2016 with play-by-play broadcasting iRacing private events. In 2020, McCandless was named a color analyst for broadcasts of the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series. After receiving praise from Dale Earnhardt Jr., McCandless secured roles as track announcer for Ace Speedway and pit spotting for NBC Sports. In 2023, McCandless was named co-commentator for the CARS Tour on FloRacing. McCandless made his national television debut in 2025 pit reporting for Fox Sports for the CARS Tour race at North Wilkesboro Speedway.
McCandless attempted to qualify for the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series as early as 2020. He qualified for the series in 2025 and signed with JR Motorsports. During the season, McCandless received a one-race suspension for intentionally crashing during a race, but was later appealed and overturned. McCandless finished 32nd in points with one top-ten finish.
McCandless made two starts racing limited late model cars at Hickory Motor Speedway with a best finish of sixth.
Personal life
McCandless was born on May 18, 1996 in Raleigh, North Carolina. McCandless graduated from Gardner–Webb University with a Master of Business Administration in 2020.
McCandless is the grandson of drag racer Herb McCandless. He has an identical twin brother named Phillip.
Racing record
Complete eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series results
(key) (Bold – Pole position. * – Most laps led.)
| Year | Team | No. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Rank | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | JR Motorsports | 8 | DAY 27 |
LVS 18 |
BRA 27 |
RCH 19 |
ROC 11 |
TAL 35 |
CLT 20 |
NSH 39 |
KAN 26 |
IOW 23 |
DOV 22 |
CSC 27 |
IND 36 |
POC 32 |
MCH 27 |
TEX 8 |
PHO 28 |
HOM 38 |
32nd | 208 |
References
- 1 2 3 4 "Blake McCandless - JR Motorsports". JR Motorsports. Archived from the original on February 2, 2026. Retrieved February 2, 2026.
- 1 2 Eggert, Seth (June 7, 2022). "'Sim 2 Reality' Not Just for Drivers: Blake McCandless". Kickin' the Tires. Retrieved February 2, 2026.
- 1 2 "Meet The 2023 CARS Tour Announcers". FloRacing. March 2, 2023. Retrieved February 2, 2026.
- 1 2 3 "GWU Alumnus Gets Boost in his Career from NASCAR Hall-of-Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr". Gardner-Webb University. July 6, 2022. Retrieved February 2, 2026.
- ↑ Evans, Zach (April 1, 2025). "FS1 to Televise zMAX CARS Tour Race at North Wilkesboro on May 16". TobyChristie.com. Retrieved February 2, 2026.
- 1 2 3 Melillo, Justin (March 10, 2020). "2020 iRacing Road To Pro preview – Part three – 'Fast Firsts', Q&A, and what to watch for". The Racing Experts. Retrieved February 2, 2026.
- ↑ Nicholson, Jonno (June 6, 2025). "eNASCAR driver suspended for alleged intentional crashing". Esports Insider. Retrieved February 2, 2026.
- ↑ NASCAR Gaming and Esports [@ENASCARGG] (June 9, 2025). "Official appeal update on Blake McCandless" (Tweet). Retrieved February 2, 2026 – via X (formerly Twitter).
- ↑ "eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series History". iRacing Esports. Retrieved February 2, 2026.
- ↑ "Official Hickory Motor Speedway Results". Hickory Daily Record. June 7, 2022. p. B2.