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First appeared in The Baptist Paper, July 6, 2023 issue. Used with Permission.
The typical ups and downs of life are heightened when engaging in a high-risk career. For 16-year-old Blake Davis, 2022 MotoAmerica Twins Cup champion, moving up to professional motorcycle racing was worth the risk.
The first time he raced at the Daytona 200 at the Daytona International Speedway, he reflected on his journey getting there.
“It’s really special being there in one of the biggest races in America, being able to look around and see everything that my family and team have put in to get me there. I really think that stepping back [shows] that none of that could have happened without God by my side,” Davis said.
Since motorcycle races occur on Sundays, Davis isn’t able to rely on traditional church support in order to keep his faith strong. His mother, Shelby Davis, knew early on that they needed to be very proactive in this area.
“To be totally honest, it has been a slippery slope. Mike (Davis’ dad) met with our pastor several years ago to get advice on how to teach our children that motorcycles are not more important than church, even though we were gone from church so much,” she said.
Their pastor at Forest Baptist Church in Forest, Virginia, advised them to listen to the recordings of church services together on the way home from races and to try to make it on Wednesday nights whenever possible.
Since Davis has moved up in the racing ranks, they now have to travel on Wednesdays, but Davis loves hanging out with friends at church whenever he can, especially during the off season.
“I hang out a lot with my friends on Wednesday nights,” he said. “We go to church and all my friends are there. We’ll hang out and go to the service. It’s really some of the best times I have with my friends.”
Additionally, thanks to RaceLine Ministries, Davis has a pastor when he’s on the road. Mark Merical, RaceLine Ministries chaplain, supports the faith of motorcycle racers in the WERA Motorcycle Roadracing and MotoAmerica divisions, and Davis attends RaceLine’s services whenever he can.
Merical speaks highly of Davis, complementing both his character and his racing. He has noticed how much Davis loves Jesus and that he works hard at relationships, school and his physical well-being as well as his racing.
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