Blackwell brings 16 years of motocross experience to the driver's seat. He turned pro in 1998 and rode until an injury forced his retirement in 2002. "I knew I wanted to be involved in motorsports after my motocross career, and monster trucks seemed like the perfect fit," he said. Blackwell's first involvement in the monster truck business came in 1992, when his truck club was asked to coordinate the infield activities at the Bloomsburg (Pa.) Jamboree. Here he met Andy Slifko, owner and driver of the Eradicator monster truck, who lived just a few miles down the road from him. After one of the events, Slifko let him drive the Eradicator over a few cars. He was hooked and started going with the Eradicator crew on a regular basis. Blackwell crewed for Andy's Eradicator for a year and half before taking on the driving duties of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle for Randy Brown Motorsports. He made his professional driving debut at the Monster Jam in Birmingham, Alabama in January, 2005. One of Alex's largest contributions to the monster truck business is his "Gazoo Motor", a rear steer motor that spins 2 ½ times quicker than the typical motor. Blackwell mounted the first motor on the Eradicator in late 2003. Today the "Gazoo Motor" can be found on over 40 of the top monster trucks - including Grave Digger - in the country. In 2005, Blackwell earned the USHRA Rookie of the Year nominee, for this major contribution. Switching to the Bulldozer truck in 2007, he shows lots of promise as a young driver in the business poised to give the veterans a run for their money.