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April 13, 2008 at
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Photo by Steve Lamothe, www.stevesracingphotos.com
MOTORSPORTS TEAM PRESS RELEASE - ALISSA GEVING-CHICK-O-MOTORSPORTS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, APRIL 12, 2008
MEDIA CONTACT: Bill Sullivan: [email protected]
TEAM CONTACT: [email protected]
WEBSITE INFORMATION: www.chick-o-motorsports.com
Geving sets fast time, overcomes adversity to finish sixth in Petaluma Civil War feature
By Bill Sullivan
PETALUMA, CA (4-12-08) – Penngrove’s Alissa Geving returned to her home track of Petaluma Speedway Saturday night, April 12 to compete in the second segment of the Hoosier Racing Tires Civil War Sprint Car Series, a diverse 15-race series that competes in 15 total events at 6 different facilities in Northern California. This was the third race of the week for 16-year-old Geving who competed in the series opener at Placerville on Wednesday and raced in the Silver Dollar Speedway weekly series on Friday night.
On Saturday, all eyes in the Petaluma grandstands were on Geving’s Chick-O-Motorsports, Pit Stop USA #3X sprint car. Over the past two weeks, Geving has earned the hard charger award here, charging to two straight top three finishes in the weekly All Pro point series. On this night, Geving would put on another impressive performance, turning some hard luck into success by the end of the night.
The night began on a positive note when Geving bested the 40-car field in qualifying. Geving earned the fast time award with a 12:89 second lap on the flat Petaluma 3/8 mile.
“I noticed that everybody was driving it in deep and coming off high so I thought I would try to drive it in low and it worked,” said Geving. “I was lucky to get my qualifying lap towards the end because I think the track got faster. I am super happy getting fast time with the Civil War."
In heat racing competition the evening took a downward twist for Geving when an unavoidable collision badly damaged her Gary Geving powered Maxim. Competing in the first heat race of the evening, Geving started on the outside of the third row. After three restarts in the event, Geving went to the high side of the track in an effort to gain the fourth place transfer position when Scott Kinney spun in front of her and she had no time to avoid a collision.
The impact with Kinney’s car severely damaged Geving’s frame, bending it six inches to the left. The torsion tube was bent to a near 45 degree angle and the shock towers were torn off the frame of the car. The damage was severe enough that team contemplated leaving the track and returning with their 410 chassis until a number of fellow competitors pitched in to make the needed repairs. Veteran driver Jim Richardsen loaned the team coil over shock and spring and the crew and family from fellow racer Mason Moore all pitched in to help. Geving was grateful for all the assistance which illustrated the great sportsmanship that exists in this sport.
Without a fourth place finish in the heat race, Geving was forced to run the B-main in a last chance effort to make it into the A-feature. At the waving of the green flag it was apparent that Gevings’ car was not 100 percent with the bent frame and substitute coil over shocks. But the adversities didn’t set the Ursuline High School Junior back a bit as she went on to win the 12-lap affair to secure a starting spot in the A-feature.
In the A-feature Geving started seventh, sitting on the inside of the fourth row with Fair Oaks’ Chad Compton on the outside. Using caution with her ill handling car, Geving fell back a couple of positions on the opening lap and then found her line to begin advancing towards the front. With the top of the track extremely rough, Geving was forced to run the bottom of the track where she soon passed Compton who was also having his share of handling woes in the event.
Once Geving had passed Compton it was defending series champion Andy Forsberg of Auburn she set her sights on. Forsberg was already in a heated battle with Andy Gregg of Placerville, winner of last year’s Petaluma Civil War event. Geving made several attempts to pass Forsberg on the low side of the track and the two drivers partook in several laps of clean side by side racing with Forsberg maintaining the position and passing Gregg for the fifth position.
“I feel comfortable racing with Forsberg and Gregg,” said Geving. “I know they will race clean and have fun. It was very fun and exciting racing with them tonight.”
With Forsberg out of reach, Geving set battle with Gregg for the sixth place position in the closing laps and accomplished the feat to take a sixth place finish at the checkered flag on a night that was nearly over with after the heat race accident. The sixth place finish will surely advance Geving in the Civil War point standings as she campaigns for the 2008 series campaign. Round three of the series is only two weeks away back at Placerville on May 3.
Prior to Saturday’s event, Geving and the Chick-O-Motorsports made the trip to Silver Dollar Speedway Friday night to compete in the weekly championship point series. The team traveled to Chico early in the day and Geving flew from Santa Rosa into Chico just in time for hot laps.
In qualifying Geving turned the 20th fastest lap of the night with a 12:294 second lap. In the fourth heat race of the night she passed pole sitter Matt Davis to win the event when the motor began running rough in the car. Following the win it was discovered that the car was running on seven cylinders and suffered a broken piston during the preliminary events. To prevent further damage the team elected to withdraw from the program.
This Saturday night, Geving will return to Petaluma Speedway for the weekly All Pro championship series. At this time is appears the team will be unable to compete in the 410 competition at Chico and will focus on their 360 sprint car program in weeks to come.
Alissa Gevings’ title sponsors include Pit Stop USA, Auto Repairs Unlimited, Matt Cordiero Enterprises and A1A Muffler. Additional sponsors include Parker Stores, Sequoia Logistics, Tillet Tool, KalembasTireCenter, Rossi Auto Body, Afex Graphics, ALC Machine Century 21st Healthy Club, Hose Doctor, Spin Tech Mufflers, Fast Lube Plus and Kaeding Performance. ALC Machine. To learn more about Alissa Geving, her sponsors or how to become involved with the team as a sponsor visit her official website at www.chick-o-motorsports.com.
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