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MOTORSPORTS TEAM PRESS RELEASE - ALISSA GEVING-CHICKO-MOTORSPORTS 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, SEPTEMBER 27 , 2008  

MEDIA CONTACT: Bill Sullivan: [email protected] 

TEAM CONTACT: [email protected] 

WEBSITE INFORMATION: www.chick-o-motorsports.com 

Penngrove’s Geving wraps up 2008 Civil War Series campaign with fifth place finish and rookie honors 

By Bill Sullivan 

PENNGROVE, CA (9-28-08) – At he beginning of the racing season, Penngrove’s Alissa Geving set out with two goals in mind. The first was to win the 2008 Petaluma Speedway All Pro Series winged sprint car championship to follow in the footsteps of her father and grandfather; mission accomplished earlier this month. The second was to score a top five finish in the year end Hoosier Racing Tires Civil War Sprint Car Series’ point standings and claim the Rookie of the Year honor and that second goal was achieved Saturday night when the series concluded at Placerville Speedway. 

“I’ve enjoyed the Civil War Series so much this season, it has been the highlight of my racing career so far,” said Geving. “I’ve gotten to compete with the best drivers in California on a regular basis and I’ve developed so many great friendships along the way. I set two goals for myself at the start of the year and accomplishing those goals is very rewarding to me.” 

A senior at UrsulineHigh School in Santa Rosa, Geving maintains an impressive grade average exceeding 4.0, a number many of only dreamed of nearing. Additionally, she is involved with various extra curricular actiivities ranging from student government to community service. In other words, the 17-year-old all American girl, that most of us know as Chicko or the Angel in Flames every weekend, maintains a schedule that even a top executive and their assistant may have trouble keeping up with. Geving has been an over achiever her entire life and such persistence has paid off in the form of a very successful year behind the wheel of her Matt Cordiero Enterprises-Pit Stop USA-Auto Repairs Unlimited #3x Maxim sprint car. 

During Saturday’s final Civil War Series event at Placerville Speedway, Geving qualified 23^rd and finished fifth in her heat race as she once again began adjusting to the high banks of the quarter-mile clay oval in the foothills that differs greatly from all of the other tracks on the Civil War tour. Following seventh place finish in the B-feature she earned total of 44 championship points for the night, securing her fifth place in the standings where she is tied with veteran driver Mike Benson for the positions and sits 20-points ahead of her closest rookie rival, Miles Bishop of Escalon. 

“I really enjoyed competing for this with Miles Bishop this year, he and his team became good friends and helped me along the way,” said Geving. “That’s what is so great about this sport is that most of us can go out and race against each other every week and we are all friends while we are doing it. I wouldn’t want it any other way.” 

Geving’s success in the Civil War Series included competing in all 15 events. She set fast time in one event at her home track of Petaluma Speedway. In feature event competition she garnered two top five finishes and four top tens along with a B-feature victory and two heat race wins. In her weekly campaign at Petaluma Speedway, Geving claimed the title at the track where a championship can be hard to earn as championship points for the weekly series are awarded in every event that takes place, including the Civil War dates and the Golden State Challenge events when they come to town. Despite having little down time in the campaign, Geving drove her way to 12 top five finishes and two victories in Petaluma this season. She claimed the title over veteran championship driver Art McCarthy of San Jose. 

“I can’t take all this credit by myself,” said Geving. “Because I could not have done it by myself. I have to thank all of my sponsors for supporting me at Petaluma and for the whole Civil War Series, this sport doesn’t come cheap and it wouldn’t be possible with them. The support of my crew and my family is incredible. My Mom and Dad have dedicated their lives to helping me follow this dream and they put in countless hours to make it happen. I am so thankful for their support, I love them.” 

With the Civil War Rookie campaign behind her, Geving will now set her sights on returning to one her favorite Northern California tracks this week, Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico. Geving will be competing in the annual Pacific Sprint Fall Nationals that take place Thursday through Saturday and are worth some $44,000 in winnings. As she joins with the best drivers in California, Nevada and Washington she will not be competing alone as Chicko Motorsports will field its back up car for the event. Geving’s teammate for the weekend will be finalized and announced in the coming days. 

“I can’t wait for the fall nationals,” said Geving. “I love racing at Chico and I miss racing their Friday nights. I’m hoping both cars can qualify well on Friday night and get a good starting position on Saturday night. This will be a fun race for us without the worry of points and championships I can relax a bit and focus on just driving my best.” 

Alissa Gevings’ title sponsors include Pit Stop USA, Matt Cordeiro Enterprises, Tillett Tool and Auto Repairs Unlimited. Additional sponsors include Flowmaster, A1A Performance Muffler, Parker Stores, Kalembas Tire Center, Rossi Auto Body, Afex Graphics, ALC Machine ,21^st Century Health Club, Butler Specialties, JW Web Design, Vanlare Steering Repair, Jeremy’s Chair Repair, Hose Doctor, Fast Lube Plus ALC Machine and Butler Built Safety Seats. Public Relations Services for Chicko Motorsports are furnished by Sullivan Images in collaboration with Steve’s Racing Photos 

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. 

PRESS PHOTOS ATTACHED 

Chicko back to Chico - Alissa Geving (3x) of Penngrove will return to Silver Dollar Speedway this week for the annual fall classic, the Pacific Sprint Fall Nationals. Last week the 17 year old lady racer secured the Civil War Rookie of the Year title with a fifth place finish in the standings. 

Photo by Steve Lamothe

way to go alissa,congradulations on your top 5 in civil war points and for earning rookie of the year in civil war racing,,.and being the petaluma champ...damn good year for the 3x team.....you know the 7 car gave alissa the rear wheel at p-ville,and she didnt whine to bill sullivan instead she had high praise for miles,that is class....good luck at the fall nationals and hopefully trophy cup.......

MOTORSPORTS TEAM PRESS RELEASE - ALISSA GEVING-CHICKO-MOTORSPORTS 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, SEPTEMBER 27 , 2008  

MEDIA CONTACT: Bill Sullivan: [email protected] 

TEAM CONTACT: [email protected] 

WEBSITE INFORMATION: www.chick-o-motorsports.com 

Chicko and the Buttercup are Chico bound; Santa Rosa’s Lathrop to drive team car for Fall Nationals 

By Bill Sullivan 

PENNGROVE, CA (9-28-08) – When spectators attend the 2008 Fall Nationals in Chico this weekend they won’t be seeing double, Alissa Geving and her championship Chicko Motorsports team have announced they will field a second car for this week’s annual fall classic at the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds. After much consideration, veteran driver Randy Lathrop of Santa Rosa has been selected as the teammate for Geving, the 2008 Petaluma Speedway track champion that will make her first Fall Nationals appearance later in the week. 

“I appreciate everything that the Geving’s are doing for me in this venture,” said Lathrop. “It is truly an honor to be driving for Gary and Melissa and I look forward to racing with Alissa after watching her come so far this year. I’m really looking forward to getting back behind the wheel of a winged sprint car.” 

Lathrop is a longtime friend of the Geving family. The Santa Rosa resident known to many of his friends and colleagues as “Buttercup” has been a positive influence on Alissa throughout her young racing career. As the crew chief of for Pope Valley sprint car driver Jeff Parady, Lathrop has assisted the Geving’s Chicko Motorsports team on numerous occasions during the weekly Petaluma Speedway All Pro Series and the throughout the Civil War Sprint car campaign. This weekend Lathrop and Geving will collaborate, putting his motor in the #3 secondary Maxim sprint car. 

“Randy has helped us a lotand he is known for his positive reflection on Alissa these past two years. He was looking for a ride for the nationals and we felt it was just appropriate to put him in the car for the weekend,” said Gary Geving, Chicko Motorsports team owner. “Randy is a talented driver, he uses his head on the track and he knows how to set up a car well too and that’s a big help.” 

While Lathrop is best known for his recent work with Parady and his often controversial yet sensible dialogue on various racing internet sites he has had his share of success behind the wheel. During his career Lathrop has garnered 12 feature event victories, reaching the podium in Marysville, Petaluma, Watsonville and Antioch. Eleven of those victories have been in a winged sprint car, the other behind the wheel of a wingless sprint car.  

Lathrop began his racing career in 1999. His career best season was in 2005 when he posted four feature victories in a single season and three different tracks driving both winged and wingless sprint cars. In 2001 Lathrop made a bid for the Petaluma Speedway track championship, finishing second in the point standings and earning the most improved driver and best looking car award. 

During his stint with Parady, Lathrop has wrenched his good friend to several top finishes. In 2007 they led the Petaluma Speedway All Pro Point series down to the final race, finishing in second by just five points. This season they finished a career high 8^th place in the Civil War series together.  

“Last year was a heartbreaker for us, to lose that on the last night was tough,” said Lathrop. “But this year has been great. We are higher then ever before in the Civil War, this is the best year Jeff has ever had.” Parady will not be competing this weekend in Chico as Lathrop returns to the drivers seat. 

With a dozen victories to his name and numerous top finishes, Lathrop is often questioned by local race fans or fellow drivers. However, the questions are often not even related to his talent behind the wheel, they want to know how he got the nickname of “Buttercup.” 

“The whole Buttercup name came from my fiancée,” mused Lathrop. “Her favorite treat of all time is a Buttercup. When she and I first started dating she fell in love with me so much that she said I was her Buttercup. That’s how it all got started a few years ago.” 

Lathrop will join Geving as she makes her first Fall Nationals appearance. Much like Lathrop, Geving too is known by a nickname, that of “Chicko” when he her dad use to called her “Slicko Chicko” in her kart racing days for spinning her tires in the slick of the track. From that day on the name has become synomonous with the teenager from Penngrove that a fan favorite nearly every track where she competes. 

Geving recently became the youngest female sprint car champion in the nation with her Petaluma Speedway title at the age of 16. Last week she finished fifth place in the season ending point standings in the Hoosier Tires Civil War Series to become the highest finishing rookie to the series. Much like Lathrop, Geving is excited about the fall nationals and her teammate for the event.” 

“I can’t wait for the fall nationals, Chico is one of my favorite tracks,” said Geving. “I’m excited that Randy will be driving our second car for the weekend. Randy has always taken the time to talk to me and help me out a lot. This race will a be a lot of fun for all of us and is a great way to close our season.” 

Both Geving and Lathrop are slated to qualify on Friday night at Silver Dollar Speedway. The Fall Nationals are worth some $44,000 in winnings with $6000 going to first place on Saturday night. Chicko and the Buttercup…let the adventure begin. 

Alissa Geving and her Chicko Motorsports team are sponsored by Pit Stop USA, Matt Cordeiro Enterprises, Tillett Tool and Auto Repairs Unlimited. Additional sponsors include Flowmaster, A1A Performance Muffler, Parker Stores, Kalembas Tire Center, Rossi Auto Body, Afex Graphics, ALC Machine ,21^st Century Health Club, Butler Specialties, JW Web Design, Vanlare Steering Repair, Jeremy’s Chair Repair, Hose Doctor, Fast Lube Plus ALC Machine and Butler Built Safety Seats. Public Relations Services for Chicko Motorsports are furnished by Sullivan Images in collaboration with Steve’s Racing Photos 

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. 

Good luck to Alissa and Randy at the Fall Nationals.

congrats chicko!

- Chris