From Bill Sullivan, photo courtesy of Steve’s Racing Photos
PENNGROVE, CA –- Alissa Geving returned from the recent NASCAR Diversity Combine event in North Carolina and didn’t hit the beach to relax in her native California sun. Instead, the 18-year-old graduate of Ursuline High School went straight back to the books to focus on her studies as a fulltime student at California State University in Chico.
“Racing cars is something I want to do and something I would love to do professionally,” said Geving. “But my education is just as important to me. You have to focus on the big picture in life. Sure I may have been born with the skills to race but what if something happens and I’ not able to race anymore. You have to have an education, you have to have that safety net.”
During her young racing career, Geving maintained a grade point average above 4.0 while maintaining a vigorous racing schedule in open wheel outlaw karts and then sprint cars. Often times she could be found studying in the lounge of her family’s race hauler between events, using every moment possible to focus on her schooling.
For Geving, her most recent racing endeavor took her away from school for nearly a week as she traveled to the capitol of American stock car racing, North Carolina, to participate in the 2009 NASCAR Diversity Combine event. Geving was one of very few drivers selected to participate in the event, the first of her racing career.
The Drive for Diversity Testing & Evaluation Combine brings together some 30 of the country’s top minority and female drivers for two days of on and off track competition. Drivers invited to the Combine are there for one reason – to showcase their skills in front of NASCAR officials, team owners and industry media in an effort to earn a ride with a team in either the NASCAR Camping World Series or the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series.
Combine participants take part in rigorous on-track testing and off-track media training and evaluation. Drive for Diversity affiliated team owners evaluate drivers and, based on performance and fit with their team, will select a driver to compete for them for a full race season.
Areas of competition at the Combine include: On-track assessment, including testing practice, qualifying laps and intermediate runs in a NASCAR Camping World Series stock car, in-car communication between the driver and crew, media and sponsor relations as well as media training and mock-interview sessions. All of the young drivers selected for the combine displayed true talent, which is how they arrived in the event to begin with.
“We’ve had some very talented drivers over the life of the program and we’re very proud of the opportunity that NASCAR and the D4D Program has produced for those drivers,” said Marcus Jadotte, managing director of public affairs for NASCAR. “There is no question in my mind that top to bottom, this is the best group that we’ve seen.”
In the end, ten drivers are selected from the evaluation sessions to become members of the 2009 Drive for Diversity program where they are placed behind the wheel of an actual race car for the entire season. Geving will look ahead to next year for another attempt at making the full program but returned from what can be bannered as an “experience of a lifetime.”
“It was an incredible experience for me,” said Geving. “Just to be selected was a true honor. I went back there with virtually no asphalt experience in a stock car other then a Late Model test one week before we left. I feel with some additional seat time this season in an asphalt late model that I’ll be up to speed if I’m selected again next year.”
During the event, Geving’s on track portions of the program consisted of competition at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in a Legend car and then in a Late Model stock car at Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Virginia. During both sessions Geving used patience, consistency and respect for the equipment she was aboard to make her debut on tracks far larger then she has driven on.
“The last thing I wanted to do was go out there and go all out to try to be the fastest and end up crashing,” said Geving. “Nothing would be gained by that. I would have just torn up someone’s equipment and been out of the event all together. This was my first time there and I’m happy with the way it went.”
Now that she has returned home, Geving will focus on her studies and her plans for the 2010 racing season. After claiming her second Petaluma Speedway championship this past season, the third generation driver looks to broaden her racing career in the year to come. She is actively seeking a driving position either with a competitive sprint car team and will entertain an opportunity to increase her asphalt racing experience behind the wheel as well.
“I’d like to have the opportunity to get more track time under me on the asphalt in the future. As far as my sprint car racing career, I am hoping to have an opportunity to race in the weekly 410 series at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico. It’s close to school and I love racing there. I feel if I had the opportunity to drive there on a weekly basis I would do well throughout the season.”
Over the last year, Alissa Geving has been supported by a number of great sponsors. These individuals not only have supported Geving financially but have shown great support in her local endeavor and are sure to support her future ones regardless of where her destination should be. Among the many supporters are Tillett Tool, Matt Cordeiro Enterprises, Pit Stop USA, and Auto Repairs Unlimited.
Additional sponsors include Hushpower by Flowmaster Mufflers, Allstar Performance, A1A Performance Muffler, Rossi Auto Body, Afex Graphics, Simpson Racing Products, 21st Century Health Club, Butler Specialtys, Vanlare Steering Repair, DefNder Neck Restraints, Pro Shocks, DirtHead.com, Molecule Labs, ALC Machine, JW Web Design.
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.