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MESQUITE, Texas (June 18, 2013) – After taking a couple of weeks off, Travis Rilat scored a pair of top 10s in his return to Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour action last weekend.
Rilat competed in his own car during the first two events of the Sizzlin’ Summer Speedweek, recording a 10th-place finish in his second career race at Kennedale Speedway Park in Kennedale, Texas, on Friday and a sixth-place result on Saturday at Devil’s Bowl Speedway during the 40th annual Summer Nationals.
“It was an average weekend,” he said. “We rolled it back in the trailer in one piece so that’s a plus. We’re having two new engines built right now. We were fortunate enough to have a good friend in Motor Mike to loan us an engine for the weekend so we could get out there.”
Rilat maneuvered from fourth to third in his heat race at Kennedale Speedway Park, which placed him on the pole of a B Main. He led the entire 12 laps and then charged from 17th to 10th in the feature at the quarter-mile oval.
“I was just reading the other cars and going where they weren’t,” he said. “The track was racy. You could run the top and the bottom. Kevin Ramey has taken it over and has made a lot of improvements. He’s done a fine job of making the track where it’s suitable for sprint cars.”
On Saturday, Rilat led the distance of his heat race at Devil’s Bowl Speedway to earn his sixth heat victory of the season.
“The track was heavy and narrow to start out with,” he said. “I was fortunate to draw the pole of the heat and win it. That put us third in the redraw.”
Rilat started the feature third and finished sixth to garner his sixth top-10 result of the season.
This weekend he heads to Skagit Speedway in Alger, Wash., for the 42nd annual Jim Raper Memorial – a $20,000-to-win event he will drive for Richard Saumure Thursday through Saturday. Rilat won a preliminary night last season.
“I’m very excited about that,” he said. “I think we go pretty decent at that track. I’d put it up there in the same category with Knoxille, Eldora, Little Rock, Gold Cup. There’s 10 or 15 big races in the country and this is one of them. The competition is going to be pretty stout.”
QUICK RESULTS –
June 14 – Kennedale Speedway Park in Kennedale, Texas – Heat race: 3 (4); B Main: 1 (1); Feature: 10 (17).
June 15 – Devil’s Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, Texas – Heat race: 1 (1); Feature: 6 (3).
SEASON STATS –
10 races, 0 wins, 3 top fives, 6 top 10s, 7 top 15s, 10 top 20s
UP NEXT –
Thursday through Saturday at Skagit Speedway in Alger, Wash., for the 42nd annual Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup
MEDIA LINKS –
Twitter: www.twitter.com/TravisRilat29
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT – Smiley’s Racing Products
Located in Mesquite, Texas, Smiley’s Racing Products is a leading parts dealer for sprint cars, mini sprints and various other forms of racing. For more information, visit www.SmileysRacing.com.
“Smiley’s Owner Tom Lorenz is a good personal friend of mine,” Rilat said. “Smiley’s Racing Products has done a very good job of building a good reputation and having a vast array of parts for race car drivers to choose from. They cover all forms of motorsports.”
Rilat would also like to thank Shop the BOSS, Shark, Triple X Race Components, Weld Wheels, KSE Racing Products, Schoenfeld Headers, Simpson Race Products, Hoosier Racing Tire, HRP Wings, Goodrich, Penske Racing Shocks, All Star Auto Reconditioning and everyone who has partnered with his No. 29 Triple X.