From Inside Line Promotions
Mount Gambier, AU — (Feb. 9, 2014) — While his emotions swelled, Travis Rilat had a simple celebration in mind after claiming the 3rd annual Tyson Perez Memorial last Saturday at Borderline Speedway.
“I didn’t do any donuts because Tyson would have said I was a wanker,” Rilat joked. “We just did one victory lap and pulled it in.”
The emotional victory capped a dominant night for Rilat, who flew from his home in Texas to Australia for the race which honored his longtime friend. Perez passed away in July 2010 after an explosion badly injured both Perez and Rilat.
“It was a great feeling knowing that we won a race for him,” Rilat said. “That was all he wanted to do was to win races. Racing was the No. 1 thing in his life to do. Being there having his mother and all of his friends at the races and me being able to win a race for him was pretty significant.”
Rilat, who was caught up in a crash in the inaugural Tyson Perez Memorial and who finished second during last year’s event, was on a roll from the time he got to the track on Saturday. His number was plucked in a random draw for a $100 bonus to start the night.
“We were winning before we even hit the track,” he said. “It was just meant to be.”
Rilat continued to triumph once the green flag was waved. He claimed his first heat race after starting on the outside of the front row. Rilat then charged from ninth to win his second heat race. However, he was docked two positions because officials deemed his front tire touched the infield.
After starting sixth in the dash, Rilat rallied to the front to win and earn the pole position for the 31-lap feature.
“I think it was 31 laps because Tyson was 30-years-old and then one lap for a memorial lap,” he said.
Rilat led for the duration of the main event, but it wasn’t an easy victory.
“The main thing was Sprint Roller Shutters really stepped it up this year and bought us a Shark Racing Engine,” he said. “We had one of my old cars and one of my motors. It was just like being at home. We had everything we needed to win the race.
“Lapped traffic was pretty thick. We had a few cautions and I think we got some leads at times. Then we’d have a caution and it’d bunch those guys up and get them close to me.”
Rilat maintained the top position en route to his monumental triumph, which honored a person who was much more than just a friend to Rilat as well as anyone in the racing community who met Perez.
Rilat will return to action with a pair of ASCS Gulf South Region events – March 14 at Golden Triangle Raceway Park in Beaumont, Texas, and March 15 at Royal Purple Raceway in Baytown, Texas.
QUICK RESULTS –
Feb. 8 – Borderline Speedway in Mount Gambier, South Australia, Australia – Heat race #1: 1 (2); Heat race #2: 3 (9); Dash: 1 (6); Feature: 1 (1).
SEASON STATS –
1 race, 1 win, 1 top five, 1 top 10, 1 top 15, 1 top 20
UP NEXT –
March 14 at Golden Triangle Raceway Park in Beaumont, Texas, and March 15 at Royal Purple Raceway in Baytown, Texas, with the ASCS Gulf South Region
MEDIA LINKS –
Website: http://www.TravisRilat.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT – Triple X Race Components
Based in Burlington, Wash., Triple X Race Components offers top-of-the-line sprint car, midget and micro sprint parts and chassis. For more information, visit http://www.xxxraceco.com.
“Triple X has been a great partner for the last few years,” Rilat said. “I always feel very comfortable and very safe racing a Triple X chassis.”
Rilat would also like to thank Phil Seymour, Sprint Roller Shutters, ESP, Motors on Malor, Cols Quality Contracting, Total Steel Australia, Shark Racing Engines, Shop the BOSS, 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.