K&N's Alyssa Riker Goes on a Four Race Win Streak in the Micro Rookie Class
- 12 Aug 2013
"I think winning the last three races that I have competed in says a lot about both my team and my steady improvement as a driver," said Riker. We won two feature races at Greenwood Valley Action Tracks (GVAT) back-to-back and I won my first feature race at Hamlin Speedway two weeks ago. It shows that we have the ability to change up our conditions on a last minute basis and still be confident that we will be competitive. It also boosts my confidence. It shows me that I have the experience and success I need to hopefully move up into the Regular 270 class soon."
Alyssa Riker's winning streak began in June at GVAT located Orangeville, Pennsylvania, she started third in her heat and made it to the front before the first corner, after that she never looked back, leading all the way to the checkered flag. Then in the feature, Alyssa Riker showed her experience as she waited patiently to make her move to the front coming out of turn four. "From there on I led the rest of the race, passing lapped cars, and eventually won my third feature of my micro career," she said. The following weekend Riker Racing was back at GVAT. After nearly winning her heat again, Alyssa Riker had to pull a redraw for the feature. "Luckily enough I picked number one which got me a pole starting position," said Riker. Taking full advantage of her first place start, Alyssa Riker lead the 12 car field flag-to-flag for another micro win in the rookie class. After the race her comments were "Through a couple of cautions and some bumping around, I was able to lead the whole race and go on to get another feature win. Two weeks in a row is a big deal for us and we are so happy that we were able to pull it off." Alyssa Riker's next race was also scheduled back at GVAT, her home track, but bad weather changed those plans. So they followed the sun and headed to Hamlin Speedway for the first time in two years, and there things started on a foul note. "Before the heats were set to go out, we had a practice session. My dad pushed me out onto the track and the car wouldn't start. It wasn't getting any fuel so we brought it back to the trailer to find out what the problem was." Dad cleaned the carburetor and got the micro running. "We went out for the heat and the car felt good. It was fast and was handling well. I started 5th and got up to 3rd place out of 6 cars." In the 12 car feature Riker started in 5th, but she soon found herself in second after the lead cars tangled. "I held onto second place the whole race until the last lap," Riker remarked. "Coming to the white flag I was able to pass the first place car, which seemed to be having motor problems, and I ended up taking home my first win at Hamlin Speedway. It was a great win for us especially after not being there for over two years." "The one major change we made to the car this year is my dad (Jamie) changed the car from being completely coil springs, to only the front being coil, and the back being torsion bars. This helps the car handle when the track conditions aren't ideal. The change has really helped because our 2013 racing season has been amazing so far. We have raced six times and I have come out with three of my five career micro wins within those races. We had a rough start to the season, but it wasn't long until we were back to being competitive and consistent. And in racing consistency is one of the most important things. I expect that we will stay on the path that we are on now, getting top-three finishes and possibly a couple more wins." "Thank you to K&N and everyone one of our sponsors and supporters for helping us get to this position. I know we say it a lot, but we seriously wouldn't be here without each one of you. Thanks for everything!" K&N News Update: Only minutes after filing this story we got word that Alyssa Riker earned her 3rd win of the season at GVAT and her 4th win of the year overall. |
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