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New season beckons rising star Alissa Geving

Published: Thursday, Mar 6, 2008

By HARLAN OSBORNE
FOR THE ARGUS-COURIER

Everything is beginning to fall into place for Alissa Geving as she prepares for her second season of sprint car racing set to begin March 15 with the Hoosier Tires California Civil War Series and on March 29 with the All Pro Racing Series opener at Petaluma Speedway.

The talented Penngrove 16-year-old, who competed full-time last season at Petaluma and raced throughout Northern California, found out how busy the off-season can be as she rode the banquet circuit collecting trophies and awards attesting to her 2007 success.

This week she will be one of the honorees at the annual Green Flag Banquet of the Motor Sports Press Association, where she will receive the organization’s Paul Tyler Rising Star Award. Last season, at 15, the fiercely competitive Geving became the youngest female driver ever to win a winged 360 sprint car feature and went on to win three more features and capture rookie-of-the-year honors at both Petaluma and Antioch. At Petaluma, she twice posted fast time, finished with two wins, one second, and two thirds and finished sixth in points.

The third-generation racer, daughter of former Petaluma track champion Gary Geving, gained valuable racing knowledge watching her father race and by competing in the Outlaw Go Karts, which named her its driver of the year in 2006.

An Ursuline High School junior, Alissa is planning to race full time with the Civil War Series, an ambitious undertaking that includes 15 events at six different tracks including four at Petaluma, and also plans on competing for the track championship at Petaluma Speedway.