(Photo by Malcolm White Photography)
Inside Line Promotions – ALGER, Wash. (June 29, 2015) – Travis Rilat produced a consistent weekend during the 44th annual Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup.
Rilat, who was piloting the No. 39c for Richard Saumure, captured a pair of fifth-place results and he finished in the top 10 during all three Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour races at Skagit Speedway, where more than 50 drivers competed.
“It wasn’t bad for sure, but I would have liked to have been on the podium,” he said. “Everything is so competitive you really have to have your car dialed in. While we had a good car, we had to have a great car.”
The weekend kicked off last Thursday with Rilat rallying from eighth to fourth place during a heat race. That earned him enough points to lock into the feature, which he started on the inside of the eighth row.
“Track position was key all weekend, but you had to get your car perfect as well,” he said. “Getting the car dialed in was really, really important. We knew we were going to have to do some digging. To get in the top 10 was satisfying.”
Rilat maneuvered from 15th to a ninth-place result.
The team returned to the high-banked track on Friday for the second preliminary night, which Rilat opened by winning his heat race after starting on the outside of the front row. That made him the high-points driver and earned a spot in the feature redraw. Unfortunately, Rilat pulled the third-highest number – six – to line up on the outside of the third row.
“I probably had a good third-place car,” he said. “I just didn’t move around a couple of cars when I should have. We gave up a couple of positions that night.”
Rilat battled within the top five for the entire race before finishing fifth.
The combined points from the preliminary nights ranked Rilat sixth overall, which started him sixth during Saturday’s 40-lap, $15,000-to-win feature.
“The car was pretty good at the first of the race,” he said. “Things were looking hopeful that we’d get a podium, but we faded later in the race. We were a little free toward the end of it.”
Rilat posted a fifth-place result, which marked his ninth top five of the season.
He and Saumure will tackle the 61st annual Gold Cup this Friday and Saturday at Castrol Raceway in Edmonton, Albert, Canada.
“We’ve done well at that track,” Rilat said. “We expect nothing less than a win.”
QUICK RESULTS –
June 25 – Skagit Speedway in Alger, Wash. – Heat race: 4 (8); Feature: 9 (15).
June 26 – Skagit Speedway in Alger, Wash. – Heat race: 1 (2); Feature: 5 (6).
June 27 – Skagit Speedway in Alger, Wash. – Feature: 5 (6).
SEASON STATS –
15 races, 1 win, 9 top fives, 10 top 10s, 10 top 15s, 11 top 20s
UP NEXT –
Friday and Saturday at Castrol Raceway in Edmonton, Albert, Canada, for the 61st annual Gold Cup
MEDIA LINKS –
Website: http://www.TravisRilat.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/TravisRilat29
VIDEO –
Here is a link to watch highlights of Rilat’s victory at the Tyson Perez Memorial in Australia on Feb. 7: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPYKg2nfSNw
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT – Xtreme Oilfield Technology
Located in St. Paul, Alberta, Canada, Xtreme Oilfield Technology began in 2000 by providing general and specialized tank cleaning (door pulls), fluid transfers, well loads and rig work. Xtreme Oilfield Technology has expanded to include body vac units, flushby units, combinations units (vacuum/steamer), water trucks and hydro vac units, and offers equipment rental. For more information, visit http://www.XtremeOilfield.ca.
“The people with Xtreme Oilfield Technology are very cool people to hang out with and we really appreciate their partnership,” Rilat said.
Rilat would also like to thank Carlan Services, Shark Racing Engines, Northern Provincial Pipelines, Matt’s Oilfield Services, TriJet Manufacturing Services, Northern Lights Welding, Camex VP, Rob Wright Building Supplies, Scott Safety, Max Fuel, Jaron Water Hauling, Maxim, Factory Kahne, HRP, Ti22, Weld Wheels, Ben Cook Racing and Smiley’s Racing Products among others for their continued support on Richard Saumure’s No. 39c Maxim.
INSIDE LINE PROMOTIONS –
Inside Line Promotions specializes in affordable public relations and media management for motor sports drivers, teams, sponsors, tracks, series, events, organizations and manufacturers. ILP Founder Shawn Miller leverages professional journalism with new media technologies and social networking to improve your exposure and the return on investment for your sponsors.
To meet the media relations needs of your program by joining Team ILP, contact Shawn at 541-510-3663 or Shawn@InsideLinePromotions.com. For more information on Inside Line Promotions, visit http://www.InsideLinePromotions.com.
- Shawn Miller on Jun 29, 2015
- Article Date: 6/29/2015 by Inside Line Promotions