George set to make sprint car debut at Auburndale
It could be considered one of the greatest birthday presents ever - especially for a 13 year-old. When she turns 13 on Saturday, Rebecca George will be making her sprint car debut in the Florida Winged Sprints series at Auburndale Speedway.
“It’s going to be amazing,” George said of her feelings coming into Saturday night’s race. “I can’t wait, and I’m so excited.” George has been racing since she was five years old, and has been competing in champ-karts at East Bay since the karting track opened several years ago.
She’s amassed several wins and three championships, and was last year’s champion in her division. This year she is leading the points and has two wins, including one on a night when she flipped her kart in the heat race and came back to win the feature. “In the karts, we race the track with shorter straightaway’s and long corners, and I think that might help me a little bit,” George said, comparing East Bay’s karting track with the tight, quarter-mile bullring of Auburndale Speedway. “Other than that, I’m really not sure how much will help, since I mainly race on dirt.”
George is trying to follow in the footsteps of her father, six-time East Bay sprint car champion Tim George. He won the first FWS race at Auburndale in February, and is eager to see how his daughter will do in the bigger cars. “It’s just one of those things that they’re going to let her run, and we’re going to take her out there and see if she can do it,” he said. “I’m not real nervous about seeing her out there, but won’t know until it happens. We know she’s safe in the car.”
Rebecca George is hopeful that she can take her racing into a career someday. She’d like to work her way up the sprint car ladder, and sees herself racing with the World of Outlaws sprint car series. George, if she takes well to running on asphalt, also has her eyes set on the Camping World Truck Series, which could catapult her into NASCAR. She also plans on finishing out the year in the champ-karts and has every intention of walking away with her fourth title.
The Florida Winged Sprints look forward to the debut of Rebecca George this Saturday night at Auburndale Speedway which is located at 5640 K-Ville Road Winter Haven, FL. Racing starts at 6:30pm.with $12 General Admission and $10 for seniors with kids 6 to 12 just $5 and 5 and under are Free.
by Scott Lockwood
Florida Short Track Report.com
