This award has been put in place to recognize outstanding achievements or accomplishment throughout the past season.
The first “Outstanding Achievement” Award goes to a driver that was unheard of in western Pennsylvania prior to April 2006. This driver’s achievement goes well beyond “outstanding” and it has nothing with his on-track performance, but yet his effort and dedication.
On opening night, April 1 a blue #7R Sprint Car was pit-side all the way from a town in Hollis, New Hampshire- certainly not that capital of Sprint Car racing. His effort of towing 9 hours and 580 miles one-way to get there despite drizzling conditions and temps in the 50s was something remarkable. After a 22nd place finish and a of tow some 9 hours back, we figured that may be the last we’d hear of this driver despite the fact he said he’d like to become a regular.
A week later despite temps only in the 30s, the 7R was the first in line at the pits hours before the pits opened. Another week passed and the 7R was again there. Week after week the 7R of Riki Likowski was a familiar site and became part of the Mercer “family”.
Riki later teamed up with our employee Ken and Charlene Turner’s son to keep the car housed in Cochranton. Ken, Jr. maintained the car weekly and got it to the track so Riki could just make the drive personally, which he left Friday and stayed halfway in eastern Pennsylvania.
Riki’s challenge of being there every week and goal of finishing in the top 10 in points took two severe setbacks during the summer. The first was one night when he slipped on his trailer door and ended up breaking his foot. Riki was back the next week and despite being in a cast managed to complete the night’s racing. The second setback came when he destroyed his Sprint car in a flip at World of Outlaw race in New York. Riki and crew managed to put an old car together so he could maintain his perfect attendance and points.
Through it all he made the tow to all 17 shows plus the one rain out and finished a respectable 9th in points. Not an eleven hundred-plus mile roundtrip, crazy unpredictable weather, a broken foot, nor a destroyed race car could stop Riki Likowski from an effort that is simply unheard of.
Riki’s efforts are certainly more than an outstanding achievement award can ever honor, but we surely would be remised if we didn’t honor this remarkable accomplishment. With that in mind, Riki please come forward to receive your 2006 “Outstanding Achievement” Award.