NEENA KIK CLAIMS 2024 HERMISTON INEX LEGENDS TITLE

Neena Kik

HERMISTON, Oregon — It’s perhaps quite appropriate that Neena Kik claimed the 2024 INEX Legends championship at Hermiston Raceway.

This considering it was her grandparents who built and opened the track in 1969 and based on initial reports, with the sale may have been the last racing at facility with a long history.

“Winning the championship this year was one of my top goals and feels absolutely amazing to have been able to accomplish it, “Kik wrote in an email. “You can do anything you put your mind to.”

Hermiston’s Kik used consistency claiming top five finishes in all seven class races, plus one victory to edge nephew Brody Whitbeck from Umatilla 469 to 434 in the final standings.

“Ultimately, this season staying in the top 3-4 clinched it and really just focusing on finishing ahead of the drivers close to me in points each race made it possible,” Kik said.

The 2024 season was one of change for Kik, and in this case, change was good — and productive.

For starters, her team and the operation is significantly different. It consists of Kik’s dad Bill Kik, brother-in-law Ray Whitbeck, Jeff Whitbeck and Peyton Saxton with Third Gen Race Cars out of Las Vegas, NV.

“In the past, our race team consisted of me and my dad and we were the ones that prepared the cars for races, worked on them at the track along with driving the cars,” Kik explained. “We had our hands full, whereas this year I found myself simply focusing on my job of driving.”

She also credited other elements of the team.

“This year was a year of focus and dedication to growing as a driver and learning new things,” Kik said. This year I had one of the most stable and consistent cars I have ever driven in my 14 years of racing.

“I also got my first experience with having a spotter in my ear at tracks that allowed it,” she explained. “I am going to have to give credit to one of the best spotters, Trace Thompson.”

Kik’s strategy was to focus on what the car was and wasn’t doing, she said.

“How can I be faster than the last lap. Also to manage to stay out of any carnage. I believe there are times a person needs to focus on survival and staying out of trouble,” Kik said.

Coming into championship night Kik knew she had to just finish ahead of the then second-place driver place Austin Snodgrass to clinch the championship.

“What I wasn’t paying attention to was how close Brody Whitbeck who was sitting in third was to second. Brody won the main event championship night giving him 2nd place,” Kik said. “Fortunately, it all worked out in the end.”

The Hermiston title opened the door to more honors for Kik.

“Not only did I have a very successful year at Hermiston Raceway, but nationally as well,” Kik said. “I was also awarded the National State Championship for Masters for the State of Oregon, as well as finished sixth nationally overall in the Master Division out of nearly 300 racers.”

Back to those roots, racing has been a part of Kik’s life prior to birth she claims.

“My grandparents Charlie and Patricia Kik established racing in the Hermiston area around 1968,” Kik said.

They built the original Umatilla Speedway, as well as Pat Kik Dragstrip, a sand dragstrip.

“I was either at the drag strip or at the oval track every weekend,” Kik said. “I always wanted to race a car but never got the opportunity to until I was 30 years old.”

Neena Kik’s car earned both recognition in and around Hermiston Raceway and nationally. Neena Kik photos