10.15.16 California Lightning Sprints Results
Last Saturday night at Jim Naylor’s Ventura Raceway, Lomita, California’s Bobby Michnowicz won his series leading sixth California Lightning Sprint Car main event of 2016. The victory allowed Michnowicz to creep closer to his record setting fourth CLS championship that he can sew up back at Ventura on October 29th.
Fresh off his first ever CLS win at Ventura two weeks earlier, 65-year-old Bruce Douglass out qualified the 20-car field with a lap of 12.178 on the beach side oval. BCRA regular Kyle Offill timed in second quick with a lap of 12.490 with Michnowicz third when he stopped the clocks at 12.521.
BCRA point leader Craig Dillard of Oakdale won the first eight-lap heat race of the night. Waterford’s Dakota Albright and 14-year-old CLS rookie standout Aiden Lange of Lakewood captured the other two heats.
El Cajon veteran Jon Squire was on the pole for the main event with Murrieta’s Zach Zauss alongside. Rookie Eric Greco of Palmdale, who was racing for the first time without his rookie flag, and fellow freshman Cody Nigh of Camarillo manned the second row. Dillard and Lange comprised row three. When starter Kris Kornder threw the green flag to start the 25-lap main, Squire led the field into the first corner chased by Zauss and Greco. The top three was in the same running order when Kornder was forced to bring out his red flag when Palcentia’s Dan Hillberg flipped in turn three on the second lap. The driver emerged okay from the tumble, but his car did not and he was done for the night.
Going back to the last completed lap for the restart, the top five was made up of Squire, Zauss, Greco, Michnowicz and Dillard. In what may have been the best restart of the year in the CLS, Michnowicz swung wide in turn one and drove around both Greco and Zauss and was into second as the cars exited turn two. The veteran driver kept it pegged on the outside and as they exited turn four on the second circuit, he drove past Squire for the lead.
Near disaster hit for Squire in turn two on the third lap. Still in second, he did a 360 in front of the pack. Somehow only minor contact with Dillard took place and there was no need for a yellow. However, the mishap did relegate both Squire and Dillard to the middle of the field.
The chaos in the pack allowed Michnowicz to open up a massive lead over Zauss. Impressive rookie Lange threaded his way past the bedlam of the Squire spin and found himself in third. By the end of the seventh lap, Michnowicz had more than a straightaway advantage over his nearest challengers when he encountered the first lapped cars. Early on the veteran driver was on a mission and whether it was the last of the back markers or the middle of the pack drivers, he was blasting his way by them in masterful fashion.
Zauss put up a good fight for second until Lange got past on lap 15. Albright, who had not raced in a couple of months, also got past Zauss. Yet, they were well behind the leader who had lapped his way into the top ten cars. That is when it got tricky. Michnowicz got stuck in a pack of five cars battling for position and several times had to take measures of action to stay out of trouble. Disaster nearly struck for the leader on lap 19. As he was racing around the outside of Greco through turns one and two, the rookie driver spun. Fortunately for Michnowicz he was far enough away and did not get touched. Unfortunately for him, his once massive lead went away when the yellow came out.
While the huge lead was gone for Michnowicz, there were still three lapped cars between himself and second place Albright. It was the same old story as Michnowicz streaked away from the field, quickly caught up to lapped traffic and was only to be slowed by another caution with four laps to go. That also necessitated, as per the rules, that all lapped cars go to the rear with less than five laps to go. Albright and Lange were parked right on Michnowicz’ rear end for the restart with four circuits left.
Once the green flag fell, the leader walked away from the challengers again and built up nearly a full straight lead. It seemed like it was going to end that way, but moments after Michnowicz took the white, two cars tangled in turn four bringing out another yellow. Going back to the last completed lap, it was a green, white, checkered finish and like other restarts, the crafty veteran streaked away and finally saw the checkered flag in his T-Shirts by Timeless/Super Shox/Pflum & Wagner Racing/Fuel Safe Racing Cells/Keizer Wheels/Circle Track DLX Chassis/Kawasaki ZX10 #21k. Albright, Lange, Dillard and Douglass rounded out the top five.
Douglass was the race “Hard Charger” moving from 13th to fifth at the finish.
Michnowicz’ victory, which saw him lap cars all the way up to eighth position, nearly puts the finishing touches on his fourth CLS championship, which includes the last three in a row. Heading into the last race, he is 77-points ahead of San Bernardino’s James Heling. Rookie Nigh has climbed to third with Chino’s Pat Kelley and Lange rounding out the top five.
Nigh continues to lead the “Rookie of the Year” fight and with a 91-point advantage over Lange with only one race to go, he pretty much has the award locked up. Lakewood’s Wyatt Downing is third.
The CLS will close its 22nd straight season of top notch action with the final race of the year back at Ventura on Saturday, October 29th.
Ventura Main Event (with starting positions)
1. Bobby Michnowicz – Lomita – 8th
2. Dakota Albright – Waterford – 7th
3. Aiden Lange – Lakewood – 6th
4. Craig Dillard – Oakdale – 5th
5. Bruce Douglass – Ventura – 13th
6. Zach Zauss – Murrieta – 2nd
7. Cody Nigh – Camarillo – 4th
8. Kyle Offill – 14th
9. James Heling – San Bernardino – 9th
10. Jon Robertson – Torrance – 11th
11. Pat Kelley – Chino – 19th
12. James Squire III – Lakeside – 12th
13. Danika Jo Parker – Oakdale – 16th
14. Jon Squire – El Cajon – 1st
15. Eric Greco – Palmdale – 3rd
16. Daniel Foster – Sacramento – 17th
17. Wyatt Downing – Lakewood – 10th
18. Dale Gamer – Anaheim – 18th
19. Dan Hillberg – Placentia – 15th
California Lightning Sprint Car Series Points
1. Bobby Michnowicz – Lomita – 1661
2. James Heling – San Bernardino – 1584
3. Cody Nigh – Camarillo – 1522
4. Pat Kelley – Chino – 1517
5. Aiden Lange – Lakewood – 1431
6. Dale Gamer – Anaheim – 1366
6. Jon Robertson – Torrance – 1356
8. Alex Grigoreas – Upland – 1276
9. Wyatt Downing – Lakewood – 1225
10. Dan Hillberg – Placentia – 1174
The California Lightning Sprint Car Series would like to thank the following sponsors for helping make the 2016 season possible: Christian Stover Foundation, Circle Track Performance, Cold Fire West, DK Fabrication, Extreme Muffler, Fast Undercar, Hoosier Tire, Keizer Wheels, Lucas Oil, Racing Optics, Rod End Supply, Rosson Racing, Saldana Race Products, Sander Engineering, Speedmart, Speed Partz, Surf N’ Sprint, Super Shocks, T Shirts by Timeless, Woodland Auto Display.
If you or your company would like to become part of the series for the 2016 season, please call Bobby Michnowicz at: (310) 320-5569.
To keep up with the CLS on line, please visit the web site at: http://www.calightningsprints.com/index.html
2016 California Lightning Sprint Car Series Schedule
March 5: Imperial Valley Raceway – El Centro, CA – Alex Grigoreas
March 19: Bakersfield Speedway – Bakersfield, CA – Bobby Michnowicz
April 2: Ventura Raceway – Ventura, CA – Alex Grigoreas
April 16: Santa Maria Raceway – Santa Maria, CA – Alex Grigoreas
April 30: Bakersfield Raceway – Bakersfield, CA – Charlie Caraccilo
May 14: Ventura Raceway – Ventura, CA – Pat Kelley
May 28: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Salute To Indy) – Doug Nunes
June 11: Bakersfield Raceway – Bakersfield, CA – Charlie Caraccilo
July 2: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Firecracker) – Bobby Michnowicz
July 9: Ventura Raceway – Ventura, CA – Jeff Dyer
August 3: Ventura Raceway – Ventura, CA – Bobby Michnowicz
August 20: Santa Maria Raceway – Santa Maria, CA – Charlie Carracilo
September 3: Ventura Raceway – Ventura, CA – Bobby Michnowicz
September 17: Bakersfield Raceway – Bakersfield, CA – Bobby Michnowicz
October 1: Ventura Raceway – Ventura, CA – Bruce Douglass
October 15: Ventura Raceway – Ventura, CA – Bobby Michnowicz
October 29: Ventura Raceway – Ventura, CA
November 13: **General Membership Meeting / 2017 Rules Meeting
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**=Proposed Date.
This schedule is subject to change.
PAST CALIFORNIA LIGHTNING SPRINT CAR CHAMPIONS
1994 Tony Everhart, 1995 Gary Sexton, 1996 Rob Sczymczak, 1997 Jon Rahe, 1998 Chris Rahe, 1999 Brent Sexton, 2000 Greg Bragg, 2001 Greg Bragg, 2002 Greg Bragg, 2003 David Cardey, 2004 Keith Janca, 2005 Johnny Bates, 2006 Donny Gansen, 2007 Shane Rossen, 2008 Brent Sexton, 2009 Stuart Hielschier Sr., 2010 Jarrett Kramer, 2011 Tim Brown, 2012 Bobby Michnowicz, 2013 Stephen Limon, 2014 Bobby Michnowicz, 2015 Bobby Michnowicz.