10.6.18 California Lightning Sprints Results
Lakewood teenager Aiden Lange returned to the USAC/California Lightning Sprint Car Series victory circle for the fourth time in 2018 last Saturday night at Jim Naylor’s Ventura Raceway. The win was Lange’s first since July and it was also his third at Ventura.
Seventeen cars were on hand for the race at the track that is a stone’s throw from the Pacific Ocean. When qualifying was completed, series point leader Jarrett Kramer of Spring Valley was the fastest driver on the night with a lap of 11.698. USAC/CRA regular A.J. Bender of Ramona was second quick when he timed in at 11.762 and California Highway Patrol Officer Jeff Dyer of Bermuda Dunes was third when he stopped the clocks at 11.818.
Ventura local Bruce Douglass, who won the CLS main event at Bakersfield on June 16th, and Palmdale teen Eric Greco won the two heat races that proceeded the main event.
For the main, Lange started on the pole with Greco on the outside. The second row featured second in points Cody Nigh of Camarillo along with his uncle and five-time series champion Bobby Michnowicz of Lomita. Bender and fast qualifier Kramer were in the third row.
Lange was the first to make it to turn one at the start of the 25-lapper with Greco and Nigh in tow. The teenage racer wasted no time in telling everyone he was going to be fast as he pulled away to a five-car length advantage. The top three remained unchanged until Michnowicz showed no extra love for his nephew when he relegated Nigh to fourth on the third go around.
Things stayed the same until a lap seven caution halted the proceedings and brought the field to the back of Lange’s tail tank for the restart. The top five at the time were Lange, Greco, Michnowicz, Nigh and Bender. By the time the green light was back on for one-lap, Lange had built up a four-car length advantage while his closest pursuers were nose to tail.
The yellow flew once again on the eighth lap when series leading rookie Grant Sexton tipped over on his side in the middle of the front straight. The driver was okay and as soon as officials pushed his car back onto four wheels, he drove away to restart at the back.
Lange built up about a five-car length lead over Greco who was being hounded by Michnowicz. The leaders hit lapped traffic on the 16th circuit and the lappers had no effect on the front-runners.
By the 18th lap of the race, it was Lange, in the Langeford Farms/Uncle Brad Motorsports/#camplittietrailer/Randalz Warranty Services/Russell Kopp Custom Woodworks Henchcraft, 2008 Suzuki GSXR 1000, in front by seven-car lengths and Greco began to put some distance between himself and Michnowicz. It looked like that was how they would finish and Lange did indeed fly past the checkered with room to spare. However, wily veteran Michnowicz put the heat on Greco on the last lap. He pulled alongside the teen on the back chute and stole the runner-up spot from the teen as they came off turn four heading for the checkered flag. Greco flashed across the line third with Nigh and Bender rounding out the top five.
Dyer was the recipient of the “Italian Stallion Hard Charger Award” when he came from 11th to finish seventh.
Kramer, who finished sixth and who first won the CLS Championship in 2010, continues to hold a commanding lead in the championship standings heading into next week’s race at the Barona Speedway. He currently has a 210-point lead over Nigh. Lakeside’s Brent Sexton has been anchored in third for quite some time, but Michnowicz has closed to within 23-points of him. Gardena’s Dominic Del Monte is fifth.
Ventura Raceway October 6 Results (with starting positions)
1. Aiden Lange – Lakewood, CA – 1st
2. Bobby Michnowicz – Lomita, CA – 4th
3. Eric Greco – Palmdale, CA – 2nd
4. Cody Nigh – Camarillo, CA – 3rd
5. A.J. Bender – Ramona, CA – 5th
6. Jarrett Kramer – Spring Valley, CA – 6th
7. Jeff Dyer – Bermuda Dunes, CA – 11th
8. Bruce Douglass – Ventura, CA – 7th
9. Pat Kelley – Chino, CA – 9th
10. Brent Sexton – Lakeside, CA – 8th
11. Dominic Del Monte – Gardena, CA – 12th
12. Robb Pelmear – Ventura, CA – 10th
13. Frank Ditmar – Lakewood, CA – 16th
14. Jon Robertson – Torrance, CA – 15th
15. Dale Gamer – Anaheim, CA – 14th
16. Grant Sexton – Lakeside, CA – 13th
17. James Turnbull – Indio, CA – 17th
2018 California Lightning Sprint Car Series Point Standings
1. Jarrett Kramer – Spring Valley, CA – 1852
2. Cody Nigh – Camarillo – 1642
3. Brent Sexton – Lakeside, CA – 1517
4. Bobby Michnowicz – Lomita, CA – 1494
5. Dominic Del Monte – Gardena, CA – 1447
6. Aiden Lange – Lakewood, CA – 1425
7. Eric Greco – Palmdale, CA – 1408
8. Pat Kelley – Chino, CA – 1231
9. Grant Sexton – Lakeside, CA – 1120
10. Jeff Dyer – Bermuda Dunes, CA – 1054
March 17 – Bakersfield Speedway – USAC National – Rained Out
March 24 – Ventura Raceway – USAC National – Rained Out
April 14 – Ventura Raceway – USAC National – Bobby Michnowicz
April 21 – Bakersfield Speedway – USAC National – Aiden Lange
May 5 – Ventura Raceway – USAC National – Aiden Lange
May 19th – Barona Speedway – Jim Squire Memorial – Cody Nigh
May 26 – Perris Auto Speedway – USAC National – Salute to Indy – Jarrett Kramer
June 16 – Bakersfield Speedway – Civil War vs BCRA – Bruce Douglass
July 7 – Ventura Raceway – USAC National – Aiden Lange
July 21 – Santa Maria Raceway – Civil War vs BCRA – Doug Nunes
August 1 – Ventura Raceway – USAC National – Ventura County Fair – Bobby Michnowicz
August 18 – Perris Auto Speedway – USAC National – California Racer’s Hall of Fame Night – Jarrett Kramer
August 25 – Barona Speedway – Bobby Michnowicz
September 8 – Bakersfield Speedway – USAC National – A.J. Bender
September 21 – Placerville Speedway – Civil War vs BCRA – Seth Hespe
September 22 – Placerville Speedway – Civil War vs BCRA – Doug Nunes
October 6 – Ventura Raceway – USAC National – Aiden Lange
October 20 – Barona Speedway –
October 27 – Ventura Raceway – USAC National
November 17- Bakersfield Speedway USAC National with USAC National and Western Midgets
November 23 – Ventura Raceway –
The California Lightning Sprint Car Series would like to thank the following sponsors for helping make the 2017 season possible: Christian Stover Foundation, Circle Track Performance, Cold Fire West, DK Fabrication, Extreme Muffler, Fast Undercar, Hoosier Tire, Keizer Wheels, Outlaw Wings, Racing Optics, Rod End Supply, Saldana Race Products, Sander Engineering, Speedmart, Speed Partz, Super Shocks, T Shirts by Timeless, Woodland Auto Display.
If you or your company would like to become part of the series for its historic 25th season in 2018, please call Bobby Michnowicz at (310) 320-5569.
To keep up with the CLS online, please visit the website at http://racecls.com/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/californialightningsprints/
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, 2016 Bobby Michnowicz, 2017 Bobby Michnowicz.