11.21.15 California Lightning Sprints Results
2010 California Lightning Sprint Car Series champion Jarrett Kramer closed the CLS season with a win at the Imperial Valley Raceway on the fairgrounds in El Centro last Saturday night. For Kramer, who was not a regular during 2015, it was his second win of the year.
It was an emotional night at the Imperial County ¼ mile clay oval as it was the first time the CLS drivers could pay tribute to fellow driver Damon Arnett who suffered fatal injuries in an accident while working on one his trucks. Upland’s Alex Grigoreas, who came into the night second in the championship standings, started things off right when he won a trophy dash dedicated to Arnett. Grigoreas’ former teammate Jeff Dyer of Fort Irwin, who found out a couple days after the race that he had been accepted into the CHP academy, sped to second in the dash, with “Rockstar” Jon Robertson of Torrance third and Spring Valley’s Kramer fourth.
Kramer and Dyer won the two heat races on the night and then it was on to the 20-lap main event at the long standing racing grounds.
For the main, Kramer, in his bright orange Layton Kramer tuned Black Rhino/BK Wings/Showtime Motorsports/Christian Stover Foundation/T-Shirts by Timeless/Phillips Pool Supply/Circle Track Performance/Don Guhl Engines/Rob & Natasha Briley #14, started on the outside of the front row. Even though he tipped over earlier in the night and some quick repairs had to be made, anyone who is familiar to CLS racing knew that it would be wise to not bet against the 33-year-old racing father with a front row starting spot. However, he got off to a shaky start when San Bernardino’s James Heling beat him to the green flag. Then much to the surprise of most veteran watcher’s, Kramer parked it near the end of the first circuit allowing Dyer to take over second.
Things really heated up on the fourth lap when Dyer took the lead from Heling and Grigoreas snuck past Kramer for third. Grigoreas and Kramer then both got past Heling for the second and third spots respectively, but they had some distance to make up to catch leader Dyer.
Grigoreas came off turn four wide on the fifth lap and Kramer immediately pounced on the opportunity and got back to second. That happened just a few moments before leader Dyer caught up to the lapped traffic. When Dyer took the high line a lap later to get past a lapped car coming off of turn four, Kramer deftly went to the inside and not only passed the lapped car, but he took Dyer for the lead at the same time.
Grigoreas got by Dyer as well and he did not give Kramer a huge amount of breathing room. If he maintained that second place spot, Grigoreas would finish second in the championship standings. However, on the last lap of the season, Grigoreas car slowed dramatically in turn two. It had broken a gear and by the time he slammed it back into first and red-lined the engine across the line in seventh, he had given up second not only in the race, but in the 2015 standings as well.
Chasing Kramer across the line in spots two through five at the finish was Dyer, fast qualifier for the night and now three-time CLS champion Bobby Michnowicz of Lomita, Heling and Anaheim veteran Dale Gamer. Michnowicz was the race “Hard Charger” moving from his eighth place starting spot to finish third.
Michnowicz won his third CLS title overall and second in a row with Dyer, Grigoreas, Placentia’s Dan Hillberg and Gamer rounding out the top five spots. Chino’s Pat Kelley won the tight “Rookie of the Year” honors battle over Robertson.
Please keep your eye on the CLS website and Facebook page for exciting information on the 2016 schedule.
El Centro Main Event Finish (with starting positions)
1. Jarrett Kramer (2nd), 2. Jeff Dyer (3rd), 3. Bobby Michnowicz (8th), 4. James Heling (1st), 5. Dale Gamer (10th), 6. Karl Von Yokes (4th), 7. Alex Grigoreas (7th), 8. James Squire (12th), 9. Aiden Lange (13th), 10. Jon Robertson (5th), 11. Pat Kelley (9th), 12. Dan Hillberg (11th), 13, Cody Nigh (14th), 14. Jon Squire (6th)
2015 CLS Point Standings
1. Bobby Michnowicz – Lomita – 2927
2. Jeff Dyer – Upland – 2681
3. Alex Grigoreas – Upland – 2667
4. Dan Hillberg – Placentia – 2451
5. Dale Gamer – Anaheim – 2364
6. James Heling – San Bernardino – 2315
7. Pat Kelley – Chino – 2212
8. Jon Robertson – Torrance – 2186
9. Don Kuener – Perris – 1638
10. Jarrett Kramer – Spring Valley – 1444
If you or your company would like to become part of the series for the 2015 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
2015 California Lightning Sprint Car Series Schedule
March 7: Imperial Valley Raceway (El Centro) 1/4 Mile – Bobby Michnowicz
March 21: Bakersfield Speedway 1/3 Mile – Bobby Michnowicz (Civil War CLS vs BCRA)
April 11: Ventura Raceway 1/5 Mile – Doug Nunes
April 25: Bakersfield Speedway 1/3 Mile – Doug Nunes
May 9: Santa Maria Raceway 1/4 Mile – Alex Grigoreas
May 23: Perris Auto Speedway 1/2 Mile (Salute To Indy) – Bobby Michnowicz
June 6: Ventura Raceway 1/5 Mile – Bobby Michnowicz
June 20: Bakersfield Speedway 1/3 Mile – Bobby Michnowicz
July 4: Perris Auto Speedway 1/2 Mile (Firecracker) – Jarrett Kramer
July 18: Ventura Raceway 1/5 Mile – Rained Out
August 1: Merced (Civil War CLS vs BCRA) – Canceled
August 15: Perris Auto Speedway 1/2 Mile – Bobby Michnowicz
August 29: Santa Maria Raceway 1/4 Mile – Bobby Michnowicz
September 19: Perris Auto Speedway 1/2 Mile – Dan Hillberg
September 26: Bakersfield Speedway 1/3 Mile (Civil War CLS vs BCRA) – Bobby Michnowicz
October 17: Ventura Raceway 1/5 Mile – Bobby Michnowicz
November 21: Imperial Valley Raceway (El Centro) 1/4 Mile – Jarrett Kramer
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