For the second week in a row in the California Lightning Sprint Car Series, one driver’s late race luck turned into another driver’s fortune at the Sokola Shootout last Saturday at Perris Auto Speedway. With just over two laps to go, leader Bobby Michnowicz car coasted silently to a stop on the front straight handing the lead and eventual win to Jeff Dyer.
With a huge crowd packed into the grandstands for the track’s 19th season opener, a talented field of 21 California Lightning Sprint Cars turned up for a night of racing for the first time on the facilities “hybrid track.” A regular part of Perris shows since the track first opened in 1996, the CLS has competed on both the famous half-mile and the inner quarter-mile ovals. Last Saturday it raced on the “hybrid track” which utilizes turns one and two of the quarter-mile and turns three and four of the half-mile.
Fresh off a third place finish the week before at El Centro, defending series champion Stephen Limon established a track record for the second week in a row in qualifying. The Corona resident got around the track with a quick lap of 16.444. Michnowicz timed in second with a time of 16.794.
With 21 cars on hand the CLS had three six-lap heat races instead of the usual two and the winners were Michnowicz, who resides in Lomita, Placentia’s Dan Hillberg and Zach Zauss of Murrieta.
Veteran’s Jon Squire if El Cajon and Anaheim’s Dale Gamer were on the front row for the start of the 20-lap main. Gamer, who also took a ride in a PAS Senior Sprint Car last year, got the jump on the start and quickly put about five lengths between himself and the remainder of the field. Dyer, who survived a great race battle with Limon the week before to finish second at El Centro, quickly came up to second from his sixth place starting spot and chased down Gamer’s red #17 on lap two. Heading into turn three, the United States Army Demolitions Expert raced around Gamer for the lead.
On lap four, disaster stuck for Upland’s Alex Grigoreas for the second week in a row. At El Centro, he led the first 16-laps of the main event before breaking a chain as he and Michnowicz touched with a lap car while battling for the lead. Saturday, Grigoreas, who was considered a championship contender before the season began, was coming towards the front from his 13th place starting spot. However, when Kevin Michnowicz got sideways in turn two on the fourth lap, Grigoreas could not avoid him, made contact and flipped hard in turn two. The veteran racer was uninjured in the spill, but his #84 car was heavily damaged and both he and Michnowicz were done for the night.
For the restart Dyer had Bobby Michnowicz directly behind him, but not for long as Michnowicz drove around the outside for the lead at the end of the fifth circuit. As per usual, once he grabbed the top spot Michnowicz pulled away and it looked like he was going to be two for two in the new season. His car started to smoke due to an oil leak, but as it turned out, that was the least of his worries. Coming off of turn four om the 17th lap, his car slowed and he pulled it to the inside of the front straight where it coasted to a stop. A $2.00 fuse burned up on his #12m and instead of taking the win, he ended up 14th.
For the restart, Dyer and his Baldozier Racing/Oil Twins Amsoil/Phillips Pool Supply/Glen Sels Engineering/Woodland Auto Supply #7, had Hillberg and Limon tucked in right behind. Once the green flag flew, he pulled out to about a two car length lead and maintained it to the checkered flag. Hillberg, who was fourth at El Centro, claimed second while Limon picked up his second straight third place finish. San Diego’s Damon Arnett placed fourth with Torrance rookie Jeremy Queener fifth in only his second CLS race.
In addition to being the highest finishing rookie, Queener was also the “Hard Charger” having moved from his 18th starting spot to claim fifth.
The CLS will take this weekend off, but will return to action on March 29th when it makes its first of four 2014 appearances at the Bake3rsfield Speedway. Heading into Bakersfield, Hillberg holds a narrow three-point advantage over Dyer in the championship point standings. Limon is 10-points behind the leader with Bobby Michnowicz and Arnett rounding out the top five;
Sokola Shootout Main Event (with starting positions): 1. Jeff Dyer (6th), 2, Dan Hillberg (7th), 3. Stephen Limon (11th), 4. Damon Arnett (12th), 5. Jeremy Queener (18th), 6. Zach Zauss (9th), 7. Dale Gamer (2nd), 8. Robert Wilhelm (15th), 9. James Healy (10th), 10. Jim Squire (4th), 11. Chris Hoffman (19th), 12. Corrie Andrews (20th), 13. Jon Squire (1st), 14. Bobby Michnowicz (8th), 15. Alex Bissett (3rd), 16. Chance Sheffield (14th), 17. Cory Hoover (16th), 18. Kevin Michnowicz (5th), 19. Alex Grigoreas (13th) 20. Jon Simms (16th)
Point Standings
1. Dan Hillberg – Placentia – 350
2. Jeff Dyer – Silver Lake – 347
3. Stephen Limon – Corona – 340
4 Bobby Michnowicz – Lomita – 309
5. Damon Arnett – San Diego – 308
6. Zach Zauss – Murrieta – 296
7. Jeremy Queener – Torrance – 266
8. Robert Wilhelm – El Cajon – 259\
8. Jim Squire III – Lakeside – 259
10. Alex Bissett – Hemet – 258
The California Lightning Sprint Car Series would like to thank series sponsors Performance by Rosson Racing, T Shirts by Timeless, Cold Fire West, Circle Track Performance, Extreme Mufflers, Racing Optics, Saldana Race Products, Keizer Wheels, Sander Engineering, Christian Stover Foundation, Hoosier Racing Tires, Drake Incorporated and DK Machine. If you or your company would like to become part of the California Lightning Series for the 2014 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
2014 California Lightning Sprint Car Series Schedule
March 8: Imperial Fairgrounds Raceway – El Centro, CA – Bobby Michnowicz
March 15: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Sokola Shootout) – Jeff Dyer
March 29: Bakersfield Speedway – Bakersfield, CA
April 5: Ventura Raceway – Ventura, CA
April 19: Bakersfield Speedway – Bakersfield, CA
May 3: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
May 10: Bakersfield Speedway – Bakersfield, CA
May 24: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Salute To Indy)
June 14: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
July 4: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Firecracker)
August 16: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (California Racers Hall of Fame Night)
August 30: Santa Maria Speedway – Santa Maria, CA
September 13: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Glenn Howard Classic)
September 27: *Bakersfield Speedway – Bakersfield, CA
October 18: *Ventura Raceway – Ventura, CA
November 7: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Oval Nationals)
November 8: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Oval Nationals)
November 15: Imperial Fairgrounds Raceway – El Centro, CA
* = Co-Sanctioned Event With BCRA Midget Lites.
This schedule is subject to change.
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