3.21.15 California Lightning Sprints Results
Lomita, California’s Bobby Michnowicz is batting 1,000 in 2015 after he won his second California Lightning Sprint Car main of the season in round #1 of the CLS/BCRA Civil War Series last Saturday night on “The West’s Fastest 1/3 of a Mile High Banked Clay Oval,” the Bakersfield Speedway.
Starting eighth in the strong 22-car main event field, Michnowicz, the two-time series champ, had his work cut out for him as heavy hitters Scott Kinney, Jeff Dyer, Alex Grigoreas, Dan Hillberg, Dakota Albright, Jarrett Kramer and Zach Zauss were starting in front of him. Using the outside line, Michnowicz was second by the third lap with only Sacramento’s Kinney in front of him. The way Michnowicz usually slices his way through the field at Bakersfield, everyone in the place figured Kinney would be relegated to second in a hurry. That was not to be!
Kinney manned the low line with Michnowicz, who had electrical problems in hot laps, running up near the cushion. The BCRA star would pull away to a half straight lead and Michnowicz would reel him in, but could never get by.
The lead duo hit the first of the lapped cars on the seventh circuit and that allowed Michnowicz to creep closer, but every time it seemed like he was within striking distance, Kinney would hold him off and then build up a little bit of a cushion.
Michnowicz again pulled tight on lap 14, but in and out of traffic he could never get past race long leader Kinney. Kinney seemed destined for the checkered when a tangle brought things to halt after the white flag. Once the green flew again with two-laps remaining, Kinney immediately pulled away. He had what appeared to be an insurmountable lead, but Michnowicz was not throwing in the towel. As Kinney took the white, he still had a good size advantage, but Michnowicz, still on the wide line got a good run coming off turn two and ran it hard into turn three. As they exited turn four, Kinney slid up the track and got a little sideways. Michnowicz immediately seized the opportunity and dove for the bottom for the final drag race to the checkered. He snatched the lead just before the line and beat Kinney by .085. Chasing the lead duo across the stripe in third was Dyer. BCRA’s Steve Brown took fourth and Placentia’s Hillberg placed fifth.
Second place finisher Scott Kinney on the left and Jeff Dyer on the right surround Bobby Michnowicz after his win last Saturday night at the Bakersfield Speedway. CLS photo.
Brown was the main event “Hard Charger” picking up 11 spots from 15th to 4th.
A stellar field of 28 cars showed up for the race with 15 from BCRA and 13 from CLS. BCRA’s Scott Males was the fastest qualifier on the night with a lap of 12:930. Steve Roza, Albright, Kinney and Michnowicz won the four heat races.
Michnowicz came into the night with a slim 4-point lead over Alex Grigoreas in the CLS championship standings. Second year driver Cori Andrews took over second and trails the leader by 58-points after two races. Dyer, who did not finish the race in El Centro due to a wreck, jumped from 10th to third in the standings. Hoover is fourth and Grigoreas, who broke a right rear torsion bar stop early in the main, is fifth.
Up next for the CLS will be round #3 of the 15-race season at the Ventura Raceway on April 11th. The CLS will return to Bakersfield on April 25th.
Bakersfield main event finish (with starting positions). 1; Bobby Michnowicz (8th), 2 Scott Kinney (1st), 3. Jeffrey Dyer (2nd), 4. Steve Brown (15th), 5. Dan Hillberg (4th), 6. Zach Zauss (7th), 7. Cori Andrews (10th), 8. Dale Gamer (12th), 9. James Heling (16th), 10. Corey Hoover (9th), 11. Joe Provost (22nd), 12. Dakota Albright (5th), 13. Chris Hansen (17th), 14. Jon Robertson (19th), 15. Steve Roza (11th), 16. A.J. Bender (13th), 17. Alex Grigoreas (3rd), 18. Jarrett Kramer (6th), 19. Pat Kelley (18th), 20. Laura Lopez (21st), 21. Mike Gularti (20th)
2015 CLS Pont Standings
1. Bobby Michnowicz – Lomita – 443
2. Cori Andrews – Murrieta – 385
3. Jeff Dyer – Ft. Irwin – 372
4. Corey Hoover – Corona – 365
5. Alex Grigoreas – Upland – 363
6. James Heling – San Bernardino – 360
7. Dan Hillberg – Placentia – 359
8. Dale Gamer – Anaheim – 347
9. Jon Robertson – Torrance – 335
10. Pat Kelley – Chino – 305
Civil War Points
1. Bobby Michnowicz – CLS – 120
2. Scott Kinney – BCRA – 115
3. Jeffrey Dyer – CLS – 104
4. Dan Hillberg – CLS – 101
5. Zach Zauss – CLS – 99
6. Cori Andrews – CLS – 85
6. Steve Brown – BCRA – 85
8. Dale Gamer – CLS – 77
9. James Heling – CLS – 71
10. Corey Hoover – CLS – 68
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
April 25: Bakersfield Speedway 1/3 Mile
May 9: Santa Maria Speedway 1/4 Mile
May 23: Perris Auto Speedway 1/2 Mile (Salute To Indy)
June 6: Ventura Raceway 1/5 Mile
June 20: Bakersfield Speedway 1/3 Mile
July 4: Perris Auto Speedway 1/2 Mile (Firecracker)
July 18: Ventura Raceway 1/5 Mile
August 2: Merced (Civil War CLS vs BCRA)
August 15: Perris Auto Speedway 1/2 Mile
August 29: Santa Maria Speedway 1/4 Mile
September 19: Perris Auto Speedway 1/2 Mile
September 26: Bakersfield Speedway 1/3 Mile (Civil War CLS vs BCRA)
October 17: Ventura Raceway 1/5 Mile
November 7: Imperial Valley Raceway (El Centro) 1/4 Mile – TBD
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