Rowland Heights, California’s Johnny Bluntach parlayed an outside front row starting spot into a convincing green to checkered flag victory in the Accelerated Environmental Service 20 lap main event last Saturday night at the Bakersfield Speedway.
Two weeks prior to the Bakersfield event, Bluntach blew an engine while running in the top five at Perris Auto Speedway. At Bakersfield on Saturday, he finished fourth in his heat race and started the main event outside of Guy Maresch on the front row. Once the Johnny Hiler green flag sent the snarling field off in the main event on the slick 1/3 of a mile oval, Bluntach was never challenged.
Longtime ago USRC Midget Semi main event champion Dan Hillberg was third when the race began, but Bakersfield driver Wink Schweitzer relegated him to fourth on the third circuit. By the time the race reached the quarter way mark two laps later, Bluntach had a commanding full straightaway lead over the rest of the pack.
The first yellow flag of the main event flew on lap six for a Tobey Sampson spin. The race was then plagued by a series of yellow flags until just past the halfway mark, but every time the green came back out, Bluntach easily pulled away from the competition.
Schweitzer relieved Maresch for second on lap six. Seth Kramer, who was fifth in the season opener at Perris, advanced to third on the seventh go around. Likewise, his brother Jarrett, who was fourth at Perris, was slicing his way through the competition at Bakersfield after starting seventh. On lap 11, Jarrett passed both his brother and Schweitzer to move into second place.
By the time Jarrett Kramer had taken over second, Bluntach had again built up a commanding lead and only two things were going to slow him down. Either a yellow flag or lapped traffic. The yellow flag never happened, but lapped traffic did. The race long leader caught the tail end of the pack on lap 17 and when he did, Jarrett Kramer began to close in, but time was not on his side. When the checkered flag ended the 20 lapper, both cars were heavy into the lapped cars, but Bluntach still had nearly a half straightaway lead. Behind the lead duo, Seth Kramer, defending series champion Stuart Hielscher Sr. and Schweitzer completed the top five.
AJ Bender and Jarrett Kramer won the two heat races to begin the evening.
The California Lightning Sprint Cars will have this Saturday night off, but they will return to action on Saturday, April 10th, along with the USAC/CRA Sprint Cars at Perris Auto Speedway.
To watch the Bakersfield main event, please visit realfasttv.com.
The California Lightning Sprint Car Series would like to acknowledge the following sponsors for making the 2010 campaign possible. The Christian Stover Foundation, Performance by Rosson Racing, BK Wings, Circle Track Performance, Accelerated Environmental Service and Hoosier Tires. Anyone wishing to come on board as a series sponsor can call Brent Sexton at: (619) 454-6945.
For more information on this Saturday’s race or the 2010 California Lightning Sprint Car Series, contact Brent Sexton ((619) 454-6945 or sextonfire@cox.net) or Scott Daloisio (909 226-7768 or sdaloisiosports@aol.com).
MARCH 13 MAIN EVENT FINISH (with starting positions)
1. Johnny Bluntach
2. Jarrett Kramer
3. Seth Kramer
4. Stuart Hielscher Sr.
5. Wink Schweitzer
6. AJ Bender
7. Stuart Hielscher Jr.
8. Guy Maresch
9. Dan Hillberg
10. Jacob Will
11. Dale Gamer
12. Robert Wilhelm
13. Tobey Sampson
14. Brian Corso
15. Bobby Bender
Heat #1
1. A.J. Bender
2. Wink Schweitzer
3. Stuey Hielscher
4. Johnny Bluntach
5. Brian Corso
6. Tobey Sampson
7. Jacob Will
Heat #2
1. Jarrett Kramer
2. Stuart Hielscher
3. Dan Hillberg
4. Seth Kramer
5. Bobby Bender
6. Guy Maresch
7. Robert Wilhelm
2010 CALIFORNIA LIGHTNING SPRINT CAR SCHEDULE
April 10th … Perris Auto Speedway
April 17th … Ventura Raceway
May 1st … Bakersfield Speedway
May 29th … Perris Auto Speedway
June 5th … Ventura Raceway
June 12th … Perris Auto Speedway
June 19th … Santa Maria Speedway
July 3rd … Perris Auto Speedway
July 24th … Perris Auto Speedway (1st Annual Christian Stover Memorial
July 31st … Bakersfield Speedway
August 14th … Perris Auto Speedway
August 28th … Perris Auto Speedway
September 11th … Ventura Raceway
September 25th … Bakersfield
October 2nd … Perris Auto Speedway
October 9th … Perris Auto Speedway (Southern California Fair)
November 5th & 6th … Perris Auto Speedway (Oval Nationals)
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 Ganson
2007 Shane Rosson
2008 Brent Sexton
2009 Stuart Hielshier Sr.
2010 Jarrett Kramer