3.29.14 California Lightning Sprints Results
Northern California’s Dakota Albright became the third different winner in three races for the California Lightning Sprint Car Series when he scored and emotional victory at the Bakersfield Speedway last Saturday night.
The Turlock, California 23-year-old racer was competing for the first time without his father who passed away earlier this year. After qualifying 6th fastest on the night, he finished third in his heat race. For the 20-lap main event, the young veteran started in the third spot. Early on he ran fourth in the Vito Trucking/Hinchman/Sala Racing #35jr. Albright stayed there until a lap eight yellow, triggered when the second and third place cars got together, allowed him to take over second. He manned the runner-up spot until taking the lead in traffic on Lap 16 and drove the final four laps for his first CLS win since the 2012 Oval Nationals at Perris Auto Speedway/
Soon after the race, Albright posted on his Facebook page, “The final few laps I could feel my dad riding along with me and being there with me and we took the white flag on lap 19 and came around for the checkered flag with tears in my eyes! .”
Kevin Michnowicz of Lomita, in only his second race driving the Honda CVR 1000, finished second. Defending series champion Steve Limon of Corona finished third and was trailed by Dan Hillberg of Placentia and Silver Lake’s Jeff Dyer, who found after the race that he had a cut injector wire. Limon, Hillberg and Dyer each picked up their third top five finish in the season’s first three races.
Hillberg out qualified the 18-car field with a sizzling lap of 13:024 on the venerable 1/3 of a mile banked clay oval. Ripon’s Brian Corso and Bobby Michnowicz won the eight-lap heat races earlier in the night.
Cori Andrews 11th place finish was the best among the rookie in the race and for the first time she moved into the top ten in points (10th). The Laguna Niguel racer was also the main event “Hard Charger” picking up six spots from her 17th place starting position. She also moved to second in the Rookie of the Year point standings behind Jeremy Queener of Torrance.
This Saturday, April 5th, the CLS treks to the Ventura Raceway for the first of two 2014 appearances. Heading into Saturday’s show at the picturesque beach side oval, the top three in the standings are separated by a mere 13-points. Hillberg sits on top of the heap with 546 points. Limon moved into the second spot at Bakersfield and is 11-points behind Hillberg. Perris winner Dyer is third and only three-points out of second. Bobby Michnowicz and San Diego’s Damon Arnett round out the top five.
Bakersfield Main Event: 1. Dakota Albright (3rd), 2. Kevin Michnowicz (7th), 3. Stephen Limon (4th), 4. Dan Hillberg (8th), 5. Jeff Dyer (6th), 6. Bobby Michnowicz (5th), 7. Steve Roza (9th), 8. Dale Gamer (12th), 9. Zach Zauss (11th), 10. Damon Arnett (1st), 11. Cori Andrews 17th), 12. Jeremy Queener (15th), 13. Robert Wilhelm (14th), 14. Justin Brown (18th), 15. Chance Sheffield (13th), 16. Cory Hoover (16th), 17. Brian Corso (2nd), 18. Steve Brown (10th)
Point Standings
1. Dan Hillberg – Placentia – 556
2. Stephen Limon – Corona – 545
3. Jeff Dyer – Silver Lake – 543
4. Bobby Michnowicz – Lomita – 506
5. Damon Arnett – San Diego – 478
6. Zach Zauss – Murrieta – 465
7. Dale Gamer – Anaheim – 424
8. Jeremy Queener – Torrance – 423
8. Robert Wilhelm – El Cajon – 410
10. Corrie Andrews – Laguna Niguel – 387
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 – Dakota Albright
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