4.5.14 California Lightning Sprints Results
Defending California Lightning Sprint Car champion Steve Limon became the fourth different winner in as many races to begin the 2014 season last Saturday when the CLS visited Jim Naylor’s Ventura Raceway for the first of two times this season. The victory in the Layton Kramer tuned car pushed Limon into the series point lead for the first time this year.
The main event got off to a literal bang for United States Army demolitions expert Jeff Dyer of Silver Lake. The winner of the main event at Perris Auto Speedway and the fast qualifier at Ventura started the main on the outside of the fourth row. Heading into turn one on the opening lap, Dyer rode over the right rear tire of Placentia veteran Dan Hillberg and snapped off a nasty series of barrel rolls that only stopped due to the crash wall getting in the way. Dyer emerged from the car unscathed, but the car was too bent to restart and he was done for the night and lost his third place position in the point standings.
On the restart after Dyer’s rough crash, Limon, who lives in Corona, drove to the lead in his A1A Performance/Lucas Oil/Rosson Racing/Hawk #4X ahead of Anaheim veteran Dale Gamer on the start. Impressive Corona rookie Cory Hoover got by Gamer on the back straight and settled into second. The “Flyin’ Jew” Zach Zauss of Murrieta and Hillberg rounded out the top five as the first circuit came to a close.
Two things that were apparent early on were Limon, who had finished third in the first three races of the year and came into the night second in points, was going to be hard to catch. The other was that 2012 champion Bobby Michnowicz of Lomita, who started 10th, was coming towards the front in a hurry. While Limon built a small lead, Michnowicz got hooked up in a tough battle with Zauss for third.
Hoover, in only his fourth CLS race, turned a lot of heads as he pulled to the back of Limon in traffic just after the halfway point. At the same time, Michnowicz tucked in right behind Hoover and a tremendous battle for the lead developed as the top three ran in and around the lapped traffic. Late in the event heading into turn three, veteran Michnowicz got a run on Hoover and looked like he was going to secure second, but the youngster gassed it up and nearly raced around Limon for the lead as they came off turn four almost three abreast. With a lapped car right in front of them as they hit the front chute, Limon got by first and as Michnowicz and Hoover went three abreast with the lapped car, they made slight contact and as they went into one, Hoover slid a little wide and Michnowicz took second.
Going into one on the final lap, Michnowicz dove it in hard on the inside, but Limon fended off that attempt for the top spot. Michnowicz changed lines and ran it in hard in turn three in a last ditch effort, but Limon was again equal to the task and led the final quarter of a lap for his first win of the season. Michnowicz ended up second two lengths back with Hoover posting a best ever CLS third place finish. Another impressive rookie, Jeremy Queener of Torrance, had a best ever 4th place CLS finish with Hillberg fifth. Michnowicz, who gained nine spots in the main, was the “Hard Charger.”
“I want to thank my wife for finding some loose nuts and bolts,” the happy winner told announcer Jim Naylor and the crowd after the race. “That allowed us to finish the race. I also want to thank Layton Kramer for coming out and helping us with the set up. We are trying a whole new package this year and it is working great for us. The track was perfect and a couple of laps in it got even better.”
Dyer earned his first quick time of the year in qualifying with a lap of 12:032. The eight lap heat races went to Limon and Hoover.
Hoover’s third place was best among the rookies. Queener still leads the “Rookie of the Year” point standings over Hoover and Cori Andrews.
Limon’s victory propelled him to the top of the championship standings for the first time this year. Hillberg is second,10-points behind the leader heading into the April 19th race at Bakersfield. Michnowicz jumped to third in the standings while Dyer’s flip dropped him to fourth. Damon Arnett of San Diego is fifth.
Ventura Main Event: 1. Stephen Limon (1st), 2. Bobby Michnowicz (10th), 3. Cory Hoover (3rd), 4. Jeremy Queener (4th), 5. Dan Hillberg (6th), 6. Damon Arnett (7th), 7. Cori Andrews (9th), 8. Zach Zauss (6th), 9. Dale Gamer (2nd), 10. James Squire III (12th), 11. Robert Wilhelm (13th), 12. Jon Squire (14th), 13. Chance Sheffield (15th), 14. Jeff Dyer (8th), 15. Jeff Dyer (8th), 16. Alex Bissett (11th)
Pont Standings
1. Stephen Limon – Corona – 765
2. Dan Hillberg – Placentia – 755
3. Bobby Michnowicz – Lomita – 712
4 Jeff Dyer – Silver Lake – 702
5. Damon Arnett – San Diego – 671
6. Zach Zauss – Murrieta – 645
7. Jeremy Queener – Torrance – 623
8. Dale Gamer – Anaheim – 595
8. Cory Hoover – Corona – 586
10. Robert Wilhelm – El Cajon – 571
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 – Stephen Limon
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