5.28.16 California Lightning Sprints Results
Kingsburg, California’s Doug Nunes made the long driver to Southern California a successful when he scored a convincing win in the California Lightning Sprint Car Series main event at the annual Salute to Indy at Perris Auto Speedway. In posting the win, Nunes became the fifth different winner in the first seven CLS races in 2016.
Nunes, who’s son in law Tanner Swanson won the USAC Silver Crown race the night before at Indianapolis Raceway Park, started the night off in fine style when he out qualified the 14-car field with a lap on 18.448 on the famous Riverside County clay oval. 2010 CLS Jarrett Kramer of Spring Valley, who was making his 2016 season debut, was second quick at 18.690 and Murrieta’s Chris Dickey was third fast on the clocks with a time of 18.951.
The only blemish on Nunes resume for the night came in the first heat when he was beaten to the checkered flag by Victorville’ Jeff Dyer. Upland’s Alex Grigoreas, who leads the CLS with three wins in 2016, won the other six-lap heat race.
Lakewood rookie Aiden Lange was on the pole for the main event with veteran Dan Hillberg of Placentia starting outside of him when Nuevo’s Mike Kotlinski elected to start at the back. Hillberg and Dickey won the race to the first corner and Nunes who started eighth in the Wicked Chassis/Superior Machine Works/Valley Metal Finishing/Ashland Cold Storage/JB Critchey Trucking/Fresh Select/2011 Suzuki GSR 1000/#2, was already tapping on Lange’s rear bumper as they exited turn two on the first circuit. One corner later Nunes advanced one more spot to third.
In turn three on the second lap, at the same spot he passed Lange on lap one, Nunes advanced to the second place spot by racing inside of Dickey. Nunes chased down Hillberg and despite Hillberg’s efforts, on lap three he found himself in second and watched the #2 on Nunes tail tank get smaller in a hurry.
Kramer was coming through the field and he was pulling Dyer with him. He took Dickey for third and less than a lap later Dickey, who got a good run off of turn two, got into Kramer’s left rear. Both cars got sideways and Dickey stopped on the track. Miraculously nobody plowed into the stopped #11, but his night was essentially done.
On the restart Hillberg’s car did not get a good jump. In fact, it was very costly as he dropped all the way from second back to sixth with Kramer and Dyer advancing to second and third. Soon thereafter Hillberg retired to the infield.
Try as he might, Kramer could not stick with Nunes who won by nearly a half straightaway. Dyer nearly took the second spot from Kramer, but he fouled a plug in the process for the second time on the night and finished third. Grigoreas, who has been battling engine issues as of late, was fourth and Ventura winner Pat Kelley of Chino was fifth. Kelley was the race “Hard Charger” coming in fifth after starting 11th.
Grigoreas, Kelley and James Heling of San Bernardino all took advantage of point leader Darren Hillberg’s absence to take over the top three spots in the standings. Grigoreas now leads Kelley by 60-points. Hillberg, who was on vacation, slid backwards all the way to the fourth spot. Dyer remained in fifth.
The battle for “Rookie of the Year,” remains tight with Lakewood’s Wyatt Downing, who dropped out the main when he broke a chain, leading the freshman class over Lange and Camarillo’s Cody Nigh. Downing ended 14th. Lange was running fifth until the last lap when something broke and he ended up 7th with Nigh one spot behind in 8th.
The CLS is off this weekend, but will return to the Bakersfield Speedway for the third of four races on the Kern County oval on June 11th. It will then return to Perris Auto Speedway for the final time this year on July 2nd.
Perris Auto Speedway Main Event (with starting positions)
1. Doug Nunes – Kingsburg – 8th
2. Jarrett Kramer – Spring Valley – 7th
3. Jeff Dyer – Victorville – 3rd
4. Alex Grigoreas – Upland – 10th
5. Pat Kelley – Chino – 11th
6. James Heling – San Bernardino – 9th
7. Aiden Lange – Lakewood – 1st
8. Jon Robertson – Torrance – 12th
9. Cody Nigh – Camarillo – 13th
10. Dale Gamer – Anaheim – 14th
11. Chris Dickey – Murrieta – 6th
12. Mike Kotlinski – Nuevo – 2nd
13. Dan Hillberg – Placentia – 4th
14. Wyatt Downing – Lakewood – 5th
California Lightning Sprint Car Series Points
1. Alex Grigoreas – Upland 812
2. Pat Kelly – Chino – 752
3. James Heling – San Bernardino – 722
4. Darren Hillberg – Corona – 692
5. Jeff Dyer – Victorville – 684
6. Dale Gamer – Anaheim – 647
7. Jon Robertson – Torrance – 629
8. Wyatt Downing – Lakewood – 561
9. Aiden Lange – Lakewood – 537
10. Cody Nigh – Camarillo – 502
The California Lightning Sprint Car Series would like to thank the following sponsors for helping make the 2016 season possible: Christian Stover Foundation, Circle Track Performance, Cold Fire West, DK Fabrication, Extreme Muffler, Fast Undercar, Hoosier Tire, Keizer Wheels, Lucas Oil, Racing Optics, Rod End Supply, Rosson Racing, Saldana Race Products, Sander Engineering, Speedmart, Speed Partz, Surf N’ Sprint, Super Shocks, T Shirts by Timeless, Woodland Auto Display
If you or your company would like to become part of the series for the 2016 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
2016 California Lightning Sprint Car Series Schedule
March 5: Imperial Valley Raceway – El Centro, CA – Alex Grigoreas
March 19: Bakersfield Speedway – Bakersfield, CA – Bobby Michnowicz
April 2: Ventura Raceway – Ventura, CA – Alex Grigoreas
April 16: Santa Maria Raceway – Santa Maria, CA – Alex Grigoreas
April 30: Bakersfield Raceway – Bakersfield, CA – Charlie Cariccilo
May 14: Ventura Raceway – Ventura, CA – Pat Kelley
May 28: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Salute To Indy) – Doug Nunes
June 11: Bakersfield Raceway – Bakersfield, CA (BoD & General Membership Meeting)
July 2: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Firecracker)
July 9: Ventura Raceway – Ventura, CA
August 3: Ventura Raceway – Ventura, CA (Ventura County Fair)
August 20: Santa Maria Raceway – Santa Maria, CA
September 3: Ventura Raceway – Ventura, CA (BoD & General Membership Meeting)
September 17: Bakersfield Raceway – Bakersfield, CA
October 1: Ventura Raceway – Ventura, CA
October 15: Ventura Raceway – Ventura, CA
October 29: Ventura Raceway – Ventura, CA
November 13: **General Membership Meeting / 2017 Rules Meeting
November 19: **Imperial Valley Raceway – El Centro, CA
———————————————–
**=Proposed Date.
This schedule is subject to change.
Civil War Dates TBD
PAST 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, 2014 Bobby Michnowicz, 2015 Bobby Michnowicz.