5.4.19 California Lightning Sprints Results
Two-time and defending POWRi Lucas Oil California Lightning Sprint Car Series champion Jarrett Kramer posted his second win of 2019 when he led every inch of the way in the 25-lap main event last Saturday at the Ventura Raceway. The win was the second of the year for the 37-year-old and both wins have come at Ventura.
Twenty-two cars showed up for the race on the track that is located adjacent to the beach on the Ventura County Fairgrounds. San Diego’s A.J. Bender out qualified the field with a lap of 12.939. Two-time 2019 main event winner Doug Nunes of Kingsburg was second quick at 12.959. Third fastest was Camarillo’s Cody Nigh who timed in at 13.099.
Kramer, who only qualified 13th fastest, won the first eight-lap heat race. Teenagers Dominic Del Monte of Gardena and Indio’s James Turnbull won the other two heats.
CLS rookie Gage Cheek was on the pole for the main with Kramer outside. Del Monte and Lakewood teen Aiden Lange made up the second row. Palmdale’s Eric Greco and Lakeside’s Dalton Sexton sat in the third row. The fourth row featured five-time champion Bobby Michnowicz and his nephew Nigh. Nunes and Bender were in the fifth row.
As soon as the green flag started the main event, Kramer sailed into the lead and he led the first lap over Cheek, Del Monte, Lange and Sexton. Early on, many eyes were on fast qualifier Bender. He was working the outside line and was making swift progress towards the front. He was up to seventh by the end of lap two and in one fell swoop in turn four on the third lap, he went from seventh to fifth. However, things were about to change for the San Diego boat captain. He stayed wide the next lap and tried to go around Lange for fourth in turn three. But, he clipped Lange’s right rear and violently flipped into the turn three billboards. Fortunately, the driver with the flowing locks was uninjured and came back later in the night to record his second straight fourth-place finish in the USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series.
For the restart with 21-laps to go, the top five was the same as it was at the end of the first lap. Kramer got a great restart and by the time the pack completed one more lap, he was six-lengths ahead of Cheek. Fans wishing to see the best battle on the track quickly turned their attention to the war for fourth between teenage drivers Lange and Sexton. They were momentarily joined by grizzled veterans Michnowicz and Nunes before another yellow came out on lap nine when Ventura local Robb Pelmear slid to a stop in turn four.
Like the previous restart, the top five were the same when the race continued with 17 laps remaining. And, like the prior time, Spring Valley resident Kramer, in the Malicious Liquids/Anarchist Manufacturing/AK Hardparts/Reber Reber Inc./Finest City Dog Training/BK Wings/Guhl Motors/Victory Graphix/Kramer Brothers Racing/DLX/Kawasaki ZX10R #1, got another great restart. The race long leader pulled away from the field and had a half straight lead by the midway point in the race. On lap 14, he was into lapped traffic.
At the same time that Kramer hit the lappers, Del Monte made the race’s first change in the top five when he raced past Cheek for second. Soon after, Nunes began to move towards the front passing Michnowicz for sixth and Sexton for fifth on the 16th lap. Seconds later, he went one step farther when he passed Cheek who had slipped back to fourth.
Kramer worked his magic and weaved his way through the lapped traffic to maintain a huge lead. Behind him, the lapped traffic did supply some excitement for the others. Del Monte was in second with Lange and Nunes right behind him. Nunes used a lapped car to set a pick on Lange and moved into third on lap 22.
There was no way anyone was going to catch leader Kramer, but Nunes still had a shot at second place Del Monte. That all ended when a lapped car shot to the bottom of the race track coming off turn four at the end of the 23rd lap and got into Nunes. Lange was poised to take full advantage of the situation and would have taken third back from Nunes, but the same lapped car was right in front of him and blocked the move. Thus, he had to be content with fourth.
At the front it was all Kramer and he captured his second win of the year with more than a full straightaway to spare. Del Monte scored his best finish of the year when he crossed the line second. Nunes ended up third with Lange fourth. Cheek raced under the checkered in fifth for his best-ever CLS finish.
California Highway Patrol officer Jeff “Ponch” Dyer was the race “Hard Charger” finishing 10th after starting 18th.
“Had a bad qualifying job and that put us on the front row of the heat, and we won that,” Kramer told infield announcer Tami Velasquez. “I can’t thank my brother (Seth) enough for making the changes. I trust him and we are clicking right now. We have not finished out of the top three in the first five races.”
“It was good early in the race that we had a couple cautions as we were coming up to lapped traffic,” the happy winner continued. “That early in the race had we got into lapped traffic, who knows what would have happened. Near the end I got into the back of the number seven car and I felt like my right front was going flat. But my car was getting better and better the longer we went. I am ready to do another 25 laps.”
Kramer increased his point lead to 61 over second place Michnowicz. Nunes is third in the championship standings and is only five points out of second. Greco and Nigh head into the next race fourth and fifth.
The next outing for the CLS will be on May 18th at the Barona Speedway. The last time the troupe visited there on April 6th, Nunes picked up his second win of the year over Kramer and NASCAR Truck Series driver Sheldon Creed.
The POWRi Lucas Oil California Lightning Sprint Car Series would like to thank the following sponsors for helping make the 2019 season possible: Lucas Oil, All Coast Construction, Christian Stover Foundation, Circle Track Performance, Cold Fire West, Fast Undercar, Hoosier Tire, Keizer Wheels, Outlaw Wings, Racing Optics, Rod End Supply, Speed Partz, Super Shocks, T Shirts by Timeless and Woodland Auto Display.
If you or your company would like to become part of the series for its 26th season in 2019, please call Bobby Michnowicz at (310) 320-5569.
To keep up with the CLS online, please visit the website at http://racecls.com/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/californialightningsprints/
Ventura Raceway Main Event Results (with starting positions)
1. Jarrett Kramer – Spring Valley, CA – 2nd
2. Dominic Del Monte – Gardena, CA – 3rd
3. Doug Nunes – Kingsburg, CA – 9th
4. Aiden Lange – Lakewood, CA – 4th
5. Gage Cheek – Santa Clarita, CA – 1st
6. Dalton Sexton – Lakeside, CA – 6th
7. Bobby Michnowicz – Lomita, CA – 7th
8. Brent Sexton – Lakeside, CA – 13th
9. Eric Greco – Palmdale, CA – 5th
10. Jeff Dyer – Bermuda Dunes, CA – 18th
11. Jonathon Conley – Oxnard, CA – 14th
12. Cody Nigh – Camarillo, CA – 8th
13. Robb Pelmear – Ventura, CA – 17th
14. Jason Arnolde – San Diego, CA – 21st
15. Jon Robertson – Torrance, CA – 16th
16. Shane Sexton – 12th
17. Grant Sexton – Lakeside, CA – 15th
18. Dale Gamer – Anaheim, CA – 20th
19. Frank Ditmar – Lakewood, CA – 19th
20. James Turnbull – Indio, CA – 11th
21. A.J. Bender – San Diego, CA – 10th
2019 POWRi Lucas Oil California Lightning Sprint Cars Series Point Standings
1. Jarrett Kramer – Spring Valley, CA – 666
2. Bobby Michnowicz – Lomita, CA – 605
3. Doug Nunes – Kingsburg, CA – 600
4. Eric Greco – Palmdale, CA – 550
5. Cody Nigh – Camarillo, CA – 522
6. Aiden Lange – Lakewood, CA – 510
7. Dominic Del Monte – Gardena, CA – 461
8. Aiden Lange – Lakewood, CA – 458
9. Jeff Dyer – Bermuda Dunes, CA – 449
10. Dalton Sexton – Lakeside, CA – 448
2019 POWRi Lucas Oil California Lightning Sprint Car Series
March 16 Bakersfield Speedway – Doug Nunes
March 23 Ventura Raceway – Jarrett Kramer
April 6 Barona Speedway – Doug Nunes
April 20 Bakersfield Speedway – Bobby Michnowicz
May 4 Ventura Raceway – Jarrett Kramer
May 18 Barona Speedway
June 1 Ventura Raceway
June 15 Bakersfield Speedway
July 6 Ventura Raceway
July 27 Santa Maria Raceway
August 10 Barona Speedway
August 24 Ventura Raceway
September 7 Ventura Raceway
September 21 Bakersfield Speedway
October 5 Ventura Raceway
October 26 Ventura Raceway
November 17 Bakersfield Speedway
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, 2016 Bobby Michnowicz, 2017 Bobby Michnowicz, 2018 Jarrett Kramer