6.20.15 California Lightning Sprints Results
For the third race in a row and the fifth time in eight races in 2015, Lomita, California’s Bobby Michnowicz won the California Lightning Sprint Car Series main event when the long time touring group visited the “West’s Fastest 1/3 Mile High Banked Clay Oval,” the Bakersfield Speedway last Saturday night.
It was bad news for the competition when they noticed that Michnowicz was starting outside of the front row in his powerful the T-Shirts by Timeless/Rosson Racing/Pflum & Wagner Racing/Fuel Safe Racing Cells/Keizer Wheels/DLX Chassis/Kawasaki ZX10 #21k. The veteran racer took the lead as soon as he hit the “go pedal” to the start of the 20-lapper. Murrieta’s Cori Andrews chased Michnowicz into turn one with Northern California’s Steve Roza and Upland’s Alex Grigoreas in close pursuit.
Grigoreas, looking for his second win of 2015, went to the outside and elevated himself to third when the pack stormed off turn two on the first lap. By the time the field raced into turn one the second time, two-time series champ Michnowicz had opened up a six-car length lead over Andrews and Grigoreas.
Grigoreas continued on his march forward by staying wide and passing Andrews as they completed the second lap. By that time, Michnowicz was already closing in on a lapper and neither he nor Grigoreas had any problem getting past the back marker on the track that had been hardened and slickened from the blazing Central California heat.
The only yellow of the main event flew at the halfway mark and when the green light came back on, Michnowicz stayed where he had been all race long and that was in the lead. He built up a comfortable advantage and just caught up to a pack of lapped cars right when the checkered flag came out to end the 20-lapper. Grigoreas stayed in second to the finish and Andrews maintained third. 2010 series champ Jarrett Kramer of Spring Valley finished fourth with Fort Irwin’s Jeff Dyer fifth.
Placentia’s Dan Hillberg was the main event “Hard Charger” coming from 12th to finish sixth.
Grigoreas and Kramer won the two heat races and Grigoreas out qualified the 14-car field with a lap of 13:807.
Grigoreas quick time, heat win and second place finish allowed him to chop 6-points of Michnowicz commanding lead in the championship standings. Dyer, Hillberg and San Bernardino’s James Heling round out the top five. Pat Kelley of Chino still leads Torrance driver Jon Robertson and Don Kuener of Perris in the Rookie of the Year chase.
The CLS gets this weekend off before the season hits the halfway point in front of the biggest crowd of the year at Perris Auto Speedway on Saturday, July 4th. Joining the CLS on the program will be the USAC/CRA Sprint Cars, PAS Senior & Young Gun Sprints and the biggest and best fireworks show in Riverside County. Spectator gates will open at 3:00 PM with racing at 7:00.
Bakersfield Main Event (with starting positions): 1. Bobby Michnowicz (2nd), 2. Alex Grigoreas (4th), 3. Cori Andrews (1st), 4. Jarrett Kramer (6th), 5. Jeff Dyer (5th), 6. Dan Hillberg (12th), 7. Dale Gamer (7th), 8. Steve Roza (3rd), 9. Pat Kelley (9th), 10. Don Robertson (11th), 11. Don Kuener (14th), 12. James Helig (10th), 13. Robert Wilhelm (8th)
2015 CLS Pont Standings
1. Bobby Michnowicz – Lomita – 1657
2. Alex Grigoreas – Upland – 1539
3. Jeff Dyer – Ft. Irwin – 1491
4. Dan Hillberg – Placentia – 1367
5. James Heling – San Bernardino – 1333
6. Dale Gamer – Anaheim – 1298
7. Pat Kelley – Chino – 1269
8. Jon Robertson – Torrance – 1219
9. Cori Andrews – Murrieta – 961
10. Don Kuener – Perris – 811
If you or your company would like to become part of the series for the 2015 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
2015 California Lightning Sprint Car Series Schedule
March 7: Imperial Valley Raceway (El Centro) 1/4 Mile – Bobby Michnowicz
March 21: Bakersfield Speedway 1/3 Mile – Bobby Michnowicz (Civil War CLS vs BCRA)
April 11: Ventura Raceway 1/5 Mile – Doug Nunes
April 25: Bakersfield Speedway 1/3 Mile – Doug Nunes
May 9: Santa Maria Raceway 1/4 Mile – Alex Grigoreas
May 23: Perris Auto Speedway 1/2 Mile (Salute To Indy) – Bobby Michnowicz
June 6: Ventura Raceway 1/5 Mile – Bobby Michnowicz
June 20: Bakersfield Speedway 1/3 Mile – Bobby Michnowicz
July 4: Perris Auto Speedway 1/2 Mile (Firecracker)
July 18: Ventura Raceway 1/5 Mile
August 1: Merced (Civil War CLS vs BCRA)
August 15: Perris Auto Speedway 1/2 Mile
August 29: Santa Maria Raceway 1/4 Mile
September 19: Perris Auto Speedway 1/2 Mile
September 26: Bakersfield Speedway 1/3 Mile (Civil War CLS vs BCRA)
October 17: Ventura Raceway 1/5 Mile
November 21: Imperial Valley Raceway (El Centro) 1/4 Mile – 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