8.15.15 California Lightning Sprints Results
Last Saturday night at Perris Auto Speedway, two-time California Lightning Sprint Car Series champion Bobby Michnowicz executed a thrilling last lap pass for the victory on the 20-lap main. Combined with the win and the mechanical misfortune of second in the championship chase Alex Grigoreas. Michnowicz started to put the bow on the package of his third CLS crown.
Michnowicz started the night that eventually culminated in his sixth main event win of the year, by out qualifying the 14-car field with a lap of 18:039 on the world famous half-mile oval. The only blip on his race radar for the night came in the first six-lap-heat race when finished fifth in the seven-car field. Anaheim Hills driver Guy Maresch, making his first appearance of the year, soundly trounced everyone in that heat and won by a full straightaway. Jeremy Queener of Torrance held of Murrieta teen Cori Andrews to win the other heat.
Jeremy Queener fighting off Cori Andrews in the second California Lightning Sprint heat last Saturday at Perris Auto Speedway. Please give photo credit to Vane.
San Diego’s Chris Dickey got the jump from outside of the front row when the 20-lap main event took the Kevin Winters’ green flag. Army Sargent Jeff Dyer from Fort Irwin was the leader’s initial pursuer, but he was relegated to third when 2010 series champ Jarrett Kramer passed him at the end of the opening lap. Grigoreas also got past Dyer heading into turn one on lap two and immediately attacked Kramer for second.
Kramer, who started sixth, managed to fight off the assault of Gregoreas and found himself directly on the tail of leader Dickey for a lap four restart. The Spring Valley driver, who scored his only win of the season at the last race at The PAS on July 4th, did not stay behind Dickey for long. In fact, Kramer passed Dickey for the lead as soon as the green flag waved.
Dyer managed to get by Gregoreas to move back into third on the fifth lap and two-laps later he passed “Navy Man” Dickey for second. While Kramer was building up his lead and Dyer was clawing his way back to second place, Michnowicz, in his T-Shirts by Timeless/Rosson Racing/Pflum & Wagner Racing/Fuel Safe Racing Cells/Keizer Wheels/DLX Chassis/Kawasaki ZX10 #21k, was slithering his way through the traffic from his fifth row starting position. On the fifth lap, he finally broke into the top five and at the same time, Gregoreas wrestled third away from early leader Dickey. Sadly for Gregoreas that was his last hurrah for the night and possibly for his title hopes as dropping oil pressure and a rising engine temperature wisely saw him pull off the track for a frustrating tenth place finish.
Michnowicz worked his way up to third and that is where he was for a lap 15 restart that saw him quickly deposit Dyer back to third. While he was up to second, Michnowicz was still a long way behind Kramer who seemed destined for the win. Kramer had a three-car length lead at the white flag. However, as he came off of turn two the final time, he slid off the race line, got a little sideways and lost momentum. He quickly gathered it back it, but by then it was too late. Michnowicz pounced on the opportunity. Kramer tried and did close on the new leader through turns three and four, but for the sixth time this year, Michnowicz was the first driver to reach the checkers. Kramer placed second with Dyer third. Andrews, who later in the night told the crowd it was her last Lightning Sprint Series race as she is going 410 sprint car racing, finished fourth with Queener fifth.
“We got lucky,” the affable Michnowicz told the crowd after the race. “I don’t know if he (Kramer) broke or what, but I was very fortunate.”
A few feet away when it was his turn to speak, subdued second place finisher Kramer said, “I slipped up a bit coming off of two and let him get by me. I hate to lose it that way, but it happens.”
For moving from 10th to the win, Michnowicz was also the race “Hard Charger.”
With only five races remaining on the schedule, Michnowicz increased his lead in the championship standings to 173-points over Grigoreas. Dyer remained in third in the championship hunt with Placentia’s Dan Hillberg fourth. Anaheim’s Dale Gamer took the fifth spot in the standings from James Heling who had to miss the race due to shoulder surgery earlier in the week.
The battle for “Rookie of the Year” tightened up substantially as leader Pat Kelley of Chino dropped out of the main event and finished last while fellow rookie “Rock Star” Jon Robertson of Torrance finished ninth. Kelley now leads Robertson by a mere 12-points.
The CLS will be off until August 29th when it makes its last appearance of 2015 at the Santa Maria Raceway.
Perris Auto Speedway Maim Event Finish (with starting positions): 1. Bobby Michnowicz (10th), 2. Jarrett Kramer (6th), 3. Jeff Dyer (4th), 4. Cori Andrews (7th), 5. Jeremy Queener (5th), 6. Guy Maresch (3rd), 7. Dale Gamer (1st), 8. Don Quener (12th), 9. Jon Robertson (13th), 10. Alex Grigoreas (8th), 11. Darren Hillberg (11th), 12. Dan Hillberg (9th), 13. Chris Dickey (2nd), 14. Pat Kelley (14th)
2015 CLS Point Standings
1. Bobby Michnowicz – Lomita – 1939
2. Alex Grigoreas – Upland – 1766
3. Jeff Dyer – Ft. Irwin – 1730
4. Dan Hillberg – Placentia – 1567
5. Dale Gamer – Anaheim – 1482
6. James Heling – San Bernardino – 1425
7. Pat Kelley – Chino – 1393
8. Jon Robertson – Torrance – 1381
9. Cori Andrews – Murrieta – 1186
10. Don Kuener – Perris – 991
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) – Jarrett Kramer
July 18: Ventura Raceway 1/5 Mile – Rained Out
August 1: Merced (Civil War CLS vs BCRA) – Canceled
August 15: Perris Auto Speedway 1/2 Mile – Bobby Michnowicz
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