9.1.12 California Lightning Sprints Results
2010 California Lightning Sprint Car Series champion and new father Jarrett Kramer turned a rare 2012 appearance into a triumph when he won the second round of the “Civil War Series” matching the California Lightning Sprint Cars against the Bay Cities Racing Association last Saturday night at the Bakersfield Speedway. While Kramer won the battle, BCRA’s Dakota Albright won the war by placing third in the main event and taking a two-point victory in the “Civil War” over Kramer.
At the first “Civil War” race in May at Bakersfield, BCRA scored a resounding win by taking the top four spots and six of the top 10 in the main event. The CLS reversed that on Saturday taking three of the top four spots and six of the top ten.
A healthy 25-car field with 14 representing the south and 11 from the North was on hand at the “The West’s Fastest 1/3 of a Mile High Banked Oval.” CLS fired the first salvos on the night when Spring Valley’s Kramer, Bobby Michnowicz of Lomita and Corona’s Steve Limon swept the preliminary heat races.
Fresh off a third place finish two weeks earlier at the series home track, Perris Auto Speedway, Kramer came from the ninth starting spot to capture his first main event win of 2012. Placentia’s Dan Hillberg, who has seemed to shake off his mid-season gremlins, took second to the past CLS champion, while Albright, who resides in Oakdale, took the third place spot. Michnowicz and BCRA’s Doug Nunes, who won the Santa Maria CLS race in August, rounded out the top five. Nunes was the “Hard Charger” in the main event coming from 22nd on the start to 5th.
Albright edged Kramer by a mere two-points for the “Civil War” title. Michnowicz was third in the two-race series with Scott Kinney, who won the first “Civil War” race at Bakersfield in May, fourth overall. CLS first year driver Jeff Dyer was fifth.
With only five point races left on the 2012 schedule, the fight for the CLS title has heated to a fever pitch. Heading into the next race at Perris on September 15, Anaheim Hills veteran Guy Maresch still sits on top of the heap, but is only three points in front of Michnowicz. At Bakersfield, Maresch had a cross bar that holds the floor plan break during the heat race and he had less than half-throttle in the main event and finished 15th. Likewise, Limon, who came into the night second in points, started eleventh in the main and got up to sixth before his engine gave up resulting in a 23rd place finish. Limon is still third in points while Hillberg is fourth and top 2012 rookie Damon Arnett, who lives in San Diego, is now fifth. First through fourth are only separated by 35-points.
The California Lightning Sprint Car Series would like to thank 2012 series sponsors Christian Stover Foundation, Rod End Supply, Sander Engineering, Saldana Race Products, DK Machining and Fabrication, Keizer Aluminum Wheels, Hoosier Racing Tires, Circle Track Performance, DJ Safety, Performance by Rosson Racing, Racing Optics, Electro Tech Powder Coating and Oil Twins Amsoil (Hard Charger Award at The PAS). If you or your company would like to become part of the California Lightning Series for the 2012 season, please call Dan Hillberg at: (714) 719-0295.
To keep up with the CLS on line, please visit the web site at: http://www.calightningsprints.com/index.html
Bakersfield Main Event Results (with starting positions):
1. Jarrett Kramer (9th), 2. Dan Hillberg (1st), 3. Dakota Albright (6th), 4. Bobby7 Michnowicz (10th), 5. Doug Nunes (22nd), 6. Tom Downing (5th), 7. Scott Kinney (24th), 8. Seth Kramer (15th), 9. Brian Corso (2nd), 10. Damon Arnett (5th), 11. Zachary Beard (23rd), 12. Alex Grigoreas (13th), 13. Marcus Smith (20th), 14. Jeff Dyer (7th), 15. Guy Maresch (14th), 16. Howard West (17th), 17. Zach Zauss (4th), 18. Dan Lancaster (16th), 19. Moody (20th), 20. B. Dillard (19th), 21. Chance Sheffield (21st), 22. C. Dillard (3rd), 23. Steve Limon (11th), 24. Darren Hillberg (12th)
2012 California Lightning Sprint Car Points
1. Guy Maresch – Anaheim Hills – 1409
2. Bobby Michnowicz – Lomita – 1406
3. Steve Limon – Corona – 1378
4. Dan Hillberg – Placentia – 1374
5. Damon Arnett – San Diego – 1195
6. Dale Gamer – Anaheim – 1148
7. Zach Zauss – Murrieta – 1137
8. Darren Hillberg – Corona – 1039
9. Tom Downing – Lakewood – 946
10. Alexander Bissett – Hemet – 896
2012 California Lightning Sprint Car Series Schedule
February 25 – Perris Auto Speedway – Kevin Michnowicz
March 10 – Perris Auto Speedway – Kevin Michnowicz
March 17 – Bakersfield Speedway – Rained Out
March 31 – Perris Auto Speedway – Stuart Hielscher Jr.
April 14 – Bakersfield Speedway – Rained Out
April 28 – Perris Auto Speedway – Dan Hillberg
May 12 – Bakersfield Speedway – Civil War vs BCRA – Scott Kinney
May 26 – Perris Auto Speedway – Salute to Indy – Bobby Michnowicz
July 4 – Perris Auto Speedway – Fireworks Show – Bobby Michnowicz
July 28 – Perris Auto Speedway – Hall of Fame Night – Steve Limon
August 11 – Santa Maria Speedway – Doug Nunes
August 18 – Perris Auto Speedway – Bobby Michnowicz
September 1 – Bakersfield Speedway – Civil War vs BCRA – Jarrett Kramer
September 15 – Perris Auto Speedway – Glenn Howard Memorial
September 22 – Ventura Raceway
September 29 – Bakersfield Speedway
October 13 – Route 66 Motorplex
November 2 – Perris Auto Speedway – Oval Nationals
November 3 – Perris Auto Speedway – Oval Nationals
TBA – Awards Banquet
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