9.27.14 California Lightning Sprints Results
One of the wildest season’s in the 21-year existence of the California Lightning Sprint Car Series continued at the Bakersfield Speedway last Saturday night and more twists were added to the plot when Bobby Michnowicz won the final “Civil War Series North vs South” race and Damion Arnett took over the championship point lead with only three races remaining on the 2014 schedule.
After starting on the outside of the front row in the 20-car field, Lomita’s Michnowicz, the 2012 CLS champ, led every inch of the way in the final CLS 20-lap race of 2014 at Bakersfield. However, things got close after a late race restart when Spring Valley’s Jarrett Kramer, the 2010 CLS champ, was running second to the leader. In a car normally driven by Michnowicz’ son Kevin, Kramer, making a rare 2014 start, dogged the leader on the inside until Michnowicz started to inch away with a handful of laps to go. By the time the checkered flag ended the affair, Michnowicz, in the TshirtsBy Timeless/Pflum and Wagner/Fabozi Metal Works /Kawasaki, had a five car length lead. Kramer placed an impressive second with Northern California’s Steve Brown and Dakota Albright third and fourth followed by Placentia’s Dan Hillberg, winner of the previous race at Perris Auto Speedway, in fifth.
Lomita’s Bobby Michnowicz won his 6th CLS main event of the year last Saturday at the Bakersfield Speedway. Media feel free to publish this photo and please give photo credit to Doug Allen.
Murrieta’s Zach Zauss was the main event “Hard Charger” moving from 19th on the start to finish 9th.
For Michnowicz, it was his series leading sixth win of 2014 and it sewed up the Civil War Series Championship for him.
Earlier in the night Ripon’s Brian Corso out qualified the 2w0-car field with a lap of 13.225. Michnowicz, Albright and Murrieta rookie Cori Andrews won the heat races.
In the championship point’s chase, Jeff Dyer came in with a slim 8-point lead over Arnett and was 74-points in front of Michnowicz. However, on a restart on lap 10, a lapped car got into the Fort Irwin Army Sargent on the front straight and he got upside down. While Dyer emerged unhurt, his car was done for the night and so was his longtime lead in the championship standings. San Diego’s Arnett, who is contesting only his second full season in the CLS, finished 11th in the main and now sits on top of the championship standings with only three races remaining. Michnowicz is 9-points behind the new leader and Dyer is only 12 behind. Rookie’s Corey Hoover of Corona and Andrews are fourth and fifth.
New CLS point leader Damon Arnett of San Diego. Media feel free to publish this photo and please give photo credit to Doug Allen.
Michnowicz’ victory also gave him a complete sweep winning all three of the main events in the 2014 “North vs South Civil War Series.” His winning total of 360 points was 67 ahead of BCRA’s Corso in the final standings. Oakville’s Dakota Albright, Dyer and Bradley Dillard rounded out the top five.
The great war for supremacy in the Rookie of the Year standings got a little tighter at Bakersfield. Hoover leads, but Andrews, who finished 8th in the main, is now only 10-points behind. Jeremy Queener of Torrance, who was 7th at Bakersfield, is 51 behind Hoover.
The fights for the overall CLS championship and Rookie of the Year title are coming down to the wire at the final three races of the season on October 18th at the Ventura Raceway and November 6th and 7th at the 19th Annual Budweiser Oval Nationals Presented by All Coast Construction at Perris Auto Speedway.
Bakersfield Main (with starting positions): 1. Bobby Michnowicz (2nd), 2. Jarrett Kramer (5th), 3. Steve Brown (4th), 4. Dakota Albright (3rd), 5. Dan Hillberg (7th), 6. Brian Corso (8th), 7. Jeremy Queener (10th), 8. Cori Andrews (11th), 9. Zach Zauss (19th), 10. Corey Hoover (15th), 11. Damon Arnett (1st), 12. Guy Maresch (14th), 13. Dale Gamer (16th), 14. James Heling (12th), 15. Danika Parker (20th), 16. Mike Kotlinski (17th), 17. Cal Smith (18th), 18. Jeff Dyer (6th), 19. Marcus Smith (13th), 20. Tom Downing (9th)
California Lightning Sprint Car Series Pont Standings
1. Damon Arnett – San Diego – 1929
2. Bobby Michnowicz – Lomita – 1920
3. Jeff Dyer – Upland – 1917
4. Corey Hoover – Corona – 1783
5. Cori Andrews – Murrieta – 1773
6. Zach Zauss – Murrieta – 1754
7. Jeremy Queener – Torrance – 1732
8. Dale Gamer – Anaheim – 1604
9. Dan Hillberg – Placentia – 1521
10. Stephen Limon – Corona – 1293
North vs South Civil War Series Standings
1. Bobby Michnowicz – CLS – 360
2. Brian Corso – BCRA – 293
3. Dakota Albright – BCRA – 269
4. Jeff Dyer – CLS – 253
5. Bradley Dillard – BCRA – 205
6. Steve Brown – BCRA – 186
7. Damon Arnett – CLS – 171
8. Jeremy Queener – CLS – 170
9. Cori Andrews – CLS – 164
10. Dan Hillberg – CLS – 144
The California Lightning Sprint Car Series would like to thank series sponsors Performance by Rosson Racing, T Shirts by Timeless, Cold Fire West, Circle Track Performance, Extreme Mufflers, Racing Optics, Saldana Race Products, Keizer Wheels, Sander Engineering, Christian Stover Foundation, Hoosier Racing Tires, Drake Incorporated and DK Machine. If you or your company would like to become part of the California Lightning Series for the 2014 season, please call Bobby Michnowicz at: (310) 320-5569.
To keep up with the CLS on line, please visit the web site at: California Lightning Sprint Cars
You can also follow on Facebook at: California Lightning Sprint Cars on Facebook
2014 California Lightning Sprint Car Series Schedule
March 8: Imperial Fairgrounds Raceway – El Centro, CA – Bobby Michnowicz
March 15: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Sokola Shootout) – Jeff Dyer
March 29: Bakersfield Speedway – Bakersfield, CA – Dakota Albright
April 5: Ventura Raceway – Ventura, CA – Stephen Limon
April 19: Bakersfield Speedway – Bakersfield, CA – Dan Hillberg
May 3: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA – Bobby Michnowicz
May 10: Bakersfield Speedway – Bakersfield, CA – Bobby Michnowicz
May 24: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Salute To Indy) – Cori Andrews
June 14: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA – Bobby Michnowicz
July 4: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Firecracker) – Bobby Michnowicz
August 16: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (California Racers Hall of Fame Night) – Kevin Michnowicz
September 13: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Glenn Howard Classic) – Dan Hillberg
September 27: *Bakersfield Speedway – Bakersfield, CA – Bobby Michnowicz
October 18: *Ventura Raceway – Ventura, CA
November 6: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Oval Nationals)
November 7: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Oval Nationals)
* = Co-Sanctioned Event With BCRA Midget Lites.
This schedule is subject to change.
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