10.20.18 California Lightning Sprints Results
Another one of the California Lightning Sprint Car Series talented teens, Dominic Del Monte, scored his first ever CLS main event win last Saturday night at the Barona Speedway. In posting the victory, Del Monte became the fifth different first time CLS winner in 2018.
Dominic Del Monte won his first ever California Lightning Sprint Car main event at the Barona Speedway last Saturday. Please give photo credit to Doug Allen.
After Lakeside’s Brent Sexton, Pat Kelley of Chino and Camarillo resident Cody Nigh posted wins in the preliminary heat races, it was time for the third and final 25-lap main event at the San Diego County quarter-mile in 2018. Nigh, who won the first race at the track in May, was on the pole with Kelley starting next to him. The second row was comprised of four-time winner Aiden Lange of Lakewood and point leader Jarrett Kramer of Spring Valley. Sexton and Palmdale’s Eric Greco manned row five with Gardena’s Del Monte and first time CLS fast qualifier Kyle Dodd in row four.
Nigh got the jump on the original start, but the race only got as far as turn four before a five-car tangle brought out the red flag. Lange took a nasty tumble up near the crashwall, but he like the other four drivers involved all walked away. Unfortunately, the cars of Lange, Dodd, Greco and Parker Dumas all received to much damage and they were knocked out of the race before one lap was scored.
After the delay to get the wrecked cars cleared off the track following the “Big One,” the reshuffled lineup saw Nigh still on the pole with Kramer now on the outside of the front row. The second stanza had Brent Sexton along with his youngest son Grant. The third pair of two featured Del Monte and Dalton Sexton.
Kramer’s #14 was the first car into turn one on the restart with Brent and Grant Sexton in the second and third spots coming off turn two. Del Monte, in the Nehring Motorsports #37, immediately started his run towards the front when he raced inside Grant Sexton for third as they came off turn four on the opener.
Early in the race turn four looked like the Sexton’s own Bermuda Triangle as on the second lap, Brent Sexton bobbled coming off the corner allowing Del Monte to race past for second. Not only did Brent get taken for the runner-up spot, but he slid all the way back to sixth and two of the cars getting by him were his sons.
By the end of the fourth lap, Kramer had nearly a full straight lead. At the same time Nigh, who had a terrible start from the pole, was picking off cars and found himself back up to third.
Kramer, 36, caught the first lapper at the end of the seventh circuit. He was having little trouble with the lapped traffic and neither was second place Del Monte who was slowly edging his way closer to the leader. He got a big break on the ninth lap when a lapped car spun in turn four and brought out the yellow flag.
Kramer got a great restart and immediately opened a small lead over Del Monte. Nigh was third and the three Sextons were putting on an intense and entertaining battle for fourth.
Things heated up big time at the end of the 23rd-lap. What looked to be a foregone conclusion that Kramer was going to take his third win of the year, went out the window when Nigh slid up in front of Del Monte in turn four for second and then went to the inside of Kramer for the lead when the race long leader got trapped behind a lapped car. That was not the end of the drama. Coming off turn four and heading towards the white flag, the same fate that plagued Kramer one lap earlier, a lapped car, bit new leader Nigh as he got stuck behind another lapper and Kramer roared back past for the lead. But wait, it was not done yet! Del Monte shocked everyone when he pulled alongside Kramer as they sped down the back chute the final time. When they hit turn three, Kramer edged back ahead, but the teenager got his elbows up, stayed glued to the bottom and retook the lead as they came off four and headed for the checkered. A few seconds later, Del Monte was a couple car lengths ahead as they crossed under the checkered and he had his first ever CLS win.
A startled Kramer placed second with Lomita’s Bobby Michnowicz third. Brent Sexton motored his way back to fourth with Nigh, who lost his momentum when the lapped car got in his way, coming home a frustrating fifth.
After starting 13th and finishing third, Michnowicz won the “Italian Stallion Hard Charger” award and collected the $50.00 that goes with it.
With only two races to go, Kramer’s second CLS championship is almost assured. He has a 218-point advantage over Nigh. Brent Sexton, Michnowicz and Del Monte round out the top five.
The CLS heads to its home track, the Ventura Raceway, for the final time in 2018 this Saturday night, October 27th. Gates will open at 3:00 P.M. with racing at 5:30. The VRA Sprint Cars, Senior Sprints and Dwarf Cars will also be on the program. For fans wishing to attend the race, the Ventura Raceway is conveniently located just off the 101 on the Ventura County Fairgrounds. The track address is 10 West Harbor Boulevard (93001). The track’s website is at the following link http://venturaraceway.com/. The office phone number is (805) 648- RACE.
The final race of the year for the CLS will be the 2nd Annual Western States Lightning Sprint Car Championship at the Bakersfield Speedway on Saturday, November 17th. Thanks to T Shirts By Timeless and All Coast Construction, the purse for that event stands at $6,000.00. The winner will take home $800.00 and it will pay $150.00 to start the main event.
Barona Main Event (with starting positions)
1. Dominic Del Monte – Gardena, CA – 7th
2. Jarrett Kramer – Spring Valley, CA – 4th
3. Bobby Michnowicz – Lomita, CA – 13th
4. Brent Sexton – Lakeside, CA – 5th
5. Cody Nigh – Camarillo, CA – 1st
6. Grant Sexton – Lakeside, CA – 10th
7. Dalton Sexton – Lakeside, CA – 12th
8. Jon Squire – El Cajon, CA – 9th
9. David Taft – Ramona, CA – 15th
10. Jon Robertson – Torrance, CA – 16th
11. Dale Gamer – Anaheim, CA – 19th
12. Deejay Dumas – 14th
13. Frank Ditmar – Lakewood, CA – 17th
14. Jon Simms – Carlsbad, CA – 18th
15. Bill Dodd – Ramona, CA – 21st
16. Pat Kelley – Chino, CA – 2nd
17. James Squire III – Lakeside, CA – 11th
18. Aiden Lange – Lakewood, CA – 3rd
19. Eric Greco – Palmdale, CA – 6th
20. Kyle Dodd – Ramona, CA – 8th
21. Parker Dumas – 20th
2018 California Lightning Sprint Car Series Point Standings
1. Jarrett Kramer – Spring Valley, CA – 1980
2. Cody Nigh – Camarillo – 1762
3. Brent Sexton – Lakeside, CA – 1644
4. Bobby Michnowicz – Lomita, CA – 1613
5. Dominic Del Monte – Gardena, CA – 1585
6. Eric Greco – Palmdale, CA – 1469
7. Aiden Lange – Lakewood, CA. – 1466
8. Pat Kelley – Chino, CA – 1302
9. Grant Sexton – Lakeside, CA – 1230
10. Jeff Dyer – Bermuda Dunes, CA – 1063
March 17 – Bakersfield Speedway – USAC National – Rained Out
March 24 – Ventura Raceway – USAC National – Rained Out
April 14 – Ventura Raceway – USAC National – Bobby Michnowicz
April 21 – Bakersfield Speedway – USAC National – Aiden Lange
May 5 – Ventura Raceway – USAC National – Aiden Lange
May 19th – Barona Speedway – Jim Squire Memorial – Cody Nigh
May 26 – Perris Auto Speedway – USAC National – Salute to Indy – Jarrett Kramer
June 16 – Bakersfield Speedway – Civil War vs BCRA – Bruce Douglass
July 7 – Ventura Raceway – USAC National – Aiden Lange
July 21 – Santa Maria Raceway – Civil War vs BCRA – Doug Nunes
August 1 – Ventura Raceway – USAC National – Ventura County Fair – Bobby Michnowicz
August 18 – Perris Auto Speedway – USAC National – California Racer’s Hall of Fame Night – Jarrett Kramer
August 25 – Barona Speedway – Bobby Michnowicz
September 8 – Bakersfield Speedway – USAC National – A.J. Bender
September 21 – Placerville Speedway – Civil War vs BCRA – Seth Hespe
September 22 – Placerville Speedway – Civil War vs BCRA – Doug Nunes
October 6 – Ventura Raceway – USAC National – Aiden Lange
October 20 – Barona Speedway – Dominic Del Monte
October 27 – Ventura Raceway – USAC National
November 17- Bakersfield Speedway USAC National with USAC National and Western Midgets
The California Lightning Sprint Car Series would like to thank the following sponsors for helping make the 2017 season possible: Christian Stover Foundation, Circle Track Performance, Cold Fire West, DK Fabrication, Extreme Muffler, Fast Undercar, Hoosier Tire, Keizer Wheels, Outlaw Wings, Racing Optics, Rod End Supply, Saldana Race Products, Sander Engineering, Speedmart, Speed Partz, Super Shocks, T Shirts by Timeless, Woodland Auto Display.
If you or your company would like to become part of the series for its historic 25th season in 2018, 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/
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.