10.8.22 California Lightning Sprints Results

(Torrance, CA, October 11, 2022) In one of the wildest finishes in the 28-year history of the California Lightning Sprint Car Series, Brent Sexton captured his second win of the year in a race that was co-sanctioned by the POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprint Cars at the Mohave Valley Raceway on Saturday night. The last six laps of the race had more twists and turns than a daytime soap opera.

The show was the first ever for the CLS at Mohave and only the third race there for the SWLS. Several cars go back and forth throughout the year between the two Southern California-based clubs. The CLS had 11 regulars in the 15-car field and the SWLS had four.

In qualifying on the 1/3 mile bank clay oval, Sexton was the fastest driver with a lap of 14.959. His teammate, San Diego’s A.J. Bender, who was doing double duty on the night as he also raced with the USAC/CRA Sprint Cars, was a tick behind at 14.998. The third fastest time went to CLS regular Jeff Dyer of Yucca valley when he stopped the clocks at 15.131.

Two eight-lap heat races preceded the main event on the windy night. In the first one, CLS captured the first two spots when five-time series champion Michnowicz beat Dyer and Lakeside’s Dalton Sexton, the SWLS point leader, to the checkers. In the second heat, CLS drivers Eric Greco of Palmdale and David Gasper of Santa Barbara took the top two spots with Bender third.

Dalton Sexton was on the pole for the 20-lap A-main. CHP officer Dyer was starting on the outside of the front row. Row two was made-up of Michnowicz and Bender. In the third row Gasper, the 2021 CLS champion and the current point leader, was on the inside with fast qualifier Brent Sexton to his right.

When the green flag dropped to start the main in front of the packed house, 19-year-old Dalton Sexton was the first to turn one with Dyer and Bender in tow. The youngster held the top spot until Dyer raced around him coming off turn 4 on the opening circuit. The action quickly came to a halt in turn one on the second lap when Bender got sideways and parked the #3 normally driven by Grant Sexton. He nearly came to a stop and that brought out the first yellow flag of the race.

For the restart, it would be Dyer on the point followed by the two 18 cars that ironically were the leaders in each respective series coming into the night. Dalton Sexton in the 18s was in second with Gasper, who tipped over in hot laps, third. Michnowicz was in fourth with Brent Sexton fifth. Dyer immediately started to build a lead. Gasper raced around Dalton Sexton for the second-place spot and at the same time, Brent Sexton drove by Michnowicz for fourth. While they were swapping spots, Dyer was pulling away from all of them.

Michnowicz, who lives in Oak Hills, was the first car out of the main event when he pulled off the track on lap six. Meanwhile, at the front, Dyer was putting some distance between himself and Gasper. On lap nine, the 40-year-old caught up to the lapped traffic and had no issues getting past them. By the time the race reached the halfway mark, Dyer was over a half of a straightaway in front of Gasper. Dalton Sexton was third and was not far behind the second-place car. Brent Sexton was still fourth, but he was quite some distance behind his oldest offspring.

Dyer came into the night with ten top-five finishes and five runner-up results in 2022 with the CLS. It looked like Saturday he was finally going to get his first win of the year. The veteran driver was having no issues with lapped cars and had built a full straightaway lead. However, the potential thrill of victory was once again superseded by the agony of defeat as Dyer crossed the finish line at the end of lap 14 and coasted into turn one. He rolled to a stop on the back chute with a broken chain.

Dyer’s misfortune started the drama that was going to rage over the final six laps of the race. When Trevor Harmon waved the green flag to begin the last six laps, Gasper, who not only leads the CLS points but also leads the series with seven total wins, was the leader of the pack. Fellow teen Dalton Sexton was directly on his tail. Brent Sexton was restarting in third. Bender, who had to restart at the back on lap two, had been making mincemeat out of the field and was up to fourth. Greco, who came into the night second in CLS points rounded out the top five.

Brent Sexton, who is fighting Dalton for the CLS title, showed no family love as he immediately went outside and passed his kid for second in the first bend. The streaking Bender, who had seven top-five finishes including two wins and three second-place finishes driving for the Sextons at the end of 2021, relegated Dalton to fourth as they exited turn two. One lap later it looked like Brent’s chance of winning was shot when he nearly slid off the top in turn four. By the time he recovered, Bender had blitzed by him for second with four laps to go.

Brent Sexton’s faux paw gave Gasper a good-sized lead. But make no mistake about it, the fastest car on the track was Bender and there were still three laps to go. Gasper’s advantage at the start of lap 18 was close to a half straightaway. Bender was flying behind the leader and by the time they started lap 19, he was only a car length behind. Gasper was in the middle when they screamed toward turn one. He went a little straight as they entered the corner and Bender took full advantage. He swooped to the inside line and completed his last to first charge. Even though there was more than a lap and a half to go, this beauty was far from over.

Not one to give up, Gasper drove it hard into turn three and caught the leader. In turn four he slid up the racetrack and nearly drew even with rim-riding Bender. They came close to touching and they both slid off the top of the track. They kept their throttles pegged and got out of the fluff on top, but Brent Sexton, who did the same thing three laps earlier, came charging on the low line. Bender had the lead at the white flag, but Sexton, on the inside line, had all the momentum. He took the lead for the first time in the race in turn one on the last go around. As they went down the back chute and headed for turn three one last time, Bender dove to the bottom of the track and pulled even with his car owner. They came off turn four side by side, but Sexton was on the sweet spot on the track and got a better drive off the corner. He flashed under the checkered flag first with a one-car length lead in a finish that put the crowd on its feet.

Bender ended up placing second. Dalton Sexton got past Gasper to take the third-place spot with Greco coming home fifth.

In addition to winning the main, Brent Sexton also won the West Evans Motorsports Fast Time Award and the SpeedMart/Advanced Racing Suspension/Hepfner Racing Products Hard Charger Award.

The series takes two weekends off before heading to the Ventura Raceway for the final time in 2022 on October 29th. Going into that race Gasper is closing in on his second series title. He leads Greco by 89-points. Nigh is third but is only 19-points in front of Dyer. Michnowicz is fifth. In the back-and-forth battle for the “Rookie of the Year” award, Fillmore’s Connor Speir, who finished eighth at Mohave, jumped back ahead of Glendora’s Will Browne, who broke in hot laps. Speir will bring a 65-point advantage over Browne into Ventura.

West Evans Motorsports Qualifying: 1. Brent Sexton, 14.959; 2. A.J. Bender, 14.9883; 3. Jeff Dyer, 15.131; 4. David Gasper, 15.126; 5. Bobby Michnowicz, 15.262; 6. Connor Speir, 15.266; 7. Dalton Sexton, 15.491; 8. Cody Nigh, 15.557; 9. Mark Henry, 15.633; 10. Eric Greco, 15.737; 11. Pat Kelley, 15.812; 12. Jon Robertson, 15.966; 13. Seth Dyer, 16.669; 14. Will Browne, DNS; 15 Cody Griggs, DNS

Heat #1 (8-laps): 1. Bobby Michnowicz; 2. Jeff Dyer; 3. Dalton Sexton; 4. Mark Henry; 5. Brent Sexton; 6. Pat Kelley; 7. Seth Dyer

Heat #2 (8-Laps): 1. Eric Greco; 2. David Gasper; 3. A.J. Bender; 4. Cody Nigh; 5. Connor Speir; 6. Cody Griggs; 7. Jon Robertson

Mohave 20-Lap Main Event (with starting positions)
1. Brent Sexton, Lakeside, CA 6th
2. A.J Bender, San Diego, CA – 4th
3. Dalton Sexton, Lakeside, CA – 1st
4. David Gasper, Santa Barbara, CA – 5th
5. Eric Greco, Palmdale, CA – 7th
6. Cody Nigh, Camarillo, CA – 8th
7. Mark Henry, Rosamond, CA – 9th
8. Connor Speir, Fillmore, CA – 10th’
9, Jon Robertson, Torrance, CA – 12th
10. Pat Kelley, Chino, CA – 11th
11. Jeff Dyer, Yucca Valley, CA – 2nd
12. Bobby Michnowicz, Oak Hills, CA – 3rd
DNS Seth Dyer – Yucca Valley, CA
DNS Cody Griggs – Lakeside, CA
DNS Will Browne – Glendora, CA
Lap Leaders: Jeff Dyer 1-14, David Gasper 15-18, A.J. Bender 29, Brent Sexton 30.

Mohave Valley Raceway October 8 Contingency Awards

Heat Race #1 – Extreme Muffler $50.00 Product Certificate – Bobby Michnowicz

Heat Race #2 – Yoshimura R& D – $50.00 CSI Product Certificate – Eric Greco

Saldana Racing “Colleen’s Choice – $50.00 Saldana Race Products Certificate – Seth Dyer

1st Place Main Event – Eibach Springs $100.00 Product Certificate – Brent Sexton

2nd Place Main Event – Vahlco Wheels $50.00 Product Certificate – A.J. Bender

3rd Place Main Event – Jake Swanson Shock Technology $50 Product Certificate – Dalton Sexton

4th Place Main Event – Hyper Chassis $50 Product Certificate – David Gasper

5th Place Main Event – Smith Titanium $50.00 Product Certificate – Eric Greco

Fast Qualifier – West Evans Motorsports $25.00 Product Certificate – Brent Sexton

Hard Charger – Speed Mart $25.00 Product Certificate – Brent Sexton

Hard Charger – Advanced Racing Suspension $50.00 Product Certificate – Brent Sexton

Hard Charger – Hepfner Racing Products $25.00 Product Certificate – Brent Sexton

Hard Luck Award – Speed Mart $25.00 Product Certificate – Will Browne

1st Car Not On The Lead Lap – Rebel Gears 30% Off Coupon – Mark Henry

California Lightning Sprint Car Series Point Standings
1. David Gasper – 1917
2. Eric Greco – 1828
3. Cody Nigh – 1706
4. Jeff Dyer – 1687
5. Bobby Michnowicz – 1571
6. Connor Speir – 1365
7. Will Browne – 1300
8. Jon Robertson – 1106
9. Pat Kelley – 1053
10. Dominic Del Monte – 696

Civil War Series Point Standings
1. David Gasper – CLS – 514
2. Eric Greco – CLS – 451
3. Bobby Michnowicz – CLS – 433
4. Will Browne – CLS – 420
5. Cody Nigh – CLS – 385
6. Greg Dennett – BCRA – 383
7. Dakota Albright – BCRA – 358
8. Harlee Aguilera – BCRA – 331
9. Matt Land – BCRA – 329
10. Brandon Leedy – BCRA – 302

The following companies have become marketing partners with the CLS in 2022. They have offered up more than $13,000.00 in contingencies that will be awarded on top of the regular racing purses and they will be paid out throughout the year. Yoshimura R&D, Hoosier Tires West, T-Shirts By Timeless, Extreme Mufflers, Saldana Racing Products, Rod End Supply, Speed Mart, Cold Fire West, West Evens Motorsports, RC Fuel Injection, Jake Swanson Shock Technology, Advanced Racing Suspensions, CSI Shocks, Eibach Springs, Triple X Race Components, King Racing Products, Hyper Racing Products, Rebel Gears, Vahlco Wheels, Wilwood Disk Brakes, Fuel Safe Systems, MPI, Circle Track Performance, E-Z UP, Hepfner Racing, Smith Titanium, and Hoosier Speed.

If you or your company would like to become a partner of the longtime racing organization, contact Jon Robertson via email at mailto:jon.robertson@sbcglobal.net or by calling (310) 367-9050.

2022 California Lightning Sprint Car Series Schedule

March 25 Bakersfield Speedway Winged – Grant Sexton

April 2 Merced Speedway Non-Wing –– Civil War #1 – David Gasper

April 16 Bakersfield Speedway Winged – A.J. Bender

April 30 Ventura Raceway Winged (Make Up Main) David Gasper

April 30 Ventura Raceway Winged – Bobby Michnowicz

May 14 Bakersfield Speedway Winged – A.J. Bender

May 21 Ventura Raceway Winged – Eric Greco

June 11 Bakersfield Speedway Winged – David Gasper

June 25 Ventura Raceway Winged – David Gasper

July 9 Ventura Raceway Winged – David Gasper

July 23 Ventura Raceway Winged – Dave Gasper

August 6 *Santa Maria Raceway Winged – Brent Sexton

August 26 Silver Dollar Speedway Winged – Civil War #2 – Connor Spier

August 27 Placerville Speedway Winged – Civil War #3 – Bobby Michnowicz

Sept. 10 Lemoore Raceway Winged – Bobby Michnowicz

Sept. 24 Bakersfield Speedway Winged – Civil War #4 – David Gasper

October 8 Mohave Valley Raceway Winged – With SWLS – Brent Sexton

October 29 Ventura Raceway Winged

Nov. 15 Bakersfield Speedway Winged – With USAC Midgets – Civil War #5

Nov. 17 Placerville Speedway Non-Wing – With USAC Midgets – No Points

Nov. 18 Placerville Speedway Non-Wing – With USAC Midgets – No Points

Nov. 19 Placerville Speedway Non-Wing – With USAC Midgets – No Points

*Non Points Race

To keep up with the CLS online, please visit the website at http://racecls.com/ or on Facebook at 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, 2018 Jarrett Kramer, 2019 Jarrett Kramer, 2021 David Gasper