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CALIFORNIA LIGHTNING SPRINT CARS OPEN 2021 SEASON
MARCH 13TH AT THE BAKERSFIELD SPEEDWAY
(Upland, CA, March 4, 2021)
After a year filled with frustration due to
cancelations necessitated by the Covid crisis, the
California Lightning Sprint Car Series will kick off
the 2021 campaign at the Bakersfield Speedway, on
Saturday night, March 13th. Joining the CLS on the
program at “The West’s Fastest 1/3 Mile High Banked
Clay Oval,” will be Hobby Stocks, Street Stocks,
American Stocks and Mod Lites. The pit gate will
open at 3:00 P.M. with racing at 6:00.
Saturday’s race will be the first of 21 on the slate
for the CLS this year. It will also be the first of
six on the series home track in Bakersfield. In
addition to the season opener, other races on the
Kern County clay oval will include the Western
States Championship on November 16th. That race will
also be the fourth and final race of the “Civil War
Series co-sanctioned with the Bay Cities Racing
Association.
Five of the 21 races on the
schedule will be at Jim Naylor’s beach side Ventura
Raceway. The Santa Maria Raceway will see the series
visit four times. The July 24th and September 25th
Santa Maria dates will be part of the track’s
“Winged Madness” nights. The CLS will grace the
Merced Speedway racing surface two-times. Both races
will be part of the “Civil War Series.” The first
Merced appearance on April 24th will also be the
Wayne Albright Memorial and it will be the only
wingless race for the CLS in 2021. The CLS and BCRA
will combine for three straight races to close the
2021 calendar at the Hangtown 100 at the Placerville
Speedway in November. The other track on the
schedule is Peter Murphy’s Keller Auto Speedway in
Hanford. The CLS will make its lone appearance there
on June 19th.
“I am very excited to get this
season started,” CLS President Alex Grigoreas said.
“I know we will have challenges this year but
getting cars on track to start the CLS’s 2021
championship run, is going to be epic. We have a
large number of drivers running for rookie of the
year and about 20 veterans ready to make their run
for the championship. This schedule is a racers
schedule. We worked with BCRA President Dakota
Albright and laid out a schedule that will give the
teams the opportunity to race 32 times this season
if they want. If all goes as planned, it will be a
stellar season for CLS and BCRA. It makes me wish I
still had a car to race.”
Five-time CLS
champion Bobby Michnowicz will head the list of
entries at Bakersfield. The wily veteran, who won
five of the six CLS championships between 2012 and
2017, emerged victorious in the only two series
races in 2020. Both of those races were on the same
Bakersfield track where the CLS will open the 2021
campaign. Since 2011, the Oak Hills, California
resident, who has also raced with the World of
Outlaws, USAC Sprint Cars and Midgets, and Stock
Cars, has 18 victories on the “Okie Bowl.” That is
more than double the total of any other driver.
Five-time CLS Champion Bobby MIchnowicz in 2019. Pit
Princess Photography.
Veterans with hopes of
thwarting Michnowicz’ title effort include Yucca
Valley’s retired United States Army demolitions
expert Jeff Dyer and San Diego State graduate Cody
Nigh of Camarillo. In addition, a bevy of young
drivers are set to challenge as well. Leading the
youngster’s efforts will be Lakeside’s Aiden Lange,
Eric Greco of Palmdale, Gardena’s Dominic Del Monte,
and James Turnbull of Yucca Valley.
“Early
season bets are looking at some of our younger
racers to take the championship charge away from
some of the veterans,” Grigoreas commented. “Five
and a quarter time Champion, Bobby Michnowicz could
be looking at a 6th championship, but the young
standouts like Eric Greco, Aiden Lange, Dominic Del
Monte, and James Turnbull Jr, may have something to
say about that. I believe this will be one of the
best championship races the CLS has ever had.”
Admission will only be through the pit gate and
all passes sold are pit passes. $40.00 for racers
and crew pit entry. $20.00 family member. No
concessions available but personal coolers are ok.
No alcohol, glass or bottles allowed through pit
entrance.
The CLS would like to thank 2021
series sponsors Hoosier Tires, T Shirts By Timeless
and TJ Forged Racing Wheels. If you or your company
would like to become part of the series, please call
Alex Grigoreas at (909) 437-3170.
To keep up
with the CLS online, please visit the website at
http://racecls.com/ or on Facebook at
https://www.facebook.com/californialightningsprints/
2021 California Lightning Sprint Car Series
Schedule March 13 Bakersfield Speedway March
20 Ventura Raceway April 20 Bakersfield Speedway
April 24 Merced Speedway (Wayne Albright
Memorial - Round #1 of the Civil War Series with
BCRA – Wingless) May 1 Ventura Raceway May 15
Bakersfield Speedway June 5 Ventura Raceway
June 19 Keller Auto Speedway (Hanford) July 3
Santa Maria Speedway July 24 Santa Maria Speedway
(Wing Madness #1) August 7 Merced Speedway (Civil
War Series #2 with BCRA – Winged) August 14
Bakersfield Speedway August 28 Santa Maria
Speedway September 4 Ventura Raceway September
18 Bakersfield Speedway (Civil War #3 with BCRA –
Winged) September 25 Santa Maria Speedway (Wing
Madness #2) October 2 Ventura Raceway November
16 Bakersfield Speedway (Civil War #4 with BCRA –
Winged and Western States Lightning Sprint Car
Championship) November 18 Placerville Speedway
Hangtown 100 – (Co sanctioned with BCRA and in
companion with the USAC National Midgets)
November 19 Placerville Speedway Hangtown 100 – (Co
sanctioned with BCRA and in companion with the USAC
National Midgets) November 20 Placerville
Speedway Hangtown 100 – (Co sanctioned with BCRA and
in companion with the USAC National Midgets) The
schedule is subject to change due to Covid
restrictions.
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.
This press release was produced by Scott Daloisio
Sports (909) 226-7768 mailto:sdaloisiosports@aol.com |
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