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ERIC GRECO SCORES
FIRST CALIFORNIA LIGHTNING SPRINT CAR SERIES WIN IN
THE SEASON OPENER AT THE BAKERSFIELD SPEEDWAY
(Upland, CA, March 16, 2021) Eric Greco
kicked off the California Lightning Sprint Car
Series 27th season of action when he scored the win
in the 25-lap main event last Saturday night at the
Bakersfield Speedway. The victory was the first for
the Palmdale, California resident in the CLS.
Winner Eric Greco surrounded by second place
finisher James Turnbull on the right and Dakota
Albright. CLS Photo.
A total of 20 cars
showed up to battle at the first race of the season
on the bullring known as “The West’s Fastest 1/3
Mile High Banked Clay Oval.” The Citrus Heights duo
of Scott and Hunter Kinney turned in the two fastest
laps in qualifying with Scott sitting on top of the
charts with a time of 12.563. Hunter was a tick
behind at 12.697 and was followed by Greco with a
lap of 12.721.
In heat race action, Chino’s
Jeremy Queener, who was the PASSCAR Street Stock
champion at Perris Auto Speedway in 2005, won the
opening eight-lapper over ageless Bruce Douglass of
Ventura. Indio’s James Turnbull copped the second
heat from the second spot when he bested Hunter
Kinney. The third and final heat went to perennial
BCRA star Dakota Albright of Waterford with Greco
second.
For the season opening 25-lap main
event, Greco was on the pole in his beautiful
Janssen’s Floor and Fabric Care/Sidewaze
Designs/Greco Family/Competition Suspension
Inc/Henchcraft/ZX10R #8. Ventura’s Robb Pelmear was
next to Greco. Douglass and Yucca Valley’s Jeff Dyer
manned row two. Row three was made up of Hunter
Kinney and Turnbull with Albright and Queener in the
fourth row. Greco jumped into the lead on the start
and built a full straightaway advantage. He
maintained the top spot and led the first 11-laps.
Corona’s Trevor Ballou blew his engine on the 12th
lap bringing out the yellow flag. When the yellow
flew, Scott Kinney checked up and Turnbull got into
him bending his front axle.
Bent axle and
all, Turnbull flew into the lead on the restart, and
continued in the top spot for the next nine laps.
However, Greco took the lead back with a slide job
on the 22nd circuit. Once he commandeered the point
position, Greco pulled away and won by nearly a full
straight over Turnbull. Albright, Queener, and
youngster David Gasper of Santa Barbara finished
third through fifth. Gasper, who is a lawn
maintenance expert and student when he is not
racing, was also the race “Hard Charger” when he
moved from his 13th place starting spot to finish
fifth.
The CLS race scheduled for this
Saturday (March 20th) at the Ventura Raceway has
been postponed. The CLS will now return to the track
on Saturday, April 10th at the Bakersfield Speedway.
When it does, Greco will have a five-point lead over
Turnbull in the 2021 championship standings.
Albright is third, a dozen points behind the leader.
Queener and Scott Kinney round out the first five.
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/
Bakersfield Speedway March 13 Main Event Results
(with starting positions) 1. Eric Greco –
Palmdale – 1st 2. James Turnbull – Indio – 6th
3. Dakota Albright – Waterford – 7th 4.
Jeremy Queener – Chino – 8th 5. David Gasper –
Santa Barbara – 13th 6. Scott Kinney – Citrus
Heights – 10th 7. Bruce Douglass – Ventura – 3rd
8. Jon Robertson – Torrance – 9th 9. Dale
Gamer – Anaheim – 11th 10. Bronson Algie –
O’Neals – 15th 11. Wyatt Boczanowski – San Diego
– 14th 12. Hunter Kinney – Citrus Heights – 5th
13. Trevor Ballou – Corona – 12th 14. Leland
Day – Bakersfield – 16th 15. Jeff Dyer – Yucca
Valley – 4th 16. Robb Pelmear – Ventura – 2nd
2021 California Lightning Sprint Car Series
Point Standings 1. Eric Greco – Palmdale – 137
2. James Turnbull – Indio – 132 3. Dakota
Albright – Waterford – 123 4, Jeremy Queener –
Chino – 117 5. Scott Kinney – Citrus Heights –
112 6. Dave Gasper ® – Santa Barbara – 107 7.
Bruce Douglass – Ventura – 106 8. Jon Robertson –
Torrance – 93 9. Hunter Kinney – Citrus Heights –
85 9. Dale Gamer – Anaheim - 85
2021
California Lightning Sprint Car Series Schedule
March 13 Bakersfield Speedway – Eric Greco
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
19 The Dirt Track At Kern County Raceway Park
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.
This press release was produced by Scott Daloisio
Sports (909) 226-7768 mailto:sdaloisiosports@aol.com |
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