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BRENT SEXTON NETS SECOND 2022 CALIFORNIA LIGHTNING
SPRINT CAR SERIES WIN IN WILD MOHAVE FINISH
(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.
Winner Brent Sexton (center) with second-place
finisher A.J. Bender left and third-place Dalton
Sexton right. CLS photo.
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
This press release was
produced by Scott Daloisio Sports (909) 226-7768
mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com |
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