CALIFORNIA LIGHTNING SPRINT CARS AT VENTURA SATURDAY WITH NEW SPONSORS AND SCHEDULE UPDATE (Torrance, CA, May 9, 2023) After a month off in the schedule, the California Lightning Sprint Car Series returns to action this Saturday, May 13th, when it makes the first of six 2023 appearances at Jim Naylor’s Ventura Raceway. While the CLS has been idle since AJ Bender outdistanced the competition at the last race on April 8th at the Bakersfield Speedway, things behind the scenes have been busy with a race added to the “Best of the West Series” and a pair of new sponsors have come on board. Despite not winning a main yet this season, five-time series champion Bobby Michnowicz heads the CLS point standings going into this week’s tussle at Ventura. While he has not won in 2023, the Oak Hills, California resident has three second-place finishes and a third in the first four races of the year. That has allowed the 59-year-old veteran to establish a 59-point lead over Palmdale’s Eric Greco heading into Saturday’s race. San Diegan Bender sits third with 2022 POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprint Car Series champion Brent Sexton of Lakeside currently fourth. California Highway Patrol officer Jeff Dyer of Yucca Valley rounds out the top five. “Rockstar” Jon Robertson of Torrance, Chino’s Pat Kelley, Dyer’s son Seth of Yucca Valley, El Cajon’s Robby Brockman, and 2022 CLS Rookie of the Year Connor Speir of Fillmore round out the top 10. All but Sexton and Brockman are expected to be on hand on Saturday. Through the first four races of 2023, only one driver, Bender, has more than one win this year. He has victories at the Imperial Valley Raceway and the Bakersfield Speedway. He will be back in Mike Schweitzer’s #41 on Saturday. Longtime veteran Sexton and teenage sensation Braden Chiaramonte have won the other two races. Last season the CLS raced at the eye-catching 1/5 mile track that is located on the beach at Ventura seven times. Santa Barbara’s David Gasper, the two times series champion who is now racing in the USAC West Coast Sprint Car and Midgets Series’, won four of the seven. Michnowicz snared two victories on the “Commotion By The Ocean” and Greco triumphed there once. The CLS and POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprints have announced that the June 17th show at Ventura will now be round #5 of the “Best of the West” series. As well as that announcement, officials have revealed that the July 22nd race at Ventura has been canceled due to another event on the fairgrounds. However, the clubs and Ventura promoter Jim Naylor are looking for an alternative date to reschedule the race. The CLS is pleased to announce that new sponsors King Racing Products and BR Motorsports have come on board for the 2023 season. They join Hoosier Tires West, T-Shirts By Timeless, Extreme Mufflers, RacingJunk.com, and Advanced Racing Suspension as supporters of the club. If you or your company would like to be a marketing partner with the CLS, please get in touch with Jon Robertson using the contact information at the top of this release. In addition to the CLS, the USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Cars, VRA Dwarf Cars, IMCA Sport Compacts, and VRA Junior Classes will all be in action on Saturday. Spectator gates will open at 3:00 p.m. and the first race will be at 5:30. Adult tickets are $22.00. Seniors 60 and over, military members, and students with ID get in for $18.00. Children 12 and under are free when they are accompanied by a paid adult. The track is located on the Ventura County Fairgrounds at 10 W. Harbor Boulevard (93001). The website is http://venturaraceway.com/ and the office phone number is (805) 648-RACE. After Saturday’s battle on the beach, the next two CLS races will be May 20th and June 3rd, at Scott Schweitzer’s Bakersfield Speedway. In addition to both being full points-paying races for the club, the May date will be round #3 of the "Best of the West" Series with the SWLS, and June 20th will be round #1 of the annual “Civil War Series” pitting the CLS versus Northern California’s Bay Cities Racing Association. The following companies are marketing partners with the CLS in 2023. Hoosier Tires West, T-Shirts By Timeless, Extreme Mufflers, RacingJunk.com, Advanced Racing Suspension, King Racing Products, and BR Motorsports. To keep up with the CLS online, please visit the website at http://racecls.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/californialightningsprints 2023 California Lightning Sprint Car Series Point Standings and Best of the West Standings 1. Bobby Michnowicz, Lomita, CA … 522 2. Eric Greco, Palmdale, CA … 463 3. AJ Bender, San Diego, CA … 399 4. Brent Sexton, Lakeside, CA … 388 5. Jeff Dyer, Yucca Valley, CA … 384 6. Jon Robertson, Torrance, CA … 365 7. Pat Kelley, Chino, CA … 328 8. Seth Dyer, Yucca Valley, CA … 285 9. Robby Brockman, El Cajon, CA … 280 10. Connor Speir, Fillmore, CA … 271 2023 California Lightning Sprint Car Series Point Standings and Best of the West Standings 1. Bobby Michnowicz, Lomita, CA, CLS … 388 1. Brent Sexton, Lakeside, CA, SWLS … 388 3. Eric Greco, Palmdale, CA, CLS … 371 4. Robby Brockman, El Cajon, CA. SWLS … 280 4. Jeff Dyer, Yucca Valley, CA, CLS … 280 6. Connor Speir, Fillmore, CA, CLS … 271 7. Seth Dyer, Yucca Valley, CA, CLS … 262 8. AJ Bender, San Diego, CA, SWLS … 261 9. Jon Robertson, Torrance, CA, CLS … 254 10. Pat Kelley, Chino, CA, CLS … 240 2023 California Lightning Sprint Car Series Schedule March 10 Imperial Raceway CLS/SWLS “Best of the West” Round #1 AJ Bender March 11 Imperial Raceway CLS/SWLS “Best of the West” Round #2 Braden Chiaramonte March 18 Bakersfield Speedway CLS With USAC Western Midgets Rained Out April 1 Mohave Valley Raceway CLS/SWLS “Best of the West” Round #3 Brent Sexton April 8 Bakersfield Speedway CLS AJ Bender May 13 Ventura Raceway CLS With USAC 360 Sprint Cars May 20 Bakersfield Speedway CLS/SWLS “Best of the West” Round #4 June 3 Bakersfield Speedway CLS/BCRA “Civil War Series Round” #1 With USAC 360 Sprint Cars June 17 Ventura Raceway CLS/SWLS “Best of the West” Round #5 July 8 Ventura Raceway CLS August 19 Ocean Speedway CLS/BCRA “Civil War Series” Round #2, Johnny Key Classic September 9 Bakersfield Speedway CLS/BCRA “Civil War Series” Round #3 September 23 Ventura Raceway CLS October 7 Merced Speedway CLS/BCRA “Civil War Series” Round #5, Wayne Albright Memorial Non Wing October 14 Mohave Valley Speedway CLS/SWLS “Best of the West” Round #6 With USAC/CRA Sprint Cars October 28 Ventura Raceway CLS November 14 Bakersfield Speedway CLS With USAC National Midgets November 16 Placerville Speedway “Hangtown 100” No Points Non Wing November 17 Placerville Speedway “Hangtown 100” No Points Non Wing November 18 Placerville Speedway “Hangtown 100” No Points Non Wing 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, 2022 David Gasper This press release was produced by Scott Daloisio Sports (909) 226-7768 mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com