THE CALIFORNIA LIGHTNING SPRINT CAR SERIES RETURNS TO THE VENTURA RACEWAY ON SATURDAY (Torrance, CA, July 5, 2023) After three weekends off, the California Lightning Sprint Car Series gets back in action this Saturday when it returns to Jim Naylor’s Ventura Raceway. The man to beat in the race is five-time series champion Bobby Michnowicz. The veteran tops the CLS victory list this year with three wins and has won both of the Ventura races. As well as topping the win chart, he also has a 63-point lead in the championship standings as he seeks his first title since 2017. Michnowicz, 59 of Oak Hills, California, started racing TQs at Ventura over 40 years ago. Accompanying him the whole time has been his crew chief wife Wendy. The “Dynamic Duo” scored a pair of wins on the beachside track in 2022, three in 2018, and many more over the past decade. In addition to his three wins in the first eight races of 2023, he has two second-place finishes and a third. The only time he did not place on the podium was the lone race he did not finish. That came at the Bakersfield Speedway on June 3rd when he retired from the race early with an electrical problem. Bobby Michnowicz with his crew chief wife, Wendy, earlier this year at Ventura. CLS photo., Impressive young driver Eric Greco of Palmdale is 63 points in back of Michnowicz in the standings. The pleasant young driver has six top-four finishes including a season-best second at Bakersfield on June 3rd. Yucca Valley’s Jeff Dyer, who also competes in the USAC/CRA Series, is third in the standings and won the June 3rd race at the “Okie Bowl.” Fourth place is currently being held down by “Rockstar” Jon Robertson of Torrance. The long-time veteran has placed in the top 10 in six of the first eight races of the campaign. Highlighting his results is a pair of fifth-place outings that came back to back at Arizona’s Mohave Valley Raceway on April 1st and at Bakersfield on April 8th. 2023 CLS Rookie of the Year Connor Speir rounds out the top five. The Fillmore-based teen has made seven of the first eight races and has yet to finish out of the top 10. His best placing was fifth at Bakersfield on June 3rd. Dyer’s 16-year-old son Seth, San Diego’s AJ Bender, Brent Sexton of Lakeside, Chino’s Pat Kelley, and Aiden Lange of Lakewood are sixth through 10th in the standings. Besides Michnowicz, Bender is the only other driver with more than one victory this year. He was first at the season opener at the Imperial Valley Raceway on March 10th and Bakersfield on April 8th. Sixteen-year-old Braden Chiaramonte of El Cajon and Jeff Dyer have posted single wins. After Saturday’s race, the CLS drivers are off until they head north for round #2 of the annual Civil War Series at the Johnny Key Classic at the Ocean Speedway on August 19th. It will be the first-ever appearance for the CLS on the Watsonville, California track. In addition to the CLS, the VRA Sprint Cars, VRA Senior Sprints, VRA Dwarfs, IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Mods, and VRA Junior Classes will also 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 $18.00. Seniors 60 and over, military members, and students with ID get in for $15.00. 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. 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, BR Motorsports, EZ Up, RC Fuel Injection, and Triple X. If you or your company would like to be a marketing partner with the CLS, please contact Jon Robertson using the contact information at the top of this release. 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 1. Bobby Michnowicz, Lomita, CA … 1013 2. Eric Greco, Palmdale, CA … 950 3. Jeff Dyer, Yucca Valley, CA … 861 4. Jon Robertson, Torrance, CA … 749 5. Connor Speir, Fillmore, CA … 662 6. Seth Dyer, Yucca Valley, CA … 637 7. AJ Bender, San Diego, CA … 611 8. Brent Sexton, Lakeside, CA … 591 9. Pat Kelley, Chino, CA … 537 10. Aiden Lange, Lakewood, CA … 525 2023 CLS vs SWLS Best of the West Standings 1. Bobby Michnowicz, Lomita, CA, CLS … 666 1. Eric Greco, Palmdale, CA, CLS … 602 3. Jeff Dyer, Yucca Valley, CA, CLS … 535 4. Brent Sexton, Lakeside, CA. SWLS … 490 5. Connor Speir, Fillmore, CA, CLS … 447 5. Jon Robertson, Torrance, CA, CLS … 447 7. Seth Dyer, Yucca Valley, CA, CLS … 438 8. Pat Kelley, Chino, CA, CLS … 403 9. Cody Griggs, Lakeside, CA, SWLS … 299 10. Robbie Brockman, El Cajon, CA, SWLS … 280 CLS vs BCRA Civil War Standings 1. Jeff Dyer, CLS … 135 2. Eric Greco, CLS … 130 3. Greg Dennett, BCRA … 125 4. Dakota Albright, BCRA … 118 5. Connor Speir, CLS … 105 6. Brent Sexton, CLS … 101 7. Josef Ferolito, BCRA … 96 8. Jon Robertson, CLS … 93 9. Aiden Lange, CLS … 88 10. Seth Dyer, CLS … 82 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 Bobby Michnowicz May 20 Bakersfield Speedway CLS/SWLS “Best of the West” Round #4 Bobby Michnowicz June 3 Bakersfield Speedway CLS/BCRA “Civil War Series Round” #1 Jeff Dyer June 17 Ventura Raceway CLS/SWLS “Best of the West” Round #5 Bobby Michnowicz 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 #4, 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