2025 CALIFORNIA LIGHTNING SPRINTS PRESENTED BY MOTOR CITY GMC SCHEDULE (Torrance, CA, January 22, 2025) California Lightning Sprint Car Series President Jon Robertson is pleased to release the schedule for the historic 30th season of racing for the Southern California-based club. In addition, Robertson has announced that the series will be known as “The California Lightning Sprints presented by Motor City GMC.” Also, American Racer is joining the CLS as an associate sponsor for the 2025 campaign. Located in Bakersfield, California, Motor City GMC is making a significant contribution to the CLS 2025 point fund. “It was a bunch of discussions with our buddies from American Racer Tires,” CLS president Jon Robertson said. “They said let me see what we can do. To make a long story short, Motor City GMC in Bakersfield is our new series sponsor for the 2025 season. The series will now be known as “The California Lightning Sprints presented by Motor City GMC.” They are making a significant investment in our point fund this year with a potential for more in coming years. They are a huge supporter of grassroots racing, and they are bringing a new level of professionalism to the series.” American Racer joins CLS as a new associate sponsor for 2025. However, racers do not have to only use American Racer tires. “It is an open tire rule this year,” Robertson said of the 2025 campaign. “It is fostering competition between American Racer and Hoosier. It is a great deal. Competition breeds diversity. Different drivers want to run different things, and we have the ability to do it. They (American Racer) are an associate sponsor, but we are not exclusive to American Racer. They really kind of hit the ground running in helping us out. They have got a fantastic deal for the racers now. They have teamed up with Motor City GMC. We can get a complete set of four tires and Motor City is paying for one of the fronts. That is a pretty smoking deal! I think you will see a lot of the guys take advantage of that.” The 17-race all-winged 2025 season will kick off with a bang when the CLS and Bay Cities Racing Association tangle in round #1 of the Civil War Series at the Bakersfield Speedway on March 21st. Headlining that show will be the Kubota High Limit Sprint Cars for a race that will be available to fans around the globe on Flo Racing. Six months later, on September 12th, the CLS will join up with the legendary World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars on the same Central California oval. That race will be available worldwide on Dirt Vision. “High Limit and the World of Outlaws are the two biggest series in sprint car racing, and we are part of their shows,” Robertson enthused. ““It means everything to the club. I do not think we could ask for much more than to be part of their card. Those shows are on Flo and Dirt Vision. We have quite a few shows on Flo with USCS and USAC/CRA. We have a lot of good visibility coming up this season.” Bakersfield Speedway, which has long been promoted by the affable Scott Schweitzer, will serve as the home track for the CLS hosting six of the club’s 17 scheduled races. Dates besides the pair with High Limit and the World of Outlaws on “The West’s Fastest 1/3 Mile High Banked Clay Oval” include April 12th, May 3rd, June 7th, and November 25th. The November date at the “Okie Bowl” will be the Western States Lightning Sprint Championship and will be run alongside the USAC National Midgets on Flo. Another track the CLS has had a long, rewarding partnership with is Jim Naylor’s Ventura Raceway. Located adjacent to the breaking waves of the Pacific Ocean” the 1/5 mile oval, affectionately known as “The Commotion By The Ocean,” will host the CLS on May 31st, June 21st, August 30th, October 4th, and October 25th. The CLS will visit the rejuvenated Santa Maria Speedway two times in the month of July. On the 5th of that month, the club will join the Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Cars on the lightning-fast 1/3 mile clay oval. Three weeks later, it will team up with the premiere winged sprint car series west of the Mississippi, the Northern Auto Racing Club (NARC), on July 26th. Both of those events will be on Flo Racing. The farthest north the CLS will compete in 2025 is a pair of races at the Merced Speedway. Both of the events will be Civil War battles with the Bay Cities Racing Association. The first will come on May 17th. On September 13th, the night after joining the World of Outlaws at Bakersfield, the CLS and BCRA will square off in the annual Wayne Albright Memorial. The CLS schedule was finalized last week with a pair of back-to-back races in Central California. On August 22nd, lightning sprints will make a rare appearance at Plaza Park Raceway in Visalia. Twenty-four hours later and 29 miles to the west, the club will make its first appearance since 2022 at the Lemoore Jet Bowl Raceway. Up first for the CLS will be the 2024 awards banquet. Once again, it will be held at the popular Frantone’s Pizza and Spaghetti Villa in Cerritos at 6:00 p.m. on February 1st. Tickets for the banquet, which is open to everyone, are on sale. For more information on the festive night, call Jon Robertson at (310) 367-9050. The CLS would like to thank the following companies for being partners in the 2025 season. Motor City GMC, American Racer Tires, Extreme Mufflers, and RacingJunk.com. FINAL 2024 California Lightning Sprint Car Series Points 1. Bobby Michnowicz, Oak Gills, CA … 1882 2. Eric Greco, Palmdale, CA … 1780 3. Jeff Dyer, Yucca Valley, CA …1527 4. Cody Nigh, Camarillo, CA … 1465 4. Jon Robertson, Torrance, CA … 1453 6. Zate Legend, Riverside, CA … 1400 7. Seth Dyer, Yucca Valley, CA … 13532 8. Connor Speir, Fillmore, CA … 1326 9. Clay Byers, Castaic, CA … 768 10. Leland Day, Bakersfield, CA … 722 11. Pat Kelley, Chino, CA … 706 12. Broedy Graham, Bakerfield, CA … 626 13. Roland Smith … 432 14. Aiden Lange, Lakewood, CA … 402 15. Kelly Weitzel, El Cajon, CA … 312 16. Jacob Magalannes, Pasadena, CA … 257 17. Bill Changus, Fillmore, CA … 169 18. Tate Manu … 156 19. Dale Gamer, Anaheim, CA … 70 CLS vs BCRA Civil War Points 1. Bobby Michnowicz, CLS … 345 2. Connor Speir, CLS … 334 3. Eric Greco, CLS … 329 4. Greg Dennett BCRA … 309 5. Zate Legend, CLS … 276 6. Seth Dyer, CLS … 274 7. Leland Day, CLS … 263 8. Jon Robertson, CLS … 256 9. Matt Land, BCRA … 219 9. Jeff Dyer, CLS … 219 2025 California Lightning Sprint Car Series Schedule March 21 Bakersfield Speedway CLS vs BCRA Civil War With the High Limit Sprint Cars Series on Flo April 12 Bakersfield Speedway With the Ultimate Sprint Car Series May 3 Bakersfield Speedway May 17 Merced Speedway CLS vs BCRA Civil War May 31 Ventura Raceway June 7 Bakersfield Speedway With the Ultimate Sprint Car Series June 21 Ventura Raceway July 5 Santa Maria Speedway With USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series on Flo July 26 Santa Maria Speedway With NARC Sprint Car Series on Flo August 22 Plaza Park Raceway August 23 Lemoore Jet Bowl Raceway August 30 Ventura Raceway September 12 Bakersfield Speedway CLS vs BCRA Civil War With World of Outlaws on Dirt Vision September 13 Merced Speedway CLS vs BCRA Civil War Albright Memorial October 4 Ventura Raceway October 25 Ventura Raceway November 25 Bakersfield Speedway Western Lightning Sprint Car Championship with USAC National Midgets on Flo To keep up with the CLS online, please visit the website at http://racecls.com/  and follow on the club’s Facebook page 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, 2022 David Gasper, 2023 Bobby Michnowicz, 2024 Bobby Michnowicz This press release was produced by Scott Daloisio Sports (909) 226-7768 mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com