SCHWIETZER AND MICHNOWICZ TEAM UP FOR APRIL 12TH CALIFORNIA LIGHTNING SPRINTS SEASON OPENER (Torrance, CA, March 28, 2025) In a move that is going to raise a lot of eyebrows in the California Lightning Sprint Car Series Presented by Motor City GMC, longtime car owner Mike Schweitzer has announced that seven-time series champion Bobby Michnowicz will drive his car at the April 12th season opener on the Bakersfield Speedway at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway. The move puts the driver, with over half a century of racing experience, together with a family team that has owned cars for over 70 years. Bobby Michnowicz shown here in Ventura in 2019, is joining forces with car owner Mike Schweitzer for the April 12th race at Bakersfield. Pit Princess photo. The race will mark the beginning of the 31st season for the Southern California club. It will also mark the first time the Schweitzers and Michnowicz have teamed up to race together. Going back to the beginning of their midget ownership days in the early 1950s, the Schweitzers have fielded cars for such stars as Bob Wente, Mel Kenyon, Roger Mears, George Snider, Gary Bettenhausen, Bubby Jones, Johnny Parsons Jr., Mike McGreevy, Don Edmunds, and more. In addition, in recent years, Wink Schweitzer, AJ Bender, James Turnbull, “Shugah” Shane Sexton, Broedy Graham, and David Gasper have steered Schweitzer entries in the California Lightning Sprint Car Series. “We were going to do it at the first race of the year at KCRP, but that race got canceled,” Schweitzer said. “So we are going to do it April 12th. At the beginning of the year, I was talking with Bobby about something with the rules. He asked me if we had a driver lined up to drive the #41. I jokingly said, ‘you, I don’t have anybody lined up.’ That is just how it came about.” “Not really,” Schweitzer continued when asked if he was surprised when Michnowicz accepted his offer. “We are good friends and have always gotten along really well. I think it will be pretty good for both of us. We will learn a lot from him. It is two racing rivals coming together. We will see what comes out of this.” Schweitzer comes into the event after a very emotional victory to close the 2024 season. His cousin, Scott Schweitzer, was the promoter of the old Bakersfield Speedway in Oildale and is now the shot-caller at the new Bakersfield Speedway at Kern. In 2017, his daughter Bailey lost her life at the October 91 Harvest Music Festival tragedy in Las Vegas. For the last half of the 2024 racing campaign, Mike Schweitzer redid his car as a tribute to Bailey. On November 27th, David Gasper steered the car to an emotional win at the track. What was unknown at the time and added more significance to the victory was the fact that it came on the last night of racing at the “Okie Bowl,” which first opened its doors in the 1940s. The car Michnowicz will be wheeling for Schweitzer is a 2000 Henchcraft with a 2000 ZX12 engine. Despite its age, the car remains one of the fastest in the CLS. Schweitzer is optimistic that Michnowicz is capable of putting the #41 into victory circle, but he reminds that lightning sprints are unpredictable. “In lightning sprint racing, nothing is a given,” the Bakersfield, California car owner stated. “You have to have a lot of racing luck. There is a lot more to it than just having the best car and the best driver. I am looking for a good night and I am excited. We have a lot of people excited about it. My wife even said, ‘I am going, I have got to see this.’” Things are going to be quite different for Michnowicz. He has been steering cars owned by his father and himself for nearly his entire career. In fact, you could count the number of races he drove for someone else on one hand. He recalls driving midgets for Ron Bach and Tony Fabozzi at the Chili Bowl, but he essentially served as both driver and crew chief. When he ran his dad’s cars when he was younger, they did the cars together. Needless to say, he is looking forward to just showing up and only worrying about driving on April 12th. “When I take my car to the races, I am crew, crew chief, driver, tire changer, fueler, I do my tear-offs, I do everything,” the friendly Michnowicz stated. “Wendy (his wife) is helping the CLS club at the track. So, I basically do it all, and it’s a chore. To be able to just show up, drive a quality car with a knowledgeable team, and all I have to do is hop on my pit bike, check out the track, and give my feedback on what the car feels like, and then just get to relax and drive. It is going to be a really good night for me because usually I just work my tail off.” “I honestly cannot remember when I showed up at the track and did not have to be the crew chief, driver, and everything,” the Oak Hills, California resident said. “A lot of it is, when you have been around so long, you don’t trust people. You just do it yourself. With Wink and Mike, I trust these guys. They have a lot of knowledge, a lot of experience, and a good piece of equipment. I am really looking forward to it.” Michnowicz noted that when competing against others, he tries to psych them out. He has always respected the Schweitzer’s and the #41 car. Now, they will join forces to try and psych out everybody else on a track he has never raced on. However, the CLS has only raced at the track one time. In addition, the track was reshaped before this season began. So, even though it is a new ride on a new track for him, Michnowicz feels the playing field is level for everyone. The veteran, who has raced traditional sprint cars with the original CRA and SCRA, winged sprints with the World of Outlaws and NARC, midgets, and stock cars, does not anticipate having a tough time getting acclimated to the new track on the 12th. That is because, going back to his early days, he never really had a home track. He raced everywhere, not just in one specific place. “I feel I adapt quicker to new situations and new tracks,” he said. “I feel if I was in my own car, I would be a little above (the competition) going to the new track. I am going to have to adapt to a new car and a new track. So, I don’t know that I have an advantage. And the car is going to be a ZX12 Henchcraft. I haven’t driven a ZX12 Henchcraft in, I bet, 10 years.” Going back to 2012, when Michnowicz won his first CLS title, he has captured the championship seven times. That includes a four-year streak from 2014 through 2017 and the last two years on the trot. However, he always says he is not a point racer. “We never really chase points,” he pointed out. “We just try to do the best we can at every race. So, I think if we do well in this race, the next race is also at Kern. Maybe if they allow me, I will do it again. When we get to like Merced, I will probably jump back in my car because I know they have their eyes on a couple drivers they will have at the small tracks.” The Bakersfield Speedway at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway is located at 13500 Raceway Boulevard in Bakersfield, California. Spectator gates for the April 12th race in Bakersfield will open at 4:00 p.m. with racing at 6:00. For more information, including ticket prices, please visit the track website at https://www.bakersfieldspeedway.com/ or call the track office at 661-835-1264. The Schweitzer #41 Michnowicz will drive at Bakersfield is sponsored by Abacus, TRB, Bill Mell & Associates Real Estate Services, Circle 8 Services, Oil Well Service, 3n1 Motorsports, Elite Signs LLC, Quick Time Designs, M-P Environmental, Hot Rod Engineering, and Salinas Paint and Body. Car owner Schweitzer wanted to send a special thanks to Motor City Buick GMC and American Racer Tires Southwest. The CLS would like to thank the following companies for being partners in the 2025 season. Motor City GMC, American Racer Tires, Extreme Mufflers, RacingJunk.com, Rod End Supply, BR Motorsports, King Racing Products, Saldana, Extreme Technology, Advanced Racing Suspension, West Evans, CSI Shocks, SpeedMart, Hyper, Rebel Gears, E-Z Up, Amith Titanium, Triple X Race Cars, RC Fuel Injection, Keizer Wheels, Racing Optics, Guhl Motors, Vahlco Wheels, Performance Electronics, The Joie of Seating, Hoosier Speed, Eibach, Outlaw Wings, and Diablo Fabrication. FINAL 2024 California Lightning Sprint Car Series Points 1. Bobby Michnowicz, Oak Hills, 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 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