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ERIC GRECO
KICKS OFF CALIFORNIA LIGHTNING SPRINT CAR SEASON
WITH A WIN AT BAKERSFIELD
(Torrance, CA,
April 14, 2025) Veteran racer Eric Greco
kicked off the 2025 season for the California
Lightning Sprint Car Series Presented by Motor
City Buick/GMC by posting a win on the Bakersfield
Speedway at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway last
Saturday night. The triumph propelled Greco into a
14-point lead in the championship standings with
15 races to go in the CLS 31st campaign.
Winner Eric Greco at Bakersfield. Wendy Michnowicz
photo.
Greco, who finished second in the
2024 CLS championship point standings and who tied
for the series lead with four main event
victories, started the night off by setting fast
time with a lap of 15.361. Ventura’s Bruce
Douglass, who was the Perris Auto Speedway Senior
Sprint Car Series champion in 2012 and 2014 and
who was driving the ex-Connor Speir #57, stopped
Dick Hindman’s clock with the second fastest lap
at 15.867. California Highway Patrol Officer Jeff
Dyer of Yucca Valley sped to the third quickest
lap at 16.045. Camarillo’s Cody Nigh, with a
16.093, and Leland Day of Bakersfield, who
recorded a 16.100, rounded out the top five.
The only blemish on Greco’s night came in the
Competition Suspension Heat #1 when seven-time CLS
champion Bobby Michnowicz of Oak Hills steered the
Mike Schweitzer #41 to the win in the
eight-lapper. Greco and Clay Byers of Castaic
placed second and third. Lakewood’s Aiden Lange,
who missed qualifying, came from the back to win
the Extreme Muffler second heat in front of El
Cajon’s Brayden Collie and Nigh.
When the
main event rolled onto the newly configured oval,
Michnowicz was on the pole. His nephew, Nigh, was
alongside on the front row. The second row
featured Bakersfield’s Leland Day and CLS debutant
16-year-old Drake Cardey of Riverside. The third
row was comprised of Riverside resident Zate
Legend and Greco.
Wily veteran Michnowicz
was the first to turn one to start the 20-lap
race. Nigh was close behind in second. Greco,
flexing his muscle and showing that he meant
business, was into third as the pack left turn two
on the first go around. One lap later, Greco shot
past Nigh for second and set his sights on the
veteran leader.
Greco, in the Sidewaze
Designs/Janssen’s/RC Fuel Injection/Hinkle
Performance/Quick Change Energy Drink/Triple
X/Kawasaki ZX10 #8G, closed on Michnowicz, with
whom he ended up tied for the most wins last year.
The veteran held him at bay. That is, he held him
at bay until Greco pushed his familiar blue and
white racecar into the lead when the race reached
the quarter mark.
Once out front, the
Palmdale racer would hold the lead the rest of the
way, with the exception of one brief moment late
in the race. Things nearly changed on the seventh
circuit. One lap after clawing his way by
Michnowicz for second, Nigh hit the bottom in turn
one, and Michnowicz went high, and they nearly
pulled even with Greco. However, the bespectacled
leader thwarted their efforts and began moving
away from the challengers.
Lange, who
started seventh, slid into third when he went
inside of Michnowicz in turn two on lap eight.
Unfortunately, the driver who won the 2024 season
opener, bobbled off turn two, and Michnowicz
returned the favor. Lange reversed that back on
lap 10. But the crowd-pleasing battle for third
was not done as Michnowicz raced back around Lange
on lap 12. As they continued to fight for third,
they were also closing in on second-place Nigh.
Greco had built a good-sized lead and was
having no issues with the lappers. Meanwhile,
Michnowicz, who has been racing since the 1970s,
showed his skill when he simultaneously passed a
lap car and Nigh at the same time to reclaim
second. Even though he was up to second, he was
over three seconds behind the leader when the
first yellow of the race flew on lap 16 when
Cardey, who was up to fifth, stopped on the back
straight due to a broken fuel pump wire.
The restart had Greco in the lead, Michnowicz
second, and Nigh third. Lange and Day rounded out
the top five. Things came to a screeching halt
when Collie tumbled on the front chute. The driver
was okay, but the car was not, and he was done for
the night.
Once the race restarted, Lange
drove inside Michnowicz for third, but the yellow
quickly came out again. It was due to Nigh’s
evening coming to an end after a great run when he
rolled to a stop on the front chute while still in
second.
The race looked like it was over
before the final restart with three laps to go.
However, Greco made things exciting by making his
only error of the race when he went wide going
into turn one on the restart. Lange alertly
pounced on the opportunity at hand and powered his
#13 into the lead, but Greco was not going to give
up. He quickly crossed back under Lange, exiting
two, and reclaimed the top spot.
Douglass
saved his best for last when he went from fifth to
third. At the same time, it was obvious that
Michnowicz was having an issue. The bleeder valve
on his right rear went bad, and he was down to two
pounds of pressure in the tire. Day took fourth
from him before the checkered flag.
At the
finish, it was Los Angeles Dodgers fan Greco for
the win with room to spare. Going back to the end
of 2024, that was his fourth win in the last five
CLS races. Lange placed second with Douglass
third, Day fourth, and Michnowicz fifth.
Ageless Douglass, who went from 10th on the start
to finish third, was the Eibach Spring Forward and
Speedmart Hard Charger.
Greco exited the
season opener with a 14-point lead over Lange in
the championship point standings. Douglass
currently sits third and is followed in the top
five by Day and Michnowicz.
The CLS returns
to the Bakersfield Speedway at Kevin Harvick’s
Kern Raceway for round #2 of the 2025 season on
May 3rd. The track is located at 13500 Raceway
Boulevard in Bakersfield, California. Spectator
gates 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 CLS
would like to thank the following companies for
being partners in the 2025 season. Motor City
Buick/GMC, American Racer Tires, T Shirts By
Timeless, Advanced Racing Suspension, BR
Motorsports, Competition Suspension Incorporated,
Diablo Fabrication and Design, Eibach Springs,
Extreme Mufflers, EZ UP, Hoosier Tires, The Joie
of Seating, King Racing Products, Outlaw Wings,
RacingJunk.com, RC Fuel Injection, Rod End Supply,
Saldana Racing Products, SpeedMart, and Triple X
Race Components.
Bakersfield Speedway Race
#1 Results
Qualifying: 1. Eric Greco,
15.361; 2. Bruce Douglass, 15.867; 3. Jeff Dyer,
16.045; 4. Cody Nigh, 16.093; 5. Leland Day,
16.100; 6. Drake Cardey, 16.134; 7. Bobby
Michnowicz 16.171; 8. Zate legend, 16.397; 9. Clay
Byers, 16.401; Brayden Collie, 16.845; 11. Pat
Kelley, 16.621. 12. Tatum Manu, 2:21:883
No
Time: Aiden Lange, No Time, Jon Robertson.
Heat 1 - 8 Laps: 1.Michnowicz, 2. Greco, 3. Byers,
4. Day, 5. Dyer
Heat 2 - 8 Laps: 1. Lange,
2. Collie, 3. Nigh, 4. Legend, 5. Cardey, 6.
Douglass
Main Event 20 Laps (With Distance
Behind and Starting Positions)
1. Eric Greco,
Palmdale, CA … (6th)
2. Aiden Lange, Lakewood,
CA … +1.877 (7th)
3. Bruce Douglass, Ventura,
CA … +2.112 (10th)
4. Leland Day, Bakersfield,
CA … +3.101 (3rd)
5. Bobby Michnowicz, Oak
Hills, CA … +3.575 (1st)
6. Zate Legend,
Riverside, CA … +4.582 (5th)
7. Clay Byers,
Castaic, CA … +5,427 (8th)
8. Pet Kelley,
Chino, CA … + 1 Lap (11th)
9. Cody Nigh,
Camarillo, CA … +3 Laps (2nd)
10. Drake Cardey,
Riverside, CA … + 6 Laps (4th)
11. Brayden
Collie, El Cajon, CA … + 6 Laps (9th)
DNS Jeff
Dyer, Yucca Valley, CA
DNS Jon Robertson,
Torrance, CA
DNS Tatum Manu, Pasadena, CA
California Lightning Series Points
1. Eric
Greco … 140
2. Aiden Lange … 126
3. Bruce
Douglass … 124
4. Leland Day … 118
5. Bobby
Michnowicz … 114
6. Zate Legend … 104
7.
Leland Byers … 99
8. Cody Nigh … 95
9. David
Cardey … 86
10. Pat Kelley … 85
Heat Races
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Award
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Recipient
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Racing Junk
Heat Race #1 winner
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Competition Suspension Inc.
$50 product
certificate
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Bobby
Michnowicz
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Extreme
Muffler Heat Race #2 winner
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Extreme
Muffler
$50 product certificate
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Aiden
Lange
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Hard Luck #2
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Advanced
Racing Suspensions
$50 product certificate
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Drake
Cardey
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Main Event
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Award
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Winner
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2nd
place
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BR
Motorsports -
$25 product certificate
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Aiden Lange
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3rd
place
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Joie of
Seating
- $250 product certificate
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Bruce
Douglass
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4th
place
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Saldana
Racing Products -
$50 product
certificate
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Leland Day
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5th
place
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King
Racing Products
$25 product certificate
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Bobby
Michnowicz
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Highest
finisher with Hoosier tires on all 4
corners.
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Hoosier –
free tire
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Eric Greco
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Quick time
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Diablo
Fabrication
$50 product certificate
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Eric Greco
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Spring
Forward (Hard Charger)
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Eibach -
$100 product certificate
SpeedMart
- $50 product certificate
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Bruce
Douglass (10 – 3)
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Hard Luck
Award
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Hyper
Racing
- $50 product certificate
SpeedMart
- $50 product certificate
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Brayden
Collie
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Criteria
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Award
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CLS Member
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Extreme
Mufflers
10% off purchase
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CLS Member
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EZ Up
30-40% off purchase
|
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CLS Member
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RC Fuel
Injection
50% off
products and services to all race series
participants
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CLS Member
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Rod End
Supply $30
off each $100 for CLS participants
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CLS Member
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Outlaw
Wings –
wing raffle,
drawing July 7th
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Series
Champion
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Triple X
Race Components
$500 off any chassis or chassis kit
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2025
California Lightning Sprint Car Series Schedule
April
12 Bakersfield Speedway With the Ultimate Sprint
Car Series Eric Greco
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
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