The California Lightning Sprint Car Series Unveils Its Initial 2026 Season Schedule Torrance, CA — January 28, 2026 — The California Lightning Sprint Car Series, presented by Motor City Buick/GMC, is gearing up for another thrilling year, as Series President Jon Robertson has released the club’s initial 2026 racing schedule. Founded in 1994, the CLS will charge into its 32nd season in 2026. The preliminary schedule features 15 race dates at six different tracks, showcasing the series’ trademark variety and intensity. While 15 dates are on the calendar for now, additional events are still being negotiated and are expected to be added in the near future. Earlier this week, it was announced that the CLS will join the legendary World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars on back-to-back nights in September. On September 25, the Lightning Sprints will compete alongside the nation’s premier open-wheel series on Bakersfield Speedway at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway. Twenty-four hours later and 120 miles west, both groups will take to the CLS home track, Ventura Raceway, for the Outlaws’ historic first appearance on the beachside oval. “Being part of World of Outlaws events is a tremendous opportunity for the California Lightning Sprints,” CLS President Jon Robertson said. “It is an honor and a wonderful privilege to showcase our racers and our sponsors on the same stage as the pinnacle of dirt track racing. Our cars are miniature Outlaws. They look the same. We try to follow their format and their professionalism.” “I have talked to Jared Rector, the event coordinator with the Outlaws. He came to me a couple of years ago about our club. He was very complimentary of it. He said they really liked when we ran with them and they would try to get us on the same bill when they came out to California. We have done one show a year (with the Outlaws) the last few years. This year it is incredible to do two. They are happy and we are happy. We are just going to try and put on the best show we can for the fans.” The green flag drops March 6–7 at the California Mid-Winter Fair at Imperial Valley Raceway, where CLS drivers will square off against competitors from the third-year So Cal Lightning Sprint Car Series. The two-night showdown marks the opening rounds of the highly anticipated CLS vs. SCLS “Clash Series.” Round three comes two weeks later at the picturesque Ventura Raceway, a venue that has produced some of the most competitive and memorable CLS battles over the years. Ventura will host six races on the 2026 calendar, underscoring its status as a cornerstone of the series. After that March event, the CLS will return to the track known as the “Commotion by the Ocean” on May 30, June 13, September 26, October 17, and October 24. “We have put some emphasis on Ventura with six shows as we have had some really good shows there.” On April 14, the tour heads to another longtime stop, Santa Maria Speedway, for the first of two scheduled appearances. Two weeks later, the Lightning Sprints roar into the Bakersfield Speedway, continuing a spring stretch packed with high-speed action. “We have two races at Santa Maria,” Robertson enthused. It is a good track and they have some great people running it. Summer heats up on June 27 with the first of two visits to the lightning-fast Merced Speedway, followed by a return on September 19. Both events are part of the annual Civil War Series, pitting the CLS against Northern California’s Bay Cities Racing Association in one of the most competitive inter-series rivalries of the year. The CLS will make a second appearance at Merced on September 19th. Another of the highlights of the 2026 season will come on July 4, when the CLS stars and cars head back to Santa Maria for an Independence Day celebration that will also feature the popular USAC/CRA 410 Sprint Cars. One of the most anticipated dates on the 2026 calendar arrives on August 29, when the CLS makes a long-awaited return to Perris Auto Speedway for the first time since 2018. The event will be extra special, featuring the debut of micro sprints on the famed facility’s inner ¼-mile oval, adding a fresh chapter to Perris’ storied history. “That is going to be pretty cool,” Robertson said of the long-awaited return to Perris. “The show is going to be on the quarter mile and that should work out perfect for us. That is a joint show with the guys from So Cal so we should have a really good car count and put on a good show.” “We are doing some joint shows with the So Cal Lightning people out of the San Diego area,” Robertson enthused. “We are doing the two Imperial Shows with them at the start of our season and the Perris race as well. We have another couple of races we want them to come up and run at our tracks. Perhaps one of the Ventura shows, we can bring them in because that is still a reasonable drive for their guys all the way down south (San Diego area). And we are still looking on doing some more stuff where we go down to their area as well.” “The three lightning sprint organizations in California are all working together this season,” Robertson happily stated. “We have some cross-pollination going on. Hopefully, that will keep our car counts up and make some really good competition. All through the state, there is some really good competition. We have a really good product that we are putting out there.” Up next for the series is the 2025 California Lightning Sprint Cars Awards Banquet, presented by Motor City Buick/GMC, set for February 7, 2026, from 6:00–9:00 p.m. at Frantone’s Pizza and Spaghetti Villa, located at 10808 Alondra Blvd. in Cerritos. Tickets are $40.00 and can be reserved by contacting jon.robertson@sbcglobal.net. For continued updates and complete series information, follow the California Lightning Sprint Car Series on Facebook and visit the official website at racecls.com. The CLS would like to thank the following companies for being partners in the 2026 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, 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. If you would like to join the CLS and be a marketing partner, please contact Jon Robertson via email at jon.robertson@sbcglobal.net or by calling (310) 367-9050. 2026 Motor City Buick/GMC California Lightning Sprint Car Series Schedule March 6 CLS/SCLS Clash Race 1 Imperial Valley Raceway March 7 CLS/SCLS Clash Race 2 Imperial Valley Raceway March 21 CLS Ventura Raceway April 4 CLS & 305 Sprint Cars Santa Maria Speedway April 18 CLS Bakersfield Speedway/Kern May 30 CLS Ventura Raceway June 13 CLS Ventura Raceway June 27 CLS vs BCRA Civil War Race Merced Speedway July 4 CLS & USAC/CRA Sprint Cars Santa Maria Speedway August 29 CLS/SCLS Clash Race 3 Perris Auto Speedway September 19 CLS vs BCRA Civil War Race Merced Speedway September 25 CLS with World of Outlaws Sprint Cars Bakersfield Speedway September 26 CLS with World of Outlaws Sprint Cars Ventura Raceway October 17 CLS Ventura Raceway October 24 CLS Ventura Raceway 2025 Motor City Buick/GMC California Lightning Series Points 1. Aiden Lange … 1691 2. Drake Cardey … 1637 3. Jeff Dyer … 1543 4. Zate Legend … 1543 5. Braydin Collie … 1495 6. Bobby Michnowicz … 1401 7. Leland Day … 1276 8. Jon Robertson … 1162 9. Eric Greco … 1093 10. Cody Nigh … 1054 11. Hunter Kinney … 552 12. Bruce Douglass … 546 13. Greg Dennett … 507 14. Roland Smith … 430 15. Matt Land … 367 16. Jason Schostag … 310 17. Brent Sexton … 268 18. Robb Pelmear … 265 19. Cody Dayton … 245 20. T.J. Smith … 224 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, 2025 Aiden Lange Special Thanks to Wendy Michnowicz and Ed Haney Video. This press release was produced by Scott Daloisio Sports (909) 226-7768 mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com