(El Cajon, CA, September 30, 2024) Notching his second win in the past three races, Alpine, California’s Peter Benker became the first repeat winner in the inaugural season of the SoCal Lightning Sprint Car Series. The veteran racer achieved that feat when he out-distanced the field on Saturday night at the Barona Speedway.  Like his first win of the campaign, Benker led all 20 laps.  Unlike his first win, this one came in a non-wing race.

For the 20-lap main event, Benker was outside of the front row. To his left with San Diego’s Chase Wilson. Row number two featured Benker’s son, Cody, and “Shugah” Shane Sexton, who lives in Warner Springs.  The third row featured San Diego brothers Parker and Ryan Dumas.  Ryan came into the race in the series point lead and Peter Banker was second.

When the green flag flew to start the main, the elder Benker shot into the lead, and Sexton was second in turn one.  At the end of the first lap, Wilson and Cody Benker were third and fourth, while the Dumas brothers were battling for fifth.  By the end of the third circuit, Benker was a car length ahead of Sexton.  Lurking not far behind them, Wilson, Cody Benker, and the Dumas brothers looked like a pace lap for a trophy dash.  While they were fighting for third, they were racing in a crowd-pleasing and thrilling, two by two formation.

On lap five, Peter Benker extended his lead an inch at a time.  Likewise, Sexton was moving away from the war just behind.  Parker Dumas took Cody Benker for third on the fifth circuit and began eyeballing second place Sexton.  He made up some good ground fast, and on lap seven, he was nipping at Sexton’s tail tank.  By lap eight, the top three were running on a string and like most of the field, they were on the bottom.  By then, the track was getting slick, and Cody Benker was the only driver in the top six who dared the outside.  He was still making time on the wide line and nearly raced into third coming off the second corner on lap nine.

At the midway point, Peter Benker was really starting to move away.  Ryan Dumas was still all over Sexton’s rear end, with Parker Dumas and “Wide Line” Cody Benker rounding out the top five. 

By the end of lap 12, Peter Benker had nearly a half-straight lead.  Sexton was still fending off Ryan Dumas, but that was about to change.  He slowly inched away in second place.  However, by that time, Peter Benker was a half straight in front, and for anyone else to have a shot, there would have to be a yellow, or the leader would have to break.  Neither of those two instances came up.

When the checkers ended the race, Peter Benker had more than a half straight to spare.  Sexton, who took second on the start, stayed there for the duration.  Ryan Dumas was third, Parker Dumas fourth, and Wilson fifth.  Braydin Collie, driving the Sexton Gatlin Racing #44, was not far out of the top five in sixth. 

Before the main, Ryan Dumas bested Sexton and Wilson in the first eight-lap heat race.  The second eight lappers stayed in the family when Parker Dumas was chased to the checkers by the son-and-father combo of Cody and Peter Benker. 

Ryan Dumas remains on top of the championship standings with three races to go.  Eighty-one points behind in second is Peter Benker.  Wilson’s fifth-place finish saw him jump up to third in the championship standings.   Dalton also moved up a spot and is now fourth.  Deejay Dumas of El Cajon, who was not present on the night, is fifth.

The SCLS has two weekends off before heading for races on October 18th and 19th at the Imperial Valley Raceway.  One month later it will wrap up its inaugural season on October 26th at the Barona Speedway 2024 finale.

The SoCal Lightning Sprint Car Series would like to thank the following marketing partners for participating in the inaugural season. AG Sandcars, Triple X Race Cars, Cakes By Kim/Betty Crocker's Pit Stop. If you or your company would like to be a marketing partner with SCLS, contact Dustin Dumas at (619) 992-8308 or info@socallightningsprints.com.

September 28, 2024, SoCal Lightning Sprint Car Series Race at the Barona Speedway

Main Event 20-Laps (With Starting Positions) 

1.           Peter Benker, Alpine, CA, (2nd)

2.           Shane Sexton, Warner Springs, CA (4th)

3.           Ryan Dumas, San Diego, CA (6th)

4.           Parker Dumas, San Diego, CA (5th)

5.           Chase Wilson, San Diego, CA (1st)

6.           Braydin Collie, El Cajon, CA (8th)

7.           Michael Thing, Campo, CA (11th)

8.           Cody Benker, Alpine, CA (3rd)

9.           Landon Dalton, San Diego, CA (7th)

10.        James Squire III, Lakeside, CA (10th)

11.        Kelly Weitzel, El Cajon, CA (9th)

Heat #1: 1.Ryan Dumas, 2. Sexton, 3. Wilson, 4. Dalton, 5. Thing. 6. Squire

Heat #2: 1. Parker Dumas, 2. Cody Benker, 3. Peter Benker, 4. Collie, 5. Weitzel

2024 SoCal Lightning Sprint Cars Championship Point Standings

1. Ryan Dumas, San Diego, CA … 1099

2. Peter Benker, Alpine, CA … 1018

3. Chase Wilson, San Diego, CA … 915

4. Landon Dalton, San Diego, CA … 785

5. Deejay Dumas, El Cajon, El Cajon, CA … 826

6. Cody Benker, Alpine, CA … 779

7. Parker Dumas, San Diego, CA … 763

8. Kelly Weitzel, El Cajon, CA, CA … 661

9. Brent Sexton, Lakeside, CA … 556

10. Cody Griggs, Lakeside, CA … 545