KENYON MIDGETS AND OTHER RACING SERIES RACE RESULTS AND NEWS AND NOTES

BOBBY MICHNOWICZ WINS HIS SECOND CALIFORNIA LIGHTNING SPRINT CAR MAIN EVENT IN A ROW

(Torrance, CA, May 23, 2023) The hottest lightning sprint car racer in the nation, Bobby Michnowicz, continued his impressive season last Saturday night when he won the California Lightning Sprint Car/POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprint Car “Best of the West” main event at Scott Schweitzer’s Bakersfield Speedway. The win was his second in a row and allowed him to extend his lead in both the CLS and the “Best of the West” series.

Michnowicz is off to one of – if not the – best starts in his long racing career. In addition to his two wins, the 59-year-old has three second-place finishes and a third in the first six races of the year. His early-season prowess contrasts the horrendous start he had in 2022. It has given him a launch toward his sixth CLS title and his first since 2017.

The only thing Oak Hills resident Michnowicz did not win on the night was qualifying. That honor went to 2022 CLS Rookie of the Year Connor Speir. The Fillmore-based racer toured “The West’s Fastest 1/3 Mile High Banked Clay Oval,” in 13.410. Always fast Eric Greco of Palmdale timed in second at 13.450. Three-time CLS champion Jarrett Kramer of Spring Valley, driving a team car to Michnowicz, was third quickest at 13.476. Michnowicz was fourth at 13.488. “Shugah” Shane Sexton of Warner Springs drove Mike Schweitzer’s #41 to the fifth-best time when he stopped the clocks at 13.568.

Pole sitter “Rockstar” Jon Robertson of Torrance won Racing Junk Heat #1 over Camarillo’s Cody Nigh and Kramer. In Extreme Muffler’s Heat #2, Michnowicz came from fifth to win the eight-lapper over Lakeside’s Cody Griggs and Yucca Valley’s Jeff Dyer.

The last order of business before the main event was the six-car, six-lap dash that would determine the starting positions for the first three rows in the 25-lapper. That matched Nigh, Michnowicz, Dyer, Kramer, Lakeside’s Aiden Lange, and second-year CLS driver Seth Dyer of Yucca Valley. Nigh won the dash from the pole with his uncle, Michnowicz, who came from sixth, placing second. They would make up row one for the main. Jeff Dyer and Lange finished third and fourth putting them in row two for the 25-lapper. Kramer and Seth Dyer were fifth and sixth meaning they would be coming from the third row.

When the Green flag waved to send the field on its way, Nigh edged Michnowicz into turn one, but he was not in the top spot for long. Coming off turn two, Michnowicz raced past his nephew for the lead. The driver with the best start at the green flag was Kramer. When the second-row starters left the inside open in the first bend, Kramer alertly dove under them and advanced two spots to third. By the end of the second lap, Michnowicz had about a 1/3 straightaway advantage over Nigh.

As Michnowicz pulled away from Nigh and Nigh did likewise to Kramer, Dyer went to what looked like a nonexistent outside near the end of lap 2. The California Highway Patrol officer stayed on the wide line and somehow made it work on lap four when he drove around Lange for fourth. At that point, everyone was running the bottom and it looked as though passing was going to be at a premium.

By Lap 10, Michnowicz was almost a half straight ahead of Nigh. Despite Dyer challenging him one time, Kramer was still comfortably in third. Dyer and Lange, who started on the front row at Ventura the week before, were fourth and fifth.

Michnowicz, in the T Shirts By Timeless/Super Shox/Pflum & Wagner/Outlaw Wings/Fabozi Metal Works/Bondio Fab/Fast Time Studios/TJ Forged/DLX/Kawasaki ZX10 #21K, finally hit some heavier lapped traffic on lap 14. But like he has done in his lengthy career, he began speeding through it. The only real action in the top five at that point was Dyer closing back in on Kramer. Those two eventually swapped spots with Dyer assuming third. By that time, Michnowicz and Nigh were both racing in a different area code.

Something on the strange side began to happen on lap 19. It looked like Nigh was inching closer to the leader. By lap 21 he had significantly closed the gap and was coming fast. Going into turn one on lap 24, Nigh had caught the wily veteran out front and took a gander at a wider line in turn one, but there was not a lot there and Michnowicz beat him down the back chute and into turn three. Nigh closed back in going into three and kept it a little bit wide. However, he came off four and momentarily slipped and that allowed Michnowicz to put some extra distance between himself and his nephew. The added space proved to be too much for Nigh to make up and Michnowicz posted his second straight victory. Dyer, Kramer, and Lange followed the lead duo and rounded out the top five.

Greco received the Advanced Racing Suspension Hard Charger Award coming from 12th to finish seventh.

Michnowicz increased his lead in both the CLS season long standings and in the “Best of the West” series. He now leads Greco by 104 points in the CLS. Dyer, Robertson, and San Diego’s AJ Bender rounded out the top five. The top three are the same in the “Best of the West” series. There, Michnowicz has a 52-point advantage over Greco. Dyer is third with Brent Sexton of Lakeside fourth. Speir is fifth. Round #5 of that series will be at Jim Naylor’s Ventura Raceway on June 17.

After a week off, the CLS will join forces with the Bay Cities Racing Association as they renew their battle in the annual “Civil War Series” on June 3rd at Bakersfield.

The following companies are marketing partners with the CLS in 2023. Hoosier Tires West, T-Shirts By Timeless, Extreme Mufflers, RacingJunk.com, Advanced Racing Suspension, King Racing Products, BR Motorsports, EZ Up, RC Fuel Injection, and Triple X. If you or your company would like to be a marketing partner with the CLS, please contact Jon Robertson using the contact information at the top of this release.

Qualifying: 1. Connor Speir, 13.410, 2. Eric Greco, 13.450, 3. Jarrett Kramer, 13.476, 4. Bobby Michnowicz, 13.488, 5. Shane Sexton, 13,568, 6. Jeff Dyer, 13.698, 7. Aiden Lange, 13.734, 8. Seth Dyer, 13.735, 9. Cody Nigh, 13.815, 10. Leland Day, 13.869, 11. Jon Robertson, 14.050, 12. Cody Griggs, 14.054, 13. Clay Byers, 17.745, 14. Pat Kelley, 19.857, 15. Ken Colston, NT

Racing Junk Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. Robertson, 2. Nigh, 3. Kramer, 4. Lange, 5. Coulston, 6. Speir, 7. Sexton, 8. Byers

Extreme Mufflers Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. Michnowicz, 2. Griggs, 3. Jeff Dyer, 4. Day, 5. Seth Dyer, 6. Kelley, 7. Greco

Dash (6 Laps): 1. Nigh, 2. Michnowicz, 3. Jeff Dyer, 4. Lange, 5. Kramer, 6. Seth Dyer

King Motorsports Main Event 5th Place Finisher $25.00 Certificate – Aiden Lange

CLS Membership – RC Fuel Injection 50% Off All Race Products and Service to All Race Series Participants

2023 Champion – Triple X Race Components $500.00 Off Any Chassis or Chassis Kit

BOBBY MICHNOWICZ WINS HIS FIRST CALIFORNIA LIGHTNING SPRINT CAR SERIES RACE OF 2023

(Torrance, CA, May 17, 2023) Through the first four races of 2023, five-time California Lightning Sprint Car Series champion Bobby Michnowicz got off to a phenomenal start with three second-place finishes and a third. Last Saturday night at Jim Naylor’s Ventura Raceway, the wily veteran nabbed his first win of the year and extended his lead to 69 points in the championship standings. This Saturday night, the CLS joins forces with the POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprint Cars for round #4 of the “Best of the West Series” at Scott Schweitzer’s Bakersfield Speedway.

place finisher Eric Greco. CLS photo.

Twelve CLS cars showed up at the famous track located on the beach 68 miles north of Los Angeles. San Diego’s AJ Bender, who leads the series with two victories in 2023, kicked off the show in qualifying with a time of 12.241. That was the quickest time of the night. Oak Hills resident Michnowicz was second fastest at 12.255 and 2022 Rookie of the Year Connor Speir of Fillmore was third at 12.288.

Palmdale’s Eric Greco, who came into the night second to Michnowicz in the point standings, beat Yucca Valley’s Jeff Dyer and Bender to the checkers in the eight-lap Racing Junk Heat #1 and pocketed $50.00 from Kittle Motorsports. Ventura local Cody Nigh of Camarillo captured Extreme Mufflers Heat #2 and not only received a $50.00 certificate from Extreme but also another $50.00 from Kittle Motorsports. Lakeside’s Aiden Lange and three-time series champion Jarrett Kramer of Spring Valley followed Greco across the line.

Dyer was on the pole for the 25-lap main with Lange alongside. The second row featured Bender and Michnowicz with Kramer and Speir making up row three. With the fog rolling over the track as it does on the Fairlie Moors in Scotland, Dyer beat Lange to turn one at the start of the 25-lapper and immediately began to build a lead. Bender was in third at the start. However, in the early days of the main, he went wide coming off turn four and opened the door for Michnowicz to race by.

Dyer’s #4 was clearly the fastest car on the track and he pulled away from Lange. By lap five, the California Highway Patrol officer was speeding past lapped traffic. Lange, coming off a third-place finish in his only previous start of the year, was doing a good job of holding down second. However, on lap seven he slowed and rolled to a stop on the inside of the front straight. That brought out the first yellow flag of the race and it meant that Dyer’s massive advantage would be gone for the restart.

As the field was re-assembling for the restart, Lange was getting a push to get back in the race, but his #13 would not fire and he was done for the night.

For the restart, Dyer was the leader of the pack. Michnowicz was starting in second with Bender, Kramer, and Greco rounding out the top five. Once the Chris Kornder green waved to get the action back underway on the hooked-up track, Dyer pulled away again. Michnowicz stood second with Bender third.

Dyer was back into lapped traffic within five laps and soon after had a full straightaway lead. He seemed headed for a certain win, but on the same track where he had his heart broken before, disaster struck again. The race-long leader slowed dramatically on lap 17 due to a broken injector wire. Michnowicz, like a shark smelling blood in the nearby Pacific Ocean, spared no mercy on his friend and flew by for the lead.

Once out front, Michnowicz, in his familiar T Shirts By Timeless/Super Shox/Pflum & Wagner/Outlaw Wings/Fabozi Metal Works/Bondio Fab/Fast Time Studios/TJ Forged/DLX/Kawasaki ZX10 #21K, held a comfortable lead and was sniffing out the checkered flag. However, with two laps remaining, cars tangled in turn two bringing out the second and final yellow flag of the race. That meant the race would be settled in a green, white, checkered finish.

Michnowicz was racing for over a quarter of a century before Bender was born. But Bender paid no attention to that on the restart. He was in it to win it and he tried his best when the green lights came back on. Getting a good run on the outside heading into turn one, he tried to drive around the longtime racing star. It was a valiant effort, but Michnowicz put the icing on the cake with a nice exit off turn two and led the final lap and a half for his first win of the year. When the checkers flew he was nearly a half straight ahead of second-place finisher Bender. Greco, who was trying to race under Bender at the finish, placed third with Kramer and Nigh rounding out the top five.

Greco’s four-place advancement in the main netted him the main event Advanced Racing Suspension Hard Charger Award.

Going into this week’s race at Bakersfield, Michnowicz carries a 69-point lead in the CLS point standings over Greco. Bender is third with Dyer and Robertson rounding out the top five. In the “Best of the West Series,” Michnowicz and Lakeside’s Brent Sexton are tied for the lead with 388 points. Greco is third and only trails the co-leaders by 17 points. Dyer and El Cajon’s Robby Brockman are tied for fourth.

Modifieds, Sportmods, and American Stocks will join the Lightning Sprints Saturday at Bakersfield. Adult tickets are $20.00. Seniors 65+ and military get in for $18.00. For kids 6-12 it is just $10.00 and children 5 and under are free. Parking is free. The track is located at 5001 N. Chester Ext., in Bakersfield (93308). The track website is http://www.bakersfieldspeedway.com/ and the office phone number is (661) 393-3373.

To keep up with the CLS online, please visit the website at http://racecls.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/californialightningsprints

May 13th Ventura Raceway Results

Qualifying: 1. AJ Bender, 12.241, 2. Bobby Michnowicz, 12.255, 3. Connor Speir, 12.288, 4. Aiden Lange, 12.316, 5. Jeff Dyer, 12.345, 6. Jarrett Kramer, 12.360, 7. Eric Greco, 12.371, 8. Cody Nigh, 12.437, 9. Jon Robertson, 12.789, 11. Pat Kelley, 14.142, 12. Dale Gamer, NT

Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. Greco, 2. Jeff Dyer, 3. Bender, 4. Speir, 5. Seth Dyer, 6. Kelley

Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. Nigh, 2. Lange, 3. Kramer, 4. Michnowicz, 5. Robertson, 6. Kramer

Main Event (25 Laps) With Starting Positions and Time Behind

1. Bobby Michnowicz, Oak Hills, CA (4th)

2. AJ Bender, San Diego, CA (3rd) … -1.122

3. Eric Greco, Palmdale, CA (7th) … - 1.314

4. Jarrett Kramer, Spring Valley, CA (5th) … - 2.030

5. Cody Nigh, Camarillo, CA (8th) … - 2.810

6. Connor Speir, Fillmore, CA (6th) … - 3.006

7. Jon Robertson, Torrance, CA (10th) … - 3.835

8. Seth Dyer, Yucca Valley, CA (9th) … - 1 Lap

9. Pat Kelley, Chino, CA, (11th) … - 3 Laps

10. Dale Gamer, Anaheim, CA (12th) … - 3 Laps

11. Jeff Dyer, Yucca Valley, CA (1st) … - 8 Laps

12. Aiden Lange, Lakewood, CA (2nd) … - 18 Laps

CLS May 13th Contingency Awards

Racing Junk Heat Race #1 – Eric Greco

Extreme Muffler Heat Race #2 $50.00 Certificate – Cody Nigh

BR Motorsports Main Event 2nd Place Finisher $25.00 Certificate – AJ Bender

King Motorsports Main Event 5th Place Finisher $25.00 Certificate – Cody Nigh

Advanced Racing Suspension Hard Charger $50.00 Certificate – Eric Greco

CLS Seasonal Contingency Awards

CLS Membership – Extreme Muffler 10% Off Purchase

CLS Membership – EZ Up 30%-40% Off Purchase

CLS Membership – RC Fuel Injection 50% Off All Race Products and Service to All Race Series Participants

2023 Champion – Triple X Race Components $500.00 Off Any Chassis or Chassis Kit

2023 California Lightning Sprint Car Series Point Standings

1. Bobby Michnowicz, Lomita, CA … 658

2. Eric Greco, Palmdale, CA … 589

3. AJ Bender, San Diego, CA … 533

4. Jeff Dyer, Yucca Valley … 471

5. Jon Robertson, Torrance, CA … 463

6. Pat Kelley, Chino, CA … 414

7. Brent Sexton, Lakeside, CA … 388

8. Connor Speir, Fillmore, CA … 381

9. Seth Dyer, Yucca Valley, CA … 379

10. Robby Brockman, El Cajon, CA … 260

2023 CLS vs SWLS Best of the West Standings

1. Bobby Michnowicz, Lomita, CA, CLS … 388

1. Brent Sexton, Lakeside, CA, SWLS … 388

3. Eric Greco, Palmdale, CA, CLS … 371

4. Robby Brockman, El Cajon, CA. SWLS … 280

4. Jeff Dyer, Yucca Valley, CA, CLS … 280

6. Connor Speir, Fillmore, CA, CLS … 271

7. Seth Dyer, Yucca Valley, CA, CLS … 262

8. AJ Bender, San Diego, CA, SWLS … 261

9. Jon Robertson, Torrance, CA, CLS … 254

10. Pat Kelley, Chino, CA, CLS … 240

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Kody Swanson 33rd Little 500 Entry

IT’S RACE WEEK!

IT’S RACE WEEK!