(Torrance, CA, April 16, 2019) Current point leader Jarrett Kramer and two-time 2019 winner Doug Nunes lead the POWRi Lucas Oil California Lightning Sprint Car Series into the Bakersfield Speedway this Saturday Night, April 20th. The race will be round #4 of the 2019 championship season. Spectator gates at “The West’s Fastest 1/3 of a Mile High Banked Clay Oval” will open at 5:00 P.M. and the first race will be at 7:00.
Saturday’s race will be the second of the year for the CLS at Bakersfield. The now 26-year-old racing series opened the 2019 campaign on the Kern County oval on March 16th. Kingsburg’s Nunes spanked the field that night and scored a convincing win. This week the 42-year-old will be seeking his third straight triumph at the “Okie Bowl” as he closed the 2018 season with a win there last November.
Two weeks ago, at the Barona Speedway, Nunes waited until late in the main event and then walked away from the field for his second win in three races. Despite his two early-season victories, he only finds himself in fourth-place in the CLS standings due to a DNF at the Ventura Raceway on March 23rd.
Defending and two-time series champion Kramer holds down the top spot in the standings going into Saturday’s race. The Spring Valley veteran carries a 41-point lead over five-time series champion Bobby Michnowicz of Lomita. In the season’s first three races, the always consistent Kramer has one win and two second-place finishes. The only driver to finish in front of him this year has been Nunes.
Like Kramer, Michnowicz has been a picture of consistency thus far in 2019. He has two fourth-place finishes and a fifth in three outings. One of those fourth-place finishes came at Bakersfield. On Saturday, the longtime veteran will be seeking his first win at the track since 2017.
The youngest driver in the top five is 16-year-old Eric Greco of Lakewood. The teenager is only five points behind second-place Michnowicz. He opened the season at Bakersfield by coming home fifth in the main event in March. The following week at Ventura, he was second to Kramer in a photo finish. The teen placed eighth at the last race at Barona.
Rounding out the top five is A.J. Bender of San Diego. The expectant father recorded an impressive fourth-place finish in the USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series at Perris Auto Speedway last Saturday night. The 25-year-old placed third at Bakersfield in March and followed that up with a sixth at Ventura and an 11th place finish at Barona.
In addition to the POWRi Lucas Oil California Lightning Sprint Cars, the Western Pro Stocks, Sport Mods and Dwarf Cars will also be racing Saturday. Fans who would like to attend the race can find the track 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.
The POWRi Lucas Oil California Lightning Sprint Car Series would like to thank the following sponsors for helping make the 2019 season possible: Lucas Oil, All Coast Construction, Christian Stover Foundation, Circle Track Performance, Cold Fire West, Fast Undercar, Hoosier Tire, Keizer Wheels, Outlaw Wings, Racing Optics, Rod End Supply, Speed Partz, Super Shocks, T Shirts by Timeless and Woodland Auto Display.
If you or your company would like to become part of the series for its 26th season in 2019, please call Bobby Michnowicz at (310) 320-5569.
To keep up with the CLS online, please visit the website at http://racecls.com/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/californialightningsprints/
2019 POWRi Lucas Oil California Lightning Sprint Cars Series Point Standings
- Jarrett Kramer – Spring Valley, CA – 401
- Bobby Michnowicz – Lomita, CA - 360
- Eric Greco - Lakewood, CA – 355
- Doug Nunes - Kingsburg, CA - 340
- A.J. Bender – San Diego, CA - 330
- Cody Nigh - Camarillo, CA – 321
- Jeff Dyer – Bermuda Dunes, CA – 301
- Aiden Lange - Lakewood, CA – 275
- Dominic Del Monte - Gardena, CA - 261
- Dalton Sexton - Lakeside, CA – 225