(Torrance, CA, July 22, 2019) - The POWRi Lucas Oil California Lightning Sprint Car Series will kick off the second half of its 2019 season this Saturday night, July 27th, with its only appearance of the year at the Santa Maria Raceway. Spectator gates will open at 4:00 P.M. with qualifying at 5:00 and racing at 5:30.
(The attached photo of Doug Nunes, Shane Sexton and Frank Ditmar is courtesy of Pit Princess Photography)
Through the first half of the season, Spring Valley’s Jarrett Kramer, the 2010 and 2018 CLS champion, leads the series with four wins. All four of his victories have come at the Ventura Raceway. Doug Nunes of Kingsburg has three wins and five-time series champ Bobby Michnowicz of Lomita has taken the checkered flag first on two occasions. They are the only drivers with CLS triumphs in the first nine races of the year.
Like leading the series in wins, Kramer also tops the championship point standings heading into the final eight races of the current campaign. The 37-year-old has a 42-point advantage over Nunes. Michnowicz is third and trails Kramer by 102-points. Palmdale teen Eric Greco is fourth in the standings with third-year CLS driver Cody Nigh close behind in fifth.
Last year, Nunes won the CLS lone appearance on the 1/3 of a mile Santa Maria banked clay oval. Dating back to 2011, the club has visited the track nine times and only two drivers, Nunes, with three wins, and Alex Grigoreas, with two, have more than one victory there. Chris Dickey, Charlie Caraccilo, Kevin Michnowicz and Tim Brown have one triumph each.
In the Rookie of the Year chase, Jason Arnolde leads fellow San Diego County resident Shane Sexton by 93-points at the halfway point.
In addition to the CLS, the NARC King of the West Sprint Cars, WRS Wing Sprint Cars, Hobby Stocks and Dwarf Cars will also be in action at Santa Maria on Saturday.
Fans who would like to attend Saturday’s race can find the track at 1900 Hutton Road in Nipomo (93444). The track website is available at the following link https://santamariaraceway.com/contact/. The office phone is (310) 493-4900.
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 - 1113
- Doug Nunes - Kingsburg, CA - 1071
- Bobby Michnowicz - Lomita, CA - 1011
- Eric Greco - Palmdale, CA - 951
- Cody Nigh – Camarillo, CA - 936
- Jeff Dyer – Bermuda Dunes, CA - 855
- Aiden Lange - Lakewood, CA - 839
- A.J. Bender – San Diego, CA – 837
- Dominic Del Monte - Gardena, CA - 828
- Gage Cheek – Santa Clarita, CA – 654