(Lakeside, CA, June 8, 2021) After a month off, the Lucas Oil POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprint Car Series will return to the Barona Speedway this Saturday night, June 12th. The race will mark the halfway point in the season for the two-year-old series.
Heading into this weekend’s race on the longtime San Diego County ¼ mile oval, the driver to beat is 16-year-old Grant Sexton. The Lakeside, California high school student has hit his stride as the season reaches the halfway point. In May, he made two appearances at Barona and won both in convincing style. To add significance to the victories, he captured the first one in a strange car he had to jump in after mechanical ills sidelined his personal ride. The second triumph came when the SWLS competed topless for the first time during the 2021 campaign on May 15th. He followed those victories up with a third-place finish in the Lucas Oil POWRi Lightning Sprint Car Nationals at the Central Missouri Speedway on Memorial Day weekend.
Four drivers have posted wins in the first six races of the season. Sexton’s two wins make him the only driver with more than one victory. Indio’s James Turnbull, Parker Dumas of San Diego and Sexton’s father, Brent, and his older brother Dalton, all have one triumph each.
The two wins have propelled Sexton to the top of the SWLS championship point standings where he enjoys an 83-point advantage over Sexton Gatling Racing teammate David Bezio of San Diego. Third place is occupied by Alpine’s Matt Sotomayor, and he is just eight markers out of second. El Cajon teen Braden Chiaramonte is currently fourth. The top five is rounded out by San Diego’s Parker Dumas, who won the Barona season opener on April 4th.
In addition to the SWLS, the IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Mods, IMCA Sport Compacts, Street Stocks, Pure Stocks, Dwarf Cars, 360 Sprint Cars, Mini Dwarfs and Junior Sprints will also be on Saturday’s racing card.
For fans who would like to attend Saturday’s race, the gates will open at noon with racing at 5:00. Fans can bring coolers and barbecues if they wish. The track is located at 1754 Wildcat Road in Lakeside (92040). The track website is https://baronaspeedway.com/ and the office phone number is (619) 749-8115.
The Lucas Oil POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprint Car Series would like to thank the following sponsors for making the 2021 season possible. Lucas Oil, Sexton Fire Protection, RTL Traffic Control & Equipment, Victory Graphix, United Cleaning Company, BK Wing, and A.M. Ortega Construction Inc. If you or your company would like to become part of the series, please contact Brent Sexton at (619) 454-6945 or sextonfire@cox.net
For up to the minute updates on the Lucas Oil POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprint Car Series, please visit the series website at raceswls.com or the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Southwest-Lightning-Sprints-101419131399196
2021 Lucas Oil POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprint Car Series Point Standings
- Grant Sexton – Lakeside, CA - 619
- David Bezio – San Diego, CA – 536
- Matt Sotomayor – Alpine, CA - 528
- Braden Chiaramonte – El Cajon, CA – 503
- Parker Dumas – San Diego, CA – 478
- Wyatt Boczanowski – San Diego, CA – 443
- Rudy Padilla – Norco, CA – 430
- Dalton Sexton – Lakeside, CA - 421
- Jim Squire - Lakeside, CA – 387
- D.J. Dumas – Fl Cajon, CA – 382
2021 Lucas Oil POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprint Car Schedule
March 26 Mohave Valley Raceway (Winged) – James Turnbull
March 27 Mojave Valley Raceway (Winged) – Brent Sexton
April 3 Barona Speedway (Winged) – Parker Dumas
April 17 Barona Speedway (Winged) – Dalton Sexton
May 1 Barona Speedway (Winged) – Grant Sexton
May 15 Barona Speedway (Wingless) – Grant Sexton
June 12 Barona Speedway (Winged)
June 26 Barona Speedway (Wingless)
August 7 Barona Speedway (Winged)
August 21 Barona Speedway (Wingless)
September 4 Barona Speedway (Winged)
September 18 Barona Speedway (Wingless)
October 2 Barona Speedway (Winged)
This release produced by Scott Daloisio (909) 226-7768 sdaloisiosports@gmail.com
Photo Credit: Tanner Dillin