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CLS DRIVER AJ
BENDER MAKES IT TWO WINS IN A ROW AT PLACERVILLE’S
HANGTOWN 100
(Torrance, CA, November 22, 2022)
In November 2021, San Diego’s AJ Bender came to
the “Hangtown 100” and finished second all three
nights. Not wanting to face that frustration again
this year, Bender scored a convincing win in night
#2 of the prestigious lightning sprint car race at
the Placerville Speedway last Friday. It was his
second victory at the track in 24 hours, and his
third on the banked red clay quarter mile in 2022.
Overall, it was his fifth lightning sprint car win
of the year.
AJ Bender with his crew chief Seth Wilson after
their second win in 24 hours at Placerville.
MMRACINGPHOTOS.COM
Just like in 2021 when
Bender was added to the Sexton Gatlin Racing
roster for the end of the season, the team brought
him back again to close out 2022. The
29-year-old’s record with SGR in that time has
been phenomenal. He has nine starts with the team.
Of the nine, he has won four times. He has also
finished runner-up three times, third once, and
fifth one time. With him starting on the outside
of the second row on Friday, anybody who doubted
that he could possibly win had to be foolish.
When the 19-car field took to the track for
the 25-lapper, Ken Coulsten Jr of Bermuda Dunes
was on the pole. Starting next to him was
Colorado’s Johnny Boos, who gave a very good
account of himself finishing fourth the night
before. Warner Springs teenager “Shugah” Shane
Sexton, who competes against Bender in the
USAC/CRA 410 Sprint Car Series, was on the inside
of the second row with Bender just to his right.
2021 POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprint Car Series
champion Grant Sexton, “Shugah” Shane’s cousin,
and Freemont’s Greg Dennett were in row three.
At the drop of the green flag Coulston, who
was only making his fourth start of the year,
drove his brilliant blue #32 into the lead. Boos
was second and Bender was third. Bender, who won
the 2021 Sprint car portion of the Turkey Night
Grand Prix at the Ventura Raceway, wasted little
time in getting to the front. In fact, he jetted
by Coulston for the top spot with an inside pass
coming off turn two on the second circuit. Not
long after that, Coulston slowed dramatically and
slid back in the pack. Lap two also saw the demise
of Sutter’s Logan Seavey. The winner of two of the
three lightning sprint mains at the 2021 “Hangtown
100,” went up in smoke and pulled his car to the
infield.
By the end of the fifth lap,
Bender had established a comfortable lead. Boos
was second, and Shane Sexton was third. 2021 BCRA
champ Dakota Albright of Waterford had
impressively raced all the way up to fourth after
starting 11th. Things stayed the same until the
ninth lap when Sexton advanced his position to
second when he got by Boos. However, he had little
time to relish his tenure in the runner-up spot as
Albright blew by both of them in the next turn.
By the time Albright took up residence in
second place, Bender, in the Boczanowski/Sexton
Fire Protection/BK Wings/Johnny Motorhead/Troy
Dirt/Victory Graphix/Swift Powdercoat/Maxima
Oil/Automated Interior/Scotty and Jimmy Keys/#22,
had already built a 2 ½ second lead. Bender hit
the lapped traffic on lap 10 but it failed to slow
him down. Five laps later, he had advanced his
advantage to 3.2 seconds. Late in the race, Bender
met up with a gaggle of lappers and it did allow
Albright to slightly close the gap. However, when
the checkered flag came down it was Bender by a
half straightaway. Albright wrapped up his
impressive performance by placing second with
Shane Sexton third, Dennett fourth, and Brent
Sexton fifth. Albright’s sterling display made him
the race “Hard Charger.”
“Once I got in
lapped traffic, I could hear cars everywhere so I
was not sure where they (his closest pursuers)
were at,” he told Drake York and the crowd after
the race. “I was really thinking it was going to
be on the top, but it just kept working on the
bottom. I just kind of stuck to my guns there.
It’s not the funnest going around the bottom for
25 laps, but it is fun talking to you at the end
of the night. I will take it. Again like last
night, I have to thank Phil and Wyatt
(Boczanowski). This car is a rocket ship. They are
trying to sell it so I am trying to make it look
good. I have to thank Seth (crew chief Seth
Wilson), Nita (Nita Gatlin from SGR), Brent (Brent
Sexton from SGR), and all the SGR people for
putting up with me. Seth is a one-man team
overlooking four cars. So, he is earning his
money. Thank you to my wife and daughter at home
and to my family.”
“Anything was better
than last night,” happy second-place finisher
Albright said after the race. “We went 11th to
second tonight. Hugged it around the bottom and
this baby was hooked up. It was great. The track
was a lot better tonight, Scott did an awesome
job.”
“I did not think it was going to be
this dry,” third-place finisher Shane Sexton said
afterward. “We probably could have went a little
bit tighter. Hats off to my guys, Brian Fonseca,
and my dad. They work their tails off throughout
the night. We have had some success all around the
country. We normally do not do the local stuff for
Brian, but he called and asked if I wanted to
drive it and I could not say no. Third place on
the podium is not too bad.”
Other CLS and
Southern California drivers in the main were Grant
Sexton (6th), Cal Smith (9th), Dalton Sexton
(10th), Coulston (14th), Mark Henry (15th) and
Jeff Dyer (17th).
Earlier in the night,
Bender recorded the fastest lap in qualifying at
13.341. Dennett was second fastest at 13.428 and
Rosamond’s Henry was third quick at 13.479. Seavey
captured the first heat race over the son and
father combo of Grant and Brent Sexton. Coulston
claimed the victory in heat two ahead of Dennett
and Harlee Aguilera of Orangevale. Albright got to
the checkers first in the final heat when he
bested Boos and Dyer.
The 2022 CLS banquet
will take place at Frantone’s Pizza & Spaghetti
Villa in Cerritos on February 4th. Tickets for the
banquet are $40.00. To order or for more
information call (310) 367-9050 or email
mailto:jon.robertson@sbcglobal.net
?subject=jon.robertson@sbcglobal.net.
November 18 Hangtown 100 Results
Qualifying: 1. AJ Bender, 13.341; 2. Greg Dennett,
13.428; 3. Mark Henry, 13.479; 4. Grant Sexton,
13.510; 5. Shane Sexton, 13.644; 6. Alex Lewis,
13.687; 7. Matt Land, 13.709; 8. Harlee Aguilera,
13.757; 9. Johnny Boos, 13.775; 10. Chris Crowder,
13.791; 11. Ken Coulston Jr., 13.862; 12. Cal
Smith, 13.879; 13. Steve Becker, 13.880; 14.
Dalton Sexton, 13.884; 15. Dakota Albright,
13.896; 16 Logan Seavey, 13.997; 17 Josef
Ferolito, 14.214; 18. Jeff Dyer, 14.297; 19. Brent
Sexton, 14.321; 20. Hunter Kinney, 14.921; 21.
Shane Hopkins, 14.924; 22. Jason Schapansky,
15.010; 23. Danielle Clauson-Servo, 16.783
Heat Race #1 (9 Laps): 1. Seavey; 2. G. Sexton; 3.
B. Sexton; 4. Bender; 5. Crowder; 6. Schapansky;
7. Becker; 8. Land
Heat Race #2 (9 Laps):
1. Coulston Jr; 2. Dennett; 3. Aguilera; 4. S.
Sexton; 5. D. Sexton; 6. Ferolito; 7. Clauson-
Servo; 8. Kinney
Heat Race #3 (9 Laps): 1.
Albright; 2. Boos; 3. Dyer; 4. Smith; 5. Lewis; 6.
Hopkins; 7. Henry
Hangtown 100 Night #2
25-Lap Main Event (with starting spots and
distances back): 1. AJ Bender, San Diego, CA,
(4th) 2. Dakota Albright, Waterford, CA,
(11th) … 2.592 3. Shane Sexton, El Cajon, CA,
(3rd) … 4.755 4. Greg Dennett, Fremont, CA,
(6th) … 5.822 5. Brent Sexton, Lakeside, CA,
(10th) … 7.408 6. Grant Sexton, Lakeside, CA,
(5th) … 8.429 7. Chris Crowder, Colorado, CO,
(13th) … 11.354 8. Johnny Boos, Lakewood, CA,
(2nd) … 12.704 9. Cal Smith, Phelan, CA, …
(15th) 1 Lap 10. Dalton Sexton, Lakeside, CA,
(16th) …1 Lap 11. Harlee Aguilera, Orangevale,
CA, (7th) … 1 Lap 12. Steve Becker. Lakewood,
CO, (18th) … 1 Lap 13. Shane Hopkins,
Placerville, CA, (17th) … 1 Lap 14. Ken
Coulston, Bermuda Dunes, CA, (1st) … Lap 15.
Mark Henry, Rosamond, CA, … (9th) 1 Lap 16.
Jason Schapansky, Kamloops, BC, Canada (19th) … 2
Laps 17. Jeff Dyer, Yucca Valley, CA, (14th) …
4 Laps 18. Alex Lewis, Bellingham, WA (8th) …
21 Laps 19. Logan Seavey, Sutter, CA, … (12th)
23 Laps DNS Matt Land, Elk Grove, CA DNS
Josef Ferolito. Modesto, CA DNS Hunter Kinney,
Citrus Heights, CA DNS Danielle Clauson-Sevo,
Placerville, CA
Final California Lightning
Sprint Car Series Point Standings 1. David
Gasper – 2184 2. Eric Greco – 2089 3. Cody
Nigh – 1913 4. Bobby Michnowicz – 1886 4.
Jeff Dyer – 1777 6. Connor Speir – 1548 7.
Will Browne – 1523 8. Jon Robertson – 1246
9. Pat Kelley – 1162 10. Dominic Del Monte –
784
Final Civil War Series Point Standings
1. David Gasper – CLS – 629 2. Eric Greco – CLS
– 572 3. Bobby Michnowicz – CLS – 568 4.
Will Browne – CLS - 526 5. Cody Nigh – CLS –
486 6. Harlee Aguilera - BCRA - 415 7. Greg
Dennett – BCRA – 403 8. Connor Speir – CLS –
392 9. Matt Land – BCRA – 388 10. Dakota
Albright – BCRA - 358
The following
companies have become marketing partners with the
CLS in 2022. They have offered up more than
$13,000.00 in contingencies that will be awarded
on top of the regular racing purses and they will
be paid out throughout the year. Yoshimura R&D,
Hoosier Tires West, T-Shirts By Timeless, Extreme
Mufflers, Saldana Racing Products, Rod End Supply,
Speed Mart, Cold Fire West, West Evens
Motorsports, RC Fuel Injection, Jake Swanson Shock
Technology, Advanced Racing Suspensions, CSI
Shocks, Eibach Springs, Triple X Race Components,
King Racing Products, Hyper Racing Products, Rebel
Gears, Vahlco Wheels, Wilwood Disk Brakes, Fuel
Safe Systems, MPI, Circle Track Performance, E-Z
UP, Hepfner Racing, Smith Titanium, and Hoosier
Speed.
If you or your company would like
to become a partner of the longtime racing
organization, contact Jon Robertson via email at
mailto:jon.robertson@sbcglobal.net or by calling
(310) 367-9050.
2022 California Lightning
Sprint Car Series Schedule
March 25
Bakersfield Speedway Winged – Grant Sexton
April 2 Merced Speedway Non-Wing –– Civil War
#1 – David Gasper
April 16 Bakersfield
Speedway Winged – A.J. Bender
April 30
Ventura Raceway Winged (Make Up Main) David Gasper
April 30 Ventura Raceway Winged – Bobby
Michnowicz
May 14 Bakersfield Speedway
Winged – A.J. Bender
May 21 Ventura Raceway
Winged – Eric Greco
June 11 Bakersfield
Speedway Winged – David Gasper
June 25
Ventura Raceway Winged – David Gasper
July
9 Ventura Raceway Winged – David Gasper
July 23 Ventura Raceway Winged – Dave Gasper
August 6 Santa Maria Raceway Winged – Brent
Sexton
August 26 Silver Dollar Speedway
Winged – Civil War #2 – Connor Spier
August
27 Placerville Speedway Winged – Civil War #3 –
Bobby Michnowicz
Sept. 10 Lemoore Raceway
Winged – Bobby Michnowicz
Sept. 24
Bakersfield Speedway Winged – Civil War #4 – David
Gasper
October 8 Mohave Valley Raceway
Winged – With SWLS - Brent Sexton
October
29 Ventura Raceway Winged – Bobby Michnowicz
Nov. 15 Bakersfield Speedway Winged – Civil
War #5 – Bobby Michnowicz
Nov. 17
Placerville Speedway Non-Wing – AJ Bender
Nov. 18 Placerville Speedway Non-Wing – AJ Bender
Nov. 19 Placerville Speedway Non-Wing – No
Points
To keep up with the CLS online,
please visit the website at http://racecls.com/ or
on Facebook at
https://www.facebook.com/californialightningsprints
PAST CALIFORNIA
LIGHTNING SPRINT CAR CHAMPIONS
1994 Tony Everhart,
1995 Gary Sexton, 1996 Rob Sczymczak, 1997 Jon
Rahe, 1998 Chris Rahe, 1999 Brent Sexton, 2000
Greg Bragg, 2001 Greg Bragg, 2002 Greg Bragg, 2003
David Cardey, 2004 Keith Janca, 2005 Johnny Bates,
2006 Donny Gansen, 2007 Shane Rossen, 2008 Brent
Sexton, 2009 Stuart Hielschier Sr., 2010 Jarrett
Kramer, 2011 Tim Brown, 2012 Bobby Michnowicz,
2013 Stephen Limon, 2014 Bobby Michnowicz, 2015
Bobby Michnowicz, 2016 Bobby Michnowicz, 2017
Bobby Michnowicz, 2018 Jarrett Kramer, 2019
Jarrett Kramer, 2021 David Gasper, 2022 David
Gasper
This press release was
produced by Scott Daloisio Sports (909) 226-7768
mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com |
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