LANGE SWEEPS THE SHOW IN CALIFORNIA LIGHTNING SPRINT 2023 OPENER AT IMPERIAL (Torrance, CA, March 2, 2024) After a phenomenal finish when he placed in the top five in his last seven starts of 2023, Aiden Lange served notice that he is a driver to be reckoned with when he swept the show at the California Lightning Sprint Car Series 30th anniversary season opener at the Imperial Valley Raceway on Friday night. The victory staked him to the series point lead in the rigorous 20-race season. Aiden Lange after sweeping the 2024 CLS Opener at Imperial Valley Raceway. CLS photo. Racing during the historical California Mid-Winter Fair, the CLS combined with the new SoCal Lightning Sprint Cars in the co-sanctioned show that pulled a fine field of 21 entries to the Southeast corner of California. The field featured a near 50/50 split of cars from each sanctioning body. The show featured a full program that included single-car qualifying, three eight-lap heat races, and a 20-lap main event. Lange, who lives in Lakeside, California, started trouncing the field in qualifying when he posted the only sub-12-second lap with a time of 11.986. San Diego’s Ryan Dumas was second quickest at 12.135. Teenage racer Seth Dyer, who won the last lightning sprint car race at Imperial last October, timed in third at 12.243. Six-time and defending CLS champion Bobby Michnowicz of Oak Hills and Palmdale’s Eric Greco were fourth and fifth respectively with laps of 12.260 and 12.275. Lange continued his domination over the competition when he came from sixth to win the first heat race over three-time lightning sprint car champion Brent Sexton of Lakeside, and San Diego’s Parker Dumas. CLS President “Rockstar” John Robertson outdistanced the field in heat race #2. Greco and 2022 CLS Rookie of the Year Connor Speir of Fillmore came across the stripe second and third. The third heat race went to the 2023 CLS Rookie of the Year Zate Legend of Riverside. Camarillo’s Cody Nigh and El Cajon’s Kevin Bates chased the teen across the line. By the time the main event rolled onto the track, the 81-degree afternoon temperature was long forgotten. The wind was whipping hard and the temperature had dipped drastically. Nevertheless, the stars and cars were intently ready for the season’s opening race. The lineup for the first 20 lap main of the year had Robertson on the pole with Nigh alongside. Row two was made up of Greco and Lange. Veteran Sexton and teenager Legend were in row three. Speir and Bates were in the fourth row. Robertson appeared late for the lineup and had to relinquish his pole position and start shotgun on the field. That put Nigh on the pole with Lange alongside. When the green flag waved to kick off the CLS 30th season, Nigh was the first driver to reach turn one with Lange close behind. Greco and Legend were third and fourth. By the end of the second circuit, the lead trio was over a half straight in front of the remainder of the pack. Nigh, who got a tremendous start, had close to an eight-car length lead by the end of the third lap. One go around later, he had caught up to the lapped traffic. Unfortunately for Nigh, the lapped traffic allowed Lange to close in. Heading into turn three on lap five, Lange steered the David Holmwood built Triple X into the lead. From that point on, he would never be headed. Lange Immediately motored away putting a good size cushion between himself and the remainder of the field. Simultaneously, lapped cars were racing side by side directly in front of Nigh and Greco. That allowed Lange to further lengthen his already huge advantage. Greco, who had a win at Merced and finished in the top 10 in all 16 CLS races in 2023, got past Nigh on lap eight. However, he was a long way behind Lange and was going to need a yellow or red flag intervention if he had any hopes of winning. At the halfway point, Lange was the leader with Greco, Nigh, Bates, and Sexton rounding out the top five. Lange, in the Langeford Farms/Brad Kopps Custom Guitars/Randal’s Warranty Service/T Shirts By Timeless/SRK Graphics/JDR Graphics/iza.ini/Collee Olie Creations/JST Suspension/Triple X/2017 ZX10RR, saw his lead shrink in a blink of an eye when San Diego’s Parker Dumas flipped in turn two, bringing out the red flag. Fortunately, the driver was okay, but the car was not and Dumas was done for the night. Going into the restart with six laps to go, Lange was leading over Greco, Nigh, Bates, and Sexton in the top five spots. Lapped cars, which were making their presence known throughout the field in the first 14 laps, were not present amongst the top five when the race restarted. As soon as the green lights flashed back on, Lange left no doubt what the outcome was going to be. He simply ran away from the competition. The first five laps after the restart were uneventful. On the last lap, Bates, who was in fourth, slowed and was passed by both Sexton and Michnowicz. The final running order of the top five was Lange, Greco, Nigh, Sexton and Michnowicz. Starting 11th and finishing sixth, Michnowicz was the race “Hard Charger.” Round #2 of the CLS 2024 campaign would begin a little under 24 hours after Friday’s final checkered flag. California Lightning Series Imperial Valley Raceway March 1 Results Qualifying: 1. Aiden Lange, 11.986; 2. Ryan Dumas, 12.135; 3. Seth Dyer, 12.243; 4. Bobby Michnowicz, 12.260; 5. Eric Greco, 12.275; 6.Cody Nigh, 12.320; 7. Jeff Dyer, 12.329; 8. Brent Sexton, 12.508; 9. Connor Speir, 12.608; 10. Kevin Bates, 12.715; 11. Parker Dumas, 12.882; 12. Cody Griggs, 12.973; 13. Deejay Dumas, 12.990; 14. Peter Benker, 13.007; 15. Jon Robertson, 13.099; 16. Cody Benker 13.522; 17. Chase Wilson, 13.564; 18. Landon Dalton, 13.746; 19. C.J. Marin, 14.852; 20. Zate Legend, 15.397; 21. Pet Kelley, No Time Heat 1 - 8 Laps: 1. Lange, 2. Sexton, 3. Parker Dumas, 4. Michnowicz, 5. Dalton, 6. Peter Benker, 7. Cody Benker Heat 2 - 8 Laps: 1. Robertson, 2. Greco, 3. Speir, 4. Marin, 5. Ryan Dumas, 6. Griggs, 7. Kelley Heat 3 - 8 Laps: 1. Legend, 2. Nigh, 3. Bates, 4. Seth Dyer, 5. Wilson, 6. Deejay Dumas Main Event 20 (With Starting Positions and Distance Behind) 1. Aiden Lange, Lakewood, CA … (4th) 2. Eric Greco, Palmdale, CA … (3rd) … 1.486 3. Cody Nigh, Camarillo, CA … (2nd) … 1.739 4. Brent Sexton, Lakeside, CA … (5th) … 3.697 5. Bobby Michnowicz, Oak Hills, CA … (11th) … 6.284 6. Kevin Bates, El Cajon, CA … (8th) … 6.446 7. Seth Dyer, Yucca Valley, CA … (9th) … 7.348 8. Ryan Dumas, San Diego, CA … (12th) … 8.568 9. Chase Wilson, San Diego, CA … (14th) … 8.854 10. Zate Legend, Riverside, CA … (6th) … 11.636 11. Deejay Dumas, San Diego, CA … (16th) … 1 Lap 12. C.J. Marin, Imperial Beach, CA … (13th) … 1 Lap 13. Landon Dalton, San Diego, CA … (15th) … 1 Lap 14. Pat Kelley, Chino, CA … (17th) … 2 Laps 15. Parker Dumas, San Diego, CA … (10th) … 6 Laps 16. Connor Speir, Fillmore, CA … (7th) … 6 Laps 17. Jon Robertson, Torrance, CA … (1st) … 7 Laps DNS Cody Griggs, Lakeside, CA DNS Jeff Dyer, Yucca Valley, CA DNS Peter Benker, Alpine, CA DNS Cody Benker, Alpine, CA Lap Leaders: Nigh 1-4, Lange 5-20 The CLS would like to thank the following companies for being partners in the 2024 season. Extreme Mufflers, RacingJunk.com and Hoosier Tire. 2024 California Lightning Sprint Car Series Schedule March 1 Imperial Valley Raceway Mid-Winter Fair Aiden Lange March 2 Imperial Valley Raceway Mid-Winter Fair March 9 Bakersfield Speedway CLS April 13 Merced Speedway CSL vs BCRA Civil War #1 April 20 Bakersfield Speedway CLS May 4 Ventura Raceway CLS May 18 Bakersfield Speedway CLS June 8 Ventura Raceway CLS June 15 Bakersfield Speedway CLS July 5 Santa Maria Raceway CLS July 6 Santa Maria Raceway CLS July 27 Santa Maria Raceway CLS vs BCRA Civil War #2 September 13 Bakersfield Speedway CLS vs BCRA Civil War #3 September 14 Ventura Raceway CLS September 28 Ventura Raceway CLS October 5 Merced Speedway CLS vs BCRA Civil War #4 Albright Memorial October 26 Ventura Raceway CLS November 15 Placerville Speedway Hangtown 100 – No Points November 16 Placerville Speedway Hangtown 100 – No Points November 26 Bakersfield Speedway CLS To keep up with the CLS online, please visit the website at http://racecls.com/ and follow on the club’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/californialightningsprints. 2023 California Lightning Sprint Car Series Final Point Standings 1. Bobby Michnowicz, Lomita, CA … 2026 2. Eric Greco, Palmdale, CA … 1883 3. Aiden Lange, Lakewood, CA … 1509 4. Jon Robertson, Torrance, CA … 1434 5. Connor Speir, Fillmore, CA … 1383 6. Jeff Dyer, Yucca Valley, CA … 1349 7. Seth Dyer, Yucca Valley, CA … 1440 8. Cody Nigh, Camarillo, CA … 959 9. Pat Kelley, Chino, CA … 927 10. Brent Sexton, Lakeside, CA … 817 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, 2023 Bobby Michnowicz This press release was produced by Scott Daloisio Sports (909) 226-7768 mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com