MICHNOWICZ SCHOOLS THE CLS FIELD FOR HIS FIRST 2024 WIN AT THE BAKERSFIELD SPEEDWAY (Torrance, CA, March 12, 2024) After the younger generation won the first two races of the 2023 season, California Lightning Sprint Car Series legend Bobby Michnowicz decided enough is enough and proved the saying “Old Guys Rule” by laying a beat down on the CLS field last Saturday at the Bakersfield Speedway. The 60-year-old lightning superstar jumped into the lead on lap two and led the final 24 laps on “The West’s Fastest 1/3 Mile High Banked Clay Oval.” Bakersfield winner Bobby Michnowicz. CLS photo. Fourteen CLS cars showed up on the first of six nights of racing at the Kern County oval in 2024. Six-time CLS champion Michnowicz kicked off the festivities by outqualifying the field for the second time in his two appearances this season with a lap of 12.905. Point leader Aiden Lange of Lakewood was second quickest at 12.943. Michnowicz nephew Cody Nigh of Camarillo was third fastest when he timed in at 13.059. California Highway Patrol Officer Jeff Dyer of Yucca Valley drove his son’s car to the fourth-best time with a 13.062. Bakersfield 15-year-old Broedy Graham rounded out the top five at 13.143. As always, three heat races led into the 25-lap main event. In the first eight-lapper, Graham, driving the popular Schweitzer #41 out of Bakersfield, inflicted the only wound on Michnowicz night when he beat him to the checkered flag. Third spot went to “Rockstar” Jon Robertson of Torrance. The second eight-lapper went to visiting Bay Cities Racing Association star Greg Dennett of Livermore. Lange, who won the season-opening race at the Imperial Valley Raceway nine days earlier placed second. The third spot went to Palmdale’s Eric Greco, who missed qualifying due to coil wires coming loose. For the main event, Dennett was on the inside of the front row. Michnowicz was on the outside. Row two featured teen Graham, who won a CLS race last October at the Ventura Raceway, on the inside and Nigh. Row three was made up of Dyer and Lange. Things did not get far when the green flag sent the field on its way for the third series race of 2024. Nigh’s car did not take off at the start. He went to the top of the track to get out of everyone’s way but when he got to turn one, he got drilled. The car did everything but flip and he was done before completing one lap. On the restart, Dennett wheeled his #47 into the lead with Michnowicz, Graham, Lange, Dyer, and Greco in tow. As expected, Michnowicz immediately turned up the heat. As they exited turn four on the first circuit, Dennett slid up in front of the six-time champion and led the first circuit. However, on the following lap, Dennett left the bottom lane open and Michnowicz blew by for the lead. Once he got out front the handwriting was on the wall. The only way he was going to get beaten was if something went wrong with his car. That gave the other drivers a sliver of hope as the only race Michnowicz finished worse than fourth in the CLS last year, was on June 3rd at Bakersfield when he broke. While Michnowicz was running roughshod over the field, Dyer slipped back to sixth. However, the CHP Officer drove back into the top five when he got by Greco on the fourth go around. And, to put it mildly, things were about to get real. With a sensational lap six pass, Dyer went from fifth to third when he got by Lange and Graham going into turn one. Point leader Lange, who swept the season opener at the Imperial Valley Raceway eight days earlier, returned the favor at the other end of the track on the same lap. As they hit turn three, Lange alertly dove to the inside of Dyer and moved him up the track right where a lapped car was waiting. Dyer had to get out of the throttle and Lange was back in third. The Lange/Dyer war was by far the best of the night and it had drawn the attention of most of the fans. Meanwhile up front, Michnowicz, in his T Shirts By Timeless/Super Shox/Fabozzi Metal Works/Outlaw Wings/TJ Forged/Keizer Wheels/Simpson/Bondio Fabrication/Fast Time Studios/Pflum – Wagner/DLX/Kawasaki ZX10, had moved out to a more than four-second lead lead over Dennett. Dyer reclaimed third when he went to the bottom and passed Lange coming off turn four on the 13th go-around. A yellow flag a couple of laps later momentarily slowed their war and it allowed everyone to pull to Michnowicz rear for the restart. The top eight for the restart were Michnowicz, Dennett, Dyer, Lange, Greco, Graham, Robertson, and Bakersfield local Leland Day. It was no surprise that Michnowicz quickly pulled away as soon as the race restarted. Much to the crowd's delight, the Lange/Dyer war kicked in again. Lange poked his nose past Dyer and they battled down the back chute. Simultaneously, they closed in on Dennett. Coming off four, Lang dipped low and Dyer swung wide as they caught the Northern California star. They were three abreast going down the front chute in the battle for the runner-up spot. Lange was the first to turn one but Dyer, with the outside momentum, passed Lange back coming off turn two. The fight for second finally cooled off on lap 19 when Dyer slipped away and set his sights on leader Michnowicz. But setting his sights was all he could do as nobody was going to catch the driver who led the final 24 laps for his first win of 2024. Dyer was a distant second with point leader Lange third. Greco charged up to fourth with high school football player Graham fifth. Greco’s fourth-place finish earned him the race “Hard Charger” award after starting eighth. “You just run as hard as you can the whole time,” Michnowicz told infield announcer John Candelaria and the fans. “You never know how close they are. We do not have rearview mirrors, and we do not know who is close. We do not have spotters. I was running just as hard as I could every lap just assuming someone was right there.” After the first three races of the season, Lange has a 58-point advantage over Nigh who hung onto second despite his misfortune in the main. Greco jumped up to third in the standings. Fillmore’s Connor Speir, who won the second race of the year, and Michnowicz are fourth and fifth. After three races in nine days to begin the 2023 campaign, the CLS is now off until round #1 of the annual Civil War Series vs the BCRA at Doug Lockwood’s Merced Speedway on April 13th. March 9 California Lightning Sprint Car Series Results Qualifying: 1. Bobby Michnowicz, 12.905; 2. Aiden Lange, 12.943; 3. Cody Nigh, 13.059; 4. Jeff Dyer, 13.062; 5. Broedy Graham, 13.143; 6. Greg Dennett, 13.260; 7. Jon Robertson, 13.313; 8. Leland Day, 13.314; 9. Connor Speir, 13.476; 10. Jacob Magallanes, 13.476; 11. Clay Byers, 13.829; 12. Pat Kelley 14.323; 13. Roland Smith, N/T; 14. Eric Greco, N/T Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. Graham 2. Michnowicz, 3. Robertson, 4. Nigh, 5. Speir, 6. Byers, 7. Smith Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. Dennett, 2. Lange, 3. Greco, 4. Dyer, 5. Day, 6. Kelley, 7. Magallanes 20 Lap Main Event (With starting positions) 1. Bobby Michnowicz, Oak Hills, CA … 2nd 2. Jeff Dyer, Yucca Valley, CA … 5th 3. Aiden Lange, Lakewood, CA … 6th 4. Eric Greco, Palmdale, CA … 8th 5. Broedy Graham, Bakersfield, CA … 3rd 6. Greg Dennett, Livermore, CA … 1st 7. Leland Day, Bakersfield, CA … 9th 8. Jon Robertson, Torrance, CA … 7th 9. Jacob Magallanes, Pasadena, CA … 12th 10. Clay Byers, Castaic, CA … 13th 11. Pat Kelley, Chino, CA … 11th 12. Connor Speir, Fillmore, CA … 10th 13. Roland Smith … 14th 14. Cody Nigh, Camarillo, CA … 4th California Lightning Sprint Car Series Points 1. Aiden Lange, Lakewood, CA … 382 2. Mike Nigh, Camarillo, CA … 324 3. Eric Greco, Palmdale, CA … 278 4. Connor Speir, Fillmore, CA … 271 5. Bobby Michnowicz, Oak Hills, CA … 254 6. Jeff Dyer, Yucca Valley, CA … 250 7. Brent Sexton, Lakeside, CA … 248 8. Jon Robertson, Torrance, CA … 246 9. Ryan Dumas, San Diego, CA …198 10. Pat Kelley, Chino, CA … 194 Lap Leaders After Three Races 1. Bobby Michnowicz … 24 2. Conner Speir … 20 3. Aiden Lange … 16 4. Cody Nigh … 4 5. Greg Dennett … 1 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 Connor Speir March 9 Bakersfield Speedway CLS Bobby Michnowicz 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. 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