CALIFORNIA LIGHTNING SPRINTS MAKE SECOND VENTURA APPEARANCE ON SATURDAY (Torrance, CA, June 3, 2024) After a two-week break in its busy schedule, the California Lightning Sprint Car Series will make its second of five appearances at the Ventura Raceway this Saturday night, June 8th. Spectator gates for the race at “The Best Little Dirt Track In America” will open at 3:00 p.m., and racing will begin at 5:30. At the CLS's first 2024 appearance at the track that is located adjacent to the beach on the Ventura County Fairgrounds on May 4th, USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series star AJ Bender of San Diego beat California Highway Patrol Officer Jeff Dyer of Yucca Valley and five-time series champion Bobby Michnowicz of Oak Hills to the checkered flag. The race drew 15 top-flight contenders to the 1/5 mile oval. Dyer, who also races 410 sprint cars in the Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA Series, was heading for his first win of the season at the May race. The veteran driver started on the pole and led the first 18 laps. Unfortunately, one of the lapped cars he was driving around on the 19th circuit moved up the track and forced Dyer wide. Bender, who was making his first appearance for noted Northern California car owner Brian Fonseca, alertly dove to the inside of Dyer, and stole the lead. He then went unchallenged for his first CLS win of the season. Michnowicz, who has won three of the last four series races, brings a commanding 105-point lead in the CLS championship standings into Saturday’s race. Chasing the 60-year-old G.O.A.T. is his nephew Cody Nigh of Camarillo. A San Diego State University graduate, Nigh celebrated his 30th birthday last Sunday. Palmdale’s Eric Greco is third in the standings and trails Nigh by 53 points. Dyer is fourth, with teenager Zate Legend of Riverside fifth. Besides Michnowicz's three wins and Bender’s Ventura victory, the other drivers with CLS wins this season are Lakewood’s Aiden Lange and Connor Speir of Fillmore, who have one win each. Through the first six races of the year, Michnowicz has led a staggering 67 main event laps. Making that stat more impressive is the fact that he missed one race. Speir is next in line with 20 laps led. Other drivers who have led CLS laps this season are Dyer with 17, Lange, who has led 16, Bender with 15, Nigh with 4, and Northern California star Greg Dennett, who has led one lap. The IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Mods, IMCA Sport Compacts, VRA Hobby Stocks, and Motorcycles will join the CLS this Saturday. Adult tickets are $18.00. For seniors 65 and over, it is $15.00. Military and Students with id also get in for $15.00. Kids 12 and under are free when they are accompanied by an adult. The track is located on the Ventura County Fairgrounds at 10 W. Harbor Boulevard (93001). The website is http://venturaraceway.com/ and the office phone number is (805) 648-RACE. The CLS would like to thank the following companies for being partners in the 2024 season. Extreme Mufflers, RacingJunk.com and Hoosier Tire. California Lightning Sprint Car Series Points 1. Bobby Michnowicz, Oak Hills, CA … 659 2. Cody Nigh, Camarillo, CA … 564 3. Eric Greco, Palmdale, CA … 511 4. Seth Dyer, Yucca Valley, CA … 486 5. Zate Legend, Riverside, CA … 480 6. Jon Robertson, Torrance, CA … 472 7. Jeff Dyer, Riverside, CA … 469 8. Connor Speir, Fillmore, CA … 450 9. Aiden Lange, Lakewood, CA … 382 10. Broedy Graham, Bakersfield, CA … 367 2024 CLS Lap Leaders Michnowicz, Bobby … 67 Speir, Connor … 20 Dyer, Jeff … 17 Lange, Aiden … 16 Bender, AJ … 15 Nigh, Cody … 4 Dennett, Greg … 1 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 Rained Out April 20 Bakersfield Speedway CLS Bobby Michnowicz May 4 Ventura Raceway CLS AJ Bender May 18 Bakersfield Speedway CLS Bobby Michnowicz June 8 Ventura Raceway CLS June 15 Bakersfield Speedway CLS July 5 Santa Maria Speedway CLS July 6 Santa Maria Speedway CLS July 27 Santa Maria Speedway 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