CALIFORNIA LIGHTNING SPRINTS RACE AT VENTURA FOR THE FINAL TIME IN 2024 THIS SATURDAY (Torrance, CA, October 21, 2024) The California Lightning Sprint car series will make its final 2024 appearance at one of its old stomping grounds this Saturday night, October 26th. The Ventura Raceway, which has been a staple for the CLS over the last 30 years, will host the popular wing cars on the beachside 1/5 of a mile oval. Spectator gates will open at 3:00 PM, and the first race will be at 5:30. Fresh off sewing up the title in the annual Civil War series that matches the CLS against the Bay Cities Racing Association, Bobby Michnowicz of Oak Hills will head Saturday’s field. Being the next to last points race in 2024, the veteran driver could sew up his seventh CLS championship on Saturday. He comes in with a 113-point advantage over Palmdale’s Eric Greco in the race for the crown. With a big night at Ventura, the wily veteran will have one hand on the crown going into the last points race of the year at Bakersfield on November 26th. One thing standing in Michnowicz’ way could be Greco’s recent performances at Ventura. The Glendale College student won the last two CLS main events at the track that is located on the Ventura County Fairgrounds. Those victories, combined with a triumph at the Bakersfield Speedway on June 15th, give Greco three wins on the season. That is only one less than series leader, Michnowicz. The point leader has posted three wins at Bakersfield and also at the June 8th bash at Ventura. A remarkably interesting and much tighter battle is shaping up for third. The drivers fighting for third through sixth are only separated by 39 points. California Highway Patrol Officer Jeff Dyer of Yucca Valley currently holds down the third-place spot. Thirty-one points behind him in fourth is his 17-year-old son Seth Dyer. Veteran Cody Nigh of Camarillo sits fifth and trails the younger Dyer by a mere one point. “Rockstar” Jon Robertson of Torrance is sixth and only seven markers behind Nigh. Two-time 2024 winner Connor Speir of Fillmore, 13-year-old Zate Legend of Riverside, Clay Byers of Castaic, and Bakersfield’s Leland Day round out the top 10. Besides Michnowicz and Greco, the only other winner at Ventura in 2024 was San Diego’s AJ Bender. One week after he won his first ever Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series main event at Perris Auto Speedway in April, Bender drove Brian Fonseca’s Savage Racing #3F to the victory on the tiny 1/5 mile oval. After this week’s race by the beach, the CLS will be off until two non-points nights of racing at the Hangtown 100 at the Placerville Speedway on November 15th and 16th. The final point race of the CLS 30th season of racing will take place when Bakersfield Speedway hosts the 8th Annual Western States Lightning Sprint Car Championship on November 26. In addition to the CLS, the VRA Sprint Cars, Senior Sprints, VRA Dwarfs, WMR Midgets, and the VRA Junior Classes will be racing on Saturday. Spectator gates will open at 3:00, with racing at 5:30. 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. 2024 California Lightning Sprint Car Series Points 1. Bobby Michnowicz, Oak Hills, CA … 1628 2. Eric Greco, Palmdale, CA … 1515 3. Jeff Dyer, Yucca Valley, CA … 1290 4. Seth Dyer, Yucca Valley, CA … 1259 5. Cody Nigh, Camarillo, CA … 1258 6. Jon Robertson, Torrance, CA … 1251 7. Connor Speir, Fillmore, CA … 1199 8. Zate Legend, Riverside, CA … 1181 9. Clay Byers, Castaic, CA … 768 10. Leland Day, Bakersfield, CA … 640 CLS vs BCRA Civil War Points 1. Bobby Michnowicz, CLS … 345 2. Connor Speir, CLS … 334 3. Eric Greco, CLS … 329 4. Greg Dennett BCRA … 309 5. Zate Legend, CLS … 276 6. Seth Dyer, CLS … 274 7. Leland Day, CLS … 263 8. Jon Robertson, CLS … 256 9. Matt Land, BCRA … 219 9. Jeff Dyer, CLS … 219 2024 CLS Lap Leaders Michnowicz, Bobby … 118 Greco, Eric … 54 Dyer, Jeff … 39 Speir, Connor … 33 Kinney, Hunter … 25 Dyer, Seth … 17 Lange, Aiden … 16 Bender, AJ … 15 Albright, Dakota … 9 Dyer, Seth … 9 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 Bobby Michnowicz June 15 Bakersfield Speedway CLS Eric Greco July 6 Santa Maria Speedway CLS Jeff Dyer July 27 Santa Maria Speedway CLS vs BCRA Civil War #1 Connor Speir September 13 Bakersfield Speedway CLS vs BCRA Civil War #2 Hunter Kinney September 14 Ventura Raceway CLS Eric Greco September 28 Ventura Raceway CLS Eric Greco October 5 Merced Speedway CLS vs BCRA Civil War #3 Dakota Albright 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.