Motor City Buick/GMC Presents the California Lightning Sprint Cars at Ventura Raceway on Saturday Torrance, CA — June 8, 2026 — This Saturday night, June 13, Motor City Buick/GMC will present round #7 of the California Lightning Sprint Car Series at Jim Naylor’s Ventura Raceway. The race will be the third of six appearances at Ventura for the 32-year-old club this season. It will also be the second consecutive CLS event at the picturesque oceanside oval and the series’ final visit there before returning on September 26. Seven-time CLS champion Bobby Michnowicz, making only his second start of the 2026 campaign, scored a convincing green-to-checkered victory when the series visited Ventura two weeks ago. The emotional win was dedicated to his mother. The longtime veteran bested San Diego’s AJ Bender, a regular in the USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series, and Ventura local Cody Nigh of Camarillo for the victory. Nigh captured the first CLS race of the season at Ventura on March 31. Despite a miserable month of May that saw him lose three engines, California Highway Patrol Officer Jeff Dyer continues to lead the Motor City Buick/GMC CLS championship point standings. He heads into Saturday’s race with a 53-point advantage over leading rookie Tyler Warner of Alpine. Defending CLS champion Aiden Lange of Lakewood currently sits third. Rounding out the top five in the championship chase are veteran “Rockstar” Jon Robertson of Torrance and rookie Liam Coffey of San Bernardino. The first six CLS races of the season have been highly competitive, producing five different winners. Amazingly, only two of those five winners are currently ranked in the top 10 in the championship standings. Point leader Dyer, the only driver with multiple CLS victories this season, is one of them, and Nigh is the other. Dyer’s wins came in the season opener at Imperial Valley Raceway and at Bakersfield Speedway at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway. Nigh, who currently ranks sixth in points, won the first Ventura event of the year. In addition to Dyer and Nigh, other CLS winners in 2026 include Michnowicz, Ramona’s David Taft, and Grant Sexton of Lakeside. Along with the California Lightning Sprint Cars, Saturday’s action-packed program will feature the VRA Sprint Cars, Senior Sprints, VRA Dwarf Cars, IMCA Modifieds, and VRA Junior Classes. Spectator gates will open at 3:00 p.m., with racing scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. Adult tickets are $18.00. Seniors (60+), military personnel with ID, and students with ID are $15.00. Children 12 and under will be admitted free with a paying adult. For more information, visit Ventura Raceway or call (805) 648-RACE. Ventura Raceway is located on the Ventura County Fairgrounds at 10 W. Harbor Blvd., Ventura, CA 93001. Following Saturday’s battle by the beach, the CLS will have one more race in June. That will come on the 27th when the club travels north to take on the Bay Cities Racing Association in the opening round of the annual Civil War Series at Merced Speedway. For updates and complete series information, follow the California Lightning Sprint Car Series on Facebook or visit the official website at racecls.com. After Saturday’s race, the CLS will have a week off before heading north to the Merced Speedway for the first of four 2026 CLS vs BCRA Civil War Races at the Merced Speedway on June 27th. Motor City Buick/GMC California Lightning Sprint Car Point Standings 1. Jeff Dyer … 656 2. Tyler Warner ® … 603 3. Aiden Lange … 583 4. Jon Robertson… 559 5. Liam Coffey ® … 558 6. Cody Nigh … 454 7. Brent Sexton … 413 8. Shane Sexton … 340 9. Braydin Collie … 332 10. Peter Benker … 327 CLS vs SCLS California Clash Points 1. Aiden Lange … 252 2. Jeff Dyer … 235 3. David Taft … 224 4. Peter Benker … 223 5. Shane Sexton … 216 6. Braydin Collie … 206 7. Cody Benker … 195 8. Brent Sexton … 189 8. Cody Nigh … 189 9. AJ Bender … 189 The CLS would like to thank the following companies for being marketing partners in the 2026 season. Series sponsor Motor City GMC Associate sponsors Timeless Enterprises R&R Racing Quick Change Liquid Energy - The Official Energy Drink of CLS Contingency sponsors ARS BR Motorsports CSI Shocks Eibach Extreme Mufflers Keizer Wheels King Racing Optics Rebel Gears Racing Junk Rod End Supply Smith Titanium Speedmart West Evans If you would like to join the CLS and be a marketing partner in 2026, please contact Jon Robertson via email at jon.robertson@sbcglobal.net or by calling (310) 367-9050. 2026 Motor City Buick/GMC California Lightning Sprint Car Series Schedule March 6 CLS/SCLS Clash #1 Imperial Valley Raceway - Jeff Dyer March 7 CLS/SCLS Clash #2 Imperial Valley Raceway – David Taft March 21 CLS Ventura Raceway – Cody Nigh April 4 CLS & 305 Sprint Cars Santa Maria Speedway – Grant Sexton May 2 CLS Bakersfield Speedway/Kern – Jeff Dyer May 30 CLS Ventura Raceway – Bobby Michnowicz June 13 CLS Ventura Raceway June 27 CLS vs BCRA Civil War Race (None Points) Merced Speedway July 4 CLS & USAC/CRA Sprint Cars Santa Maria Speedway August 7 CLS vs BCRA Civil War Race (None Points) Plaza Park Visalia August 8 CLS vs BCRA Civil War Race (None Points) Lemoore Jet Bowl August 29 CLS/SCLS Clash Race #3 Perris Auto Speedway September 19 CLS vs BCRA Civil War Race (None Points Merced Speedway September 25 CLS with World of Outlaws CLS/SCLS Clash #4 Bakersfield Speedway September 26 CLS with World of Outlaws CLS/SCLS Clash #5 Ventura Raceway October 17 CLS Ventura Raceway October 24 CLS Ventura Raceway November 21 CLS/SCLS Clash Race #6 Barona Speedway 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 2024 Bobby Michnowicz 2025 Aiden Lange Special thanks to Wendy Michnowicz and Ed Haney Video. This press release was produced by Scott Daloisio Sports (909) 226-7768 mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com