(Upland, CA, December 28, 2021) Just five weeks after completing the successful 2021 racing season, the California Lightning Sprint Car Series has released the schedule for its 28th year of open-wheel racing action. The ambitious schedule consists of 22 dates.
The year will kick off on March 25th when the CLS joins the World of Outlaws at one of the series mainstays, the Bakersfield Speedway. The showing will be the first of six in 2022 at the track known to locals as the “Okie Bowl.” The May 14th race on “The West’s Fastest 1/3 Mile High Banked Clay Oval” will see the CLS team up with the popular USAC/CRA Sprint Cars on the same card. The Kern County speed plant will be host to the final two rounds of the annual CLS vs BCRA “Civil War Series” on September 24th and November 15th. The November race will be run in conjunction with the USAC National Midgets. The Southern California based series will also appear on longtime promoter Scott Schweitzer’s track on April 16th and June 11th.
Another longtime venue for the CLS, the Ventura Raceway, will host seven series races in 2022. That will be more than any other track. The first will be on March 26th and the last on October 29th. Sandwiched in the middle of the campaign will be three straight trips to the 1/5 mile oval on June 25th, July 9th, and July 23rd. Other dates on the near half century old track will be April 30th and May 21st. Fans who have never been to the track known as “The Best Little Dirt Track In America,” need to put it on their bucket list. The pit area is adjacent to the beach, just feet away from the breaking waves of the Pacific Ocean. Located on the Ventura County Fairgrounds, the track is within walking distance of numerous restaurants and hotels.
The Placerville Speedway will see the CLS journey north for four races in 2021. The first will be round #3 of the “Civil War Series” on August 27th. The series will return to the red clay ¼ mile oval located on the El Dorado County Fairgrounds to close the 2022 campaign with three nights of action at the “Hangtown 100” on November 17th, 18th, and 19th. All three races will also see the USAC National Midgets in action. Those final three races will be non-point races for the CLS.
One night before the first race at Placerville on August 26th, the CLS will make its lone scheduled 2022 appearance at the Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico. That night will be round #2 of the “Civil War Series.”
The “Civil War Series,” which annually matches the CLS against the BCRA (Bay Cities Racing Association) will begin on April 2nd at the Merced Speedway in the annual Wayne Albright Memorial.
In addition to the 19 mentioned races, three dates, September 9th & 10th, and October 8th, are at tracks to be announced.
The May 14th and November 15th races at Bakersfield and the three nights in November at Placerville will all be available for fans around the globe to watch live on Flo Racing.
2022 California Lightning Sprint Car Series Schedule
March 25 Bakersfield Speedway Winged – With World of Outlaws
March 26 Ventura Raceway Winged
April 2 Merced Speedway Non-Wing – Albright Class – Civil War #1
April 16 Bakersfield Speedway Winged
April 30 Ventura Raceway Winged
May 14 Bakersfield Speedway Winged – With USAC/CRA
May 21 Ventura Raceway Winged
June 11 Bakersfield Speedway Winged
June 25 Ventura Raceway Winged
July 9 Ventura Raceway Winged
July 23 Ventura Raceway Winged
August 26 Silver Dollar Speedway Winged – Civil War #2
August 27 Placerville Speedway Winged – Civil War #3
September 9 TBD Winged
September 10 TBD Winged
September 24 Bakersfield Speedway Winged – Civil War #4
October 8 TBD Winged
October 29 Ventura Raceway Winged
November 15 Bakersfield Speedway Winged – With USAC Midgets – Civil War #5
November 17 Placerville Speedway Non-Wing – With USAC Midgets – No Points
November 18 Placerville Speedway Non-Wing – With USAC Midgets – No Points
November 19 Placerville Speedway Non-Wing – With USAC Midgets – No Points
The CLS would like to thank 2021 series sponsors Hoosier Tires, T Shirts by Timeless, TJ Forged Racing Wheels, and Walker Performance Filtration. If you or your company would like to become part of the series in 2022, please contact Jon Robertson at the following address mailto:jon.robertson@sbcglobal.net.
To keep up with the CLS online, please visit the website at http://racecls.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/californialightningsprints
Final 2022 California Lightning Sprint Car Series Championship Points
- David Gasper ® – Santa Barbara, CA – 1846
- Eric Greco – Palmdale, CA – 1817
- James Turnbull – Indio, CA – 1713
- Jeff Dyer – Yucca Valley, CA – 1629
- A.J. Bender – San Diego, CA – 1472
- Dominic Del Monte – Gardena, CA – 1359
- Jon Robertson – Torrance, CA – 1046
- Pat Kelley – Chino, CA – 871
- Aiden Lange – Lakewood, CA – 815
- Bobby Michnowicz – Oak Hills, CA – 807
2021 California Lightning Sprint Car Series Schedule and Winners
March 13 Bakersfield Speedway – Eric Greco
April 10 Bakersfield Speedway – Bobby Michnowicz
April 24 Merced Speedway (Wayne Albright Memorial – Round #1 of the Civil War Series with BCRA – Wingless) – James Turnbull
May 15 Bakersfield Speedway – A.J. Bender
June 5 Ventura Raceway – A.J. Bender
June 19 Keller Auto Speedway (Hanford) – Postponed due to heat.
July 3 Santa Maria Speedway – Eric Greco
July 24 Santa Maria Speedway (Wing Madness #1) Santa Maria – A.J. Bender
August 7 Merced Speedway (Civil War Series #2 with BCRA – Winged) – Dave Gasper
August 28 Ventura Raceway – Eric Greco
September 18 Bakersfield Speedway (Civil War #3 with BCRA – Winged) – Kevin Michnowicz
September 19 The Dirt Track at Kern County Raceway Park – David Gasper
October 2 Ventura Raceway – Eric Greco
October 30 Ventura Raceway – Jeff Dyer
November 16 Bakersfield Speedway (Civil War #4 with BCRA – Winged – Western States Lightning Sprint Car Championship) – A.J. Bender
November 18 Placerville Speedway Hangtown 100 – (Co sanctioned with BCRA and in companion with the USAC National Midgets) – Logan Seavey
November 19 Placerville Speedway Hangtown 100 – (Co sanctioned with BCRA and in companion with the USAC National Midgets) – Chris Crowder
November 20 Placerville Speedway Hangtown 100 – (Co sanctioned with BCRA and in companion with the USAC National Midgets) – Logan Seavey
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
