(Lakeside, CA, November 14, 2022) Lakeside, California-based Sexton Gatlin Racing will close the lightning sprint car portion of its 2022 season this week when it journeys to Central and Northern California to compete at the Bakersfield and the Placerville Speedways. All told, the four-driver effort will race four times in the space of five days.
The team’s second stop at the Bakersfield Speedway this year for the “6th Annual Western States Lightning Sprints Championship” will be on Tuesday, November 15th. Driving SGR cars that night will be newly crowned Lucas Oil POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprint Car Series champion Brent Sexton, and his son Grant. SGR kicked off the 2022 Bakersfield Speedway season on May 25th when the California Lightning Sprint Car Series appeared worldwide on the internet with the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars. In that one, then-17-year-old Grant thrilled the crowd with a wild last-lap rim ride that saw him take the victory leading only the last six feet in a thrilling photo finish. Brent ended up eighth. Dalton Sexton, Brent’s 19-year-old son, suffered electrical problems in that race and dropped out early. He finished 17th.
Tuesday’s race will be the team’s first appearance on the Kern County oval since March.
After Tuesday’s show, the drivers will use Wednesday as a travel day to Northern California’s Placerville Speedway for three nights of racing in the “Hangtown 100.” Dalton will join his dad and brother at Placerville as will San Diego’s A.J. Bender who will reunite SGR after a successful run with them last November.
Last year at Bakersfield’s “5th Annual Western States Lightning Sprints Championship,” Bender took the win driving for SGR. Grant came home sixth and Brent finished 22nd after leaving the race early with mechanical issues. Last year at the three nights of Hangtown, Bender finished second all three nights. Grant recorded finishes of 4th, 16th, and 18th. Brent placed 9th, 12th, and 18th. Dalton placed 12th in the B main at the opener and 19th on the second night after a crash in the A-main. He did not start on Saturday.
The Tuesday night show at Bakersfield will be a winged race. All three nights at Placerville will be wingless.
The car Bender is driving at Placerville is for sale. It is powered by a 2020 Suzuki 1000. Interested parties can contact Brent Sexton at the number at the top of this release for details.
Tuesday’s show at Bakersfield will also include the “November Classic” for the USAC National Midgets. Gates will open at 5:00 p.m. with racing at 7:00. Fans can save $5.00 per ticket by ordering in advance at https://www.myracepass.com/tracks/1113. The historic track is located at 5001 N. Chester Ext. in Bakersfield. The track website is https://www.bakersfieldspeedway.com/ and the office phone is (661) 393-3373.
To see SGR close its 2022 lightning season at Placerville, you can purchase advance tickets at https://www.eventsprout.com/event/hangtown-2022. Gates will open at 3:00 p.m. each day with racing at 6:00. Fans can find the track at 100 Placerville Drive in Placerville. The website is https://www.placervillespeedway.com/ and the track phone is (530) 344-7592.
After this week’s races, SGR will have one race remaining in 2022. That will be Friday and Saturday, November 25th and 26th, when Grant competes in the USAC West Coast Sprint Car Series for the first time in the 81st running of the Turkey Night Grand Prix at Jim Naylor’s Ventura Raceway.
Sexton/Gatlin Racing would like to thank the following companies for making the 2022 season possible. Sexton Fire Protection, BK Wings, Johnny Motorhead, Troy Dirt, Victory Graphix, Swift Powdercoat, Maxima Oil, Automated Interior, and an extra special thanks to Scotty and Jimmy Keys. If you or your business wants to partner up with one of the most visible Lightning Sprint teams on the West Coast for the 2023 season, please call (619) 454-6945.
Sexton Gatlin Racing 2022 Schedule
2022 Lucas Oil POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprint Car Series Schedule
March 5 Imperial Valley Raceway POWRi Wingless – Dalton 1st – Brent 7th – Grant 15th
March 6 Imperial Valley Raceway POWRi Wingless – Brent 1st – Dalton 3rd – Grant 4th
March 25 Bakersfield Speedway CLS Winged – Grant 1st – Brent 8th – Dalton 17th
April 16 Ventura Raceway VRA Sprints – Grant 1st
April 23 Imperial Valley Raceway POWRi Wingless – Bezio 3rd – Brent 4th – Dalton 5th
April 30 Barona Speedway POWRi Winged – Grant 1st – Brent 4th – Dalton 5th
May 14 Barona Speedway POWRi Wingless – Dalton 1st – Bezio 2nd – Brent 3rd
May 28 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars – Grant DNS
June 11 Barona Speedway POWRi Winged – Grant 1st – Brent 2nd – Dalton 11th
June 25 Barona Speedway POWRi Winged – Dalton 1st – Brent 2nd – Grant 3rd
July 9 Barona Speedway POWRi Wingless – Brent 1st – Grant 2nd – Dalton 6th
August 6 Santa Maria Raceway CLS Winged – Brent 1st – Dalton 15th
August 6th Santa Maria Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars – Grant 11th B Main
August 11 Norman County Speedway Minkota Nationals Winged – Dalton 8th – Brent 13th – Grant 25th
August 12 River Cities Raceway Minkota Nationals Winged – Brent 1st – Grant 9th – Dalton 11th
August 13 Greenbush Race Park Minkota Nationals Winged – Grant 6th – Brent 11th – Dalton 13th
August 14 Minkota Nationals Minkota Nationals Winged – Grant 1st – Dalton 15th – Brent DNS
Sept. 17 Perris Auto Speedway POWRi Winged – Chiaramonte 1st – Brent 4th – Dalton 18th
October 1 Barona Speedway POWRi Winged – Grant 1st – Dalton 4th – Brent DNS
October 8 Mojave Valley Raceway POWRi/CLS Winged – Brent 1st – A.J. Bender 2nd – Dalton 3rd
October 8 Mohave Valley Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars – Grant DNS
October 21 Imperial Valley Raceway POWRi Winged – Dalton 3rd – Grant 4th – Brent Horn 8th
October 22 Imperial Valley Raceway POWRi Wingless – Brent 1st – Horn 8th – Dalton 14th
October 22 Imperial Valley Raceway Open Comp. Sprint Cars – Grant 3rd
Nov. 15 Bakersfield Speedway BCRA/CLS Winged
Nov. 17 Placerville Speedway BCRA/CLS Wingless
Nov. 18 Placerville Speedway BCRA/CLS Wingless
Nov. 19 Placerville Speedway BCRA/CLS Wingless
