(Lakeside, California, March 9, 2023) Cody Griggs, the 2022 POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprint Car Series Rookie of the Year, has high hopes for the 2023 season. The 21-year-old driver kicks off his sophomore campaign in lightning sprints this Friday and Saturday at the Imperial Valley Raceway.
Griggs, who lives in Lakeside, California, came into 2022 as an unknown in the lightning sprint car ranks. By the end of the year, he had established himself as a fast and consistently smooth driver. All told he had perfect attendance making it to every race on the SWLS schedule. In 11 main event starts, he finished in the top 10 seven times, and two times he was in the top five. His first top five was at the track nearest to his home, the Barona Speedway, on May 14th. He topped that outing with a fourth-place result that came at Imperial Valley in the last race of 2022. That outcome clinched the Rookie of the Year title.
“The Rookie of the Year was of big importance to us,” the handsome 21-year-old driver said. “We started out in a different car. We knew we were not the fastest on the track. We were looking to be smooth and consistent all year and we did that. We were chasing the Rookie of the Year award. That was our goal. When we found ourselves third in points, it was a big shock. Especially running behind Brent and Dalton Sexton. Following those guys felt good.”
Known for good-looking, well-prepared machinery back to his days in karting, Griggs has been getting his car prepared for the 2023 campaign and he has a couple of specific goals in mind.
“This year we want to get our first win in a lightning sprint,” he said of the family-run operation. “That is our biggest goal. We are going to chase the points deal with the SWLS again and we are definitely going to chase the “Best of the West Series” between the SWLS and the CLS. That is a big deal of importance to us to do well in that. We want to do well in all races and be consistent all year long.”
At the Imperial Valley Raceway where this week’s races are being held, Griggs had several good runs there last year. In addition to the 4th place finish that was mentioned above he made four other starts there during the season. He placed 10th and sixth at the opening races of 2022 in March. Seven weeks later, on April 23rd, he came back and finished sixth again. His only finish out of the top 10 at the track came when he started and finished 12th on October 21st.
“That was probably our best track,” Griggs reflected when thinking about his rookie campaign. “We were very consistent there. We got our best finish of fourth in the last wingless race at Imperial to clinch Rookie of the Year. We did not clinch it on Friday, but we put ourselves in a good position (to do it) for Saturday.”
In addition to contesting the entire SWLS schedule in 2023, Griggs hopes to make a few races with the California Lightning Sprint Car Series.
This weekend’s racing at Imperial will be held in conjunction with the California Mid-Winter Fair. Racing will begin at 6:00 p.m. each night. Fair gates will open at 5:00 p.m. on Friday and noon on Saturday. Kids 18 and under get into the races for free with their ticket to the fair. Admission for those 19 and over will require an extra ticket. The fairgrounds is located at 200 East 2nd Street in Imperial, California.
Griggs would like to thank the following marketing partners for making his 2023 racing season possible. SES Custom Paint, Van Slyke Landscaping, Jetset Concepts, Johnson, Finch & McClure Construction, TWI, Inc., Sexton Fire Protection, Troy Dirt, and Smith Family Transport. If you would like to be a marketing partner with Griggs in 2023, please contact him at (619) 933-6566 or mailto:cmgriggs56@gmail.com.
Cody Griggs 2022 Results
March 5 Imperial Valley Raceway POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprints 10th A Main
March 6 Imperial Valley Raceway POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprints 6th A Main
April 23 Imperial Valley Raceway POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprints 6th A Main
April 30 Barona Speedway POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprints 8th A Main
May 14 Barona Speedway POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprints 5th A Main
June 11 Barona Speedway POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprints 7th A Main
June 25 Barona Speedway POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprints 12th A Main
July 9 Barona Speedway POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprints DNS
Sept. 17 Perris Auto Speedway POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprints 17th A Main
October 1 Barona Speedway POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprints 11th A Main
October 8 Mohave Valley Raceway POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprints DNS
October 21 Imperial Valley Raceway POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprints 12th A Main
October 22 Imperial Valley Raceway POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprints 4th A Main
