(Lakeside, CA, November 28, 2023) For the first time in his young career, 19-year-old Grant Sexton qualified for the main event in the sprint car portion of the prestigious Turkey Night Grand Prix at the Ventura Raceway last Saturday night. The race closed the season for the young driver who captured the 2023 USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series Rookie of the Year award.
Attached to this release is a Steve Lafond photo of Grant Sexton at the Turkey Night Grand Prix and the Sexton Gatlin Racing Team logo.
Last week’s race marked Sexton’s second-ever attempt at Turkey Night. He made his debut in the long-running event in 2022. On that occasion, the then 18-year-old was fighting for one of the transfer spots in the B main when he became entangled in a couple of other driver’s mess. That catastrophe knocked him out of the race. It was a bitter ending for the highly competitive teen.
Last week, Sexton, who calls Lakeside, California home, was one of 52 entries in the sprint car division at the 82nd running of the historic motorsports event. Bent on making the main this year, he kicked off the two-night racing program in style when he scored a convincing run-away win in the first heat race of the weekend. At the checkers, he was nearly a full straightaway ahead of his closest challenger.
After his heat race triumph, Sexton had a good chance of locking in one of the 10 spots for Saturday’s A main event in his qualifier. Starting on the outside of row two in the 12-lap, 11-car race, he was forced wide in turn one on the opening lap. Subsequently, he slipped as far back as eighth. Never to be deterred, he got his elbows up and clawed his way forward all the way to fifth before the checkered flag halted the proceedings. Unfortunately, that was not enough to get him into the dash and he would have to run a B main on Saturday night.
Sexton, who was the 2021 POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprint Car Series champion, started on the pole in one of the 12-lap, 17-car B mains on Saturday. With a complete sellout crowd looking on, he steered his pretty #22 car into the lead at the drop of the green flag. The precocious racer led the first seven laps before relinquishing the top spot. From that point on, he stayed in second place and earned his ticket to his first Turkey Night Grand Prix main event.
Starting 14th in the 30-lap finale, Sexton wisely bided his time early on. The youthful driver went outside and quickly became one of the best shows in the race. He picked off car after car and had worked his way up to fifth on the track with narrow straightaways. However, going into turn one late in the affair, he thought the bottom was taking rubber and he dove low in his immaculate #22. Unfortunately, it was still slick and he dropped back three positions. One lap later he stayed low and slipped backwards a few more spots. He was unable to regain those positions in the limited time remaining and took his final checkered flag of the 2023 season in 13th place.
Grant will be back for his second full season in USAC/CRA while his father Brent will be trying to succeed him as Rookie of the Year. In addition, Brent will be doing some selected races in a lightning sprint. If you or your company are interested in becoming a marketing partner with Sexton Gatlin Racing in 2024, please call (619) 454-6945 or E-mail mailto:sextonfire@cox.net or mailto:sextonfire@gmail.com.
Sexton Gatlin Racing would like to thank the following companies for making the 2023 season possible. Keys Brothers, East County Electric Works, Maxima Oil, Automated Interiors, Sexton Fire Protection, BK Wings, Troy Dirt, Victory Graphix, and Swift Powdercoat.
Sexton Gatlin Racing 2023 Results
Brent Sexton
3-10-23 Imperial Valley Raceway POWRi Southwest Lightning 4th A Main
3-10-23 Imperial Valley Raceway POWRi Southwest Lightning 2nd A Main
4-1-23 Mohave Valley Raceway POWRi Southwest Lightning 1st A Main
4-15-23 Perris Auto Speedway POWRi Southwest Lightning 1st A Main
5-27-23 Perris Auto Speedway POWRi Southwest Lightning 2nd A Main
6-3-23 Bakersfield Speedway California Lightning Sprints 6th A Main
6-10-23 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 7th A Main
6-10-23 Perris Auto Speedway PAS Senior Sprint Cars 2nd A Main
7-8-23 Barona Speedway POWRi Southwest Lightning 2nd A Main
7-15-23 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 18th A Main
8-10-23 Devils Lake Raceway Minn-Kota Summer Nationals 6th A Main
8-11-23 River Cities Raceway Minn-Kota Summer Nationals 11th B Main
8-12-23 Greenbush Race Park Minn-Kota Summer Nationals 2nd A Main
8-14-23 Buffalo River Speedway Minn-Kota Summer Nationals Rained Out
8-19-23 Perris Auto Speedway POWRi Southwest Lightning Rained Out
9-23-23 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 17th A Main
10-14-23 Mohave Valley Raceway POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprints 6th A Main
10-20-23 Imperial Valley Raceway POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprints 1st A Main
10-21-23 Imperial Valley Raceway POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprints 3rd A Main
11-11-23 Perris Auto Speedway POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprints 6th A Main
11-14-23 Bakersfield Speedway POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprints 4th A Main
11-17-23 Placerville Speedway California Lightning Sprints DNS
Dalton Sexton
3-10-23 Imperial Valley Raceway POWRi Southwest Lightning 14th A Main
4-1-23 Mohave Valley Raceway POWRi Southwest Lightning DNS
4-15-23 Perris Auto Speedway POWRi Southwest Lightning 3rd A Main
8-22-23 Perris Auto Speedway POWRi Southwest Lightning Rained Out
Grant Sexton
1-27-23 Cocopah Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 16th A Main
1-28-23 Cocopah Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars DNS
3-18-23 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 19th A Main
4-1-23 Mohave Valley Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 13th B Main
4-15-23 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 12th A Main
4-22-23 Kings Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 7th A Main
4-29-23 Kern County Raceway Park USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 12th A Main
5-6-23 Mohave Valley Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 6th A Main
5-20-23 Thunderbowl Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 14th A Main
5-27-23 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 9th A Main
6-10-23 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 15th A Main
6-17-23 Ventura Raceway USAC West Coast Sprints 21st A Main
6-24-23 Bakersfield Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 5th A Main
7-15-23 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 16th A Main
8-10-23 Devils Lake Raceway Minn-Kota Summer Nationals 6th A Main
8-11-23 River Cities Raceway Minn-Kota Summer Nationals 10th A Main
8-12-23 Greenbush Race Park Minn-Kota Summer Nationals 19th A Main
8-14-23 Buffalo River Speedway Minn-Kota Summer Nationals Rained Out
8-19-23 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars Rained Out
9-23-23 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 13th A Main
10-14-23 Mohave Valley Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 20th A Main
10-20-23 Imperial Valley Raceway So Cal Open Comp Sprint Cars 5th A Main
11-3-23 Cocopah Speedway ASCS Sprint Cars 7th A Main
11-3-23 Cocopah Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 22nd A Main
11-4-23 Cocopah Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 15th A Main
11-11-23 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 8th A Main
11-25-23 Ventura Raceway USAC West Coast Sprint Cars 13th A Main
AJ Bender
3-10-23 Imperial Valley Raceway POWRi Southwest Lightning 1st A Main
3-10-23 Imperial Valley Raceway POWRi Southwest Lightning 7th A Main
4-1-23 Mohave Valley Raceway POWRi Southwest Lightning DNS
Robby Brockman
3-10-23 Imperial Valley Raceway POWRi Southwest Lightning 13th A Main
3-10-23 Imperial Valley Raceway POWRi Southwest Lightning 5th A Main
4-1-23 Mohave Valley Raceway POWRi Southwest Lightning 8th A Main
Darren Brown
7-8-23 Barona Speedway POWRi Southwest Lightning 1st A Main
Braden Chiaramonte
3-10-23 Imperial Valley Raceway POWRi Southwest Lightning 1st A Main
6-3-23 Bakersfield Speedway California Lightning Sprints 16th A Main
Geoff Dale
5-27-23 Perris Auto Speedway POWRi Southwest 4th A Main
