Perris, California — December 10, 2025 — “Shugah’” Shane Sexton closed out a successful 2025 racing season at the Motor City Buick/GMC California Lightning Sprint Car Series’ 9th Annual Western States Lightning Sprints Championship on the Bakersfield Speedway at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway. While the finale did not go as planned, the affable driver—who competed in both Lightning and 410 sprint cars in 2025—enjoyed a fun and rewarding campaign in which the highs outweighed the lows by a wide margin.
A heavy equipment operator when he wasn’t behind the wheel of a race car, Sexton made 14 appearances on Southern California dirt tracks in 2025. Ten of those came in his primary focus for the season, Lightning Sprints, while four were in his 410 sprint car, competing in the Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA Series.
Eight of his 14 starts were with the SoCal Lightning Sprint Car Series at Barona Speedway, where he turned in his strongest performances of the year. Three of those outings resulted in top-three finishes, highlighted by a victory on June 7 in his first Lightning Sprint start of the season. He followed that win with two second-place finishes and two thirds. In the three races where he did not reach the podium, he was eliminated early due to racing incidents.
In a true case of “you can’t make this stuff up,” Sexton appeared poised to finish third in the season long SCLS championship standings following a hard-fought battle heading into the late-October finale. He did everything required on track, passing the necessary number of cars to secure the podium position in the points chase. However, on the final lap, a broken left-rear torsion arm forced him out of the race, dropping him back to sixth in the championship standings.
“We finished the 2025 season with 5 heat race wins, eight top 10s, five top 5s, and one win in the SoCal Lightning Sprints,” the Warner Springs, California driver told his social media followers. “Missed the first two races, but overall had speed every time we hit the track. The 410 season didn’t go as planned due to a lot of the races conflicting with class schedule, but with limited track time we went forward in every main, and I’ll take it. Next season, we will be redoing our design on our Lightning Sprint. So, it will be a blank canvas with plenty of room for new sponsorship. Thank you to my sponsors for this 2025 season! GAS Chassis, Mike Pridgeon Race Engines, AG Sand Cars, HRP, Savage Racing, Adfab Graphics, Elite Powder Coating, and Sexton Fire Protection.”
The season finale at Bakersfield was a rare night when Sexton battled car issues all night. In qualifying, a birdcage failed. With that fixed, he went out for his heat and dropped an injector. Lastly, in the main, a bent left rear torsion arm ended his race early and saddled him with an 18th-place finish.
The start to Sexton’s 2026 season is not that far away. The first USAC/CRA race of the year is February 14th at Perris Auto Speedway. The first weekend of March, the SoCal Lightning Sprint Car Series will kick off its third season with two nights of racing at the California Mid-Winter Fair at the Imperial Valley Raceway.
Businesses interested in partnering with Shane Sexton’s exciting program in 2026 are encouraged to contact him at ShaneSexton7@gmail.com or (610) 362-5921.
Shane Sexton 2025 Race Results
Date Track Series Results
3/1 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 17th A Main
4/5 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 18th A Main
5/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 15th A Main
6/7 Barona Speedway So Cal Lightning Sprints 1st A Main
6/21 Ventura Raceway California Lightning Sprints 12th A Main
7/19 Barona Speedway SoCal Lightning Sprints 2nd A Main
8/1 Barona Speedway SoCal Lightning Sprints 9th A Main
8/2 Barona Speedway SoCal Lightning Sprints 3rd A Main
8/16 Barona Speedway SoCal Lightning Sprints 3rd A Main
9/13 Barona Speedway SoCal Lightning Sprints 10th A Main
10/4 Barona Speedway SoCal Lightning Sprints 2nd A Main
10/25 Barona Speedway SoCal Lightning Sprints 8th A Main
11/8 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 15th A Main
11/25 Bakersfield Speedway California Lightning Sprints 18th A Main
