Torrance, CA — November 19, 2025 — The California Lightning Sprint Car Series presented by Motor City Buick/GMC will conclude its 31st season when championship hopefuls Aiden Lange and Drake Cardey square off on Tuesday, November 25th, in the 9th Annual West Coast Lightning Sprints Championship at Bakersfield Speedway, located inside Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway. The event is part of the Jason Leffler Memorial. Spectator gates open at 4:00 p.m., with racing scheduled for 5:00.
Point leader Lange, a seasoned CLS veteran despite being only 23, brings a 52-point edge over rookie challenger Cardey into the season finale. That margin was 98 entering the previous CLS stop at Jim Naylor’s Ventura Raceway on October 25th. However, throttle issues dropped Lange to 12th in the main, while Cardey’s strong third-place finish trimmed the deficit by 46 points.
Both title contenders experienced mixed fortunes at Bakersfield in 2025. When the CLS first visited on April 12th, Lange finished second, while Cardey, running fifth, exited early due to a fuel pump issue and wound up 10th. On June 7th, Lange set fast time but was sidelined by an ailing engine in his heat race and missed the main. Cardey appeared headed for a podium run before a disconnected Jacob’s ladder forced him out and left him eighth.
During the most recent Bakersfield outing on September 12th, Cardey placed fifth with Lange close behind in sixth.
Beyond the championship battle, two additional duels for top-five spots remain. 2024 Rookie of the Year Zate Legend of Riverside sits third, just 31 points ahead of Jeff Dyer of Yucca Valley. Oak Hills veteran Bobby Michnowicz holds fifth, with rookie Bradyn Collie of El Cajon a single point back.
Cardey also leads the Rookie of the Year race by 136 points over Collie and could clinch the honor as early as qualifying on Tuesday.
Lange, the current points leader, also tops the 2025 win column with four victories. Seven-time CLS champion Michnowicz and Dyer each have three wins. Palmdale’s Eric Greco, who led the standings until departing for Boise State University in August, has two. 2021 and 2022 CLS champion David Gasper of Goleta, and Hunter Kinney of Rocklin each own one win this year.
Greco, Dyer, and Michnowicz won the three CLS races at Bakersfield this season.
Michnowicz leads all drivers in Western States Lightning Sprints Championship victories with four, earning his most recent two seasons ago at the original Bakersfield Speedway.
Adding to Tuesday’s field will be the father-son pairing of Brent and Grant Sexton of Lakeside. Brent owns three lightning sprint titles—1999 and 2008 with the CLS and 2022 with the former POWRi Southwest Series—while Grant captured the POWRi crown in 2021.
Spectator gates at Bakersfield open at 4:00 p.m. with racing at 5:00. Tickets for adults are $30. Kids 6–12 are $15, and children 5 and under are free. The track sits alongside Interstate 5 at 13500 Raceway Boulevard in Bakersfield. More information is available at www.bakersfieldspeedway.com or by calling (661) 835-1264.
For more updates and series information, follow the California Lightning Sprint Car Series on social media and visit the official website at racecls.com.
The CLS would like to thank the following companies for being partners in the 2025 season. Motor City Buick/GMC, American Racer Tires, T Shirts By Timeless, Advanced Racing Suspension, BR Motorsports, Competition Suspension Incorporated, Diablo Fabrication and Design, Eibach Springs, Extreme Mufflers, EZ UP, Hoosier Tires, The Joie of Seating, King Racing Products, Outlaw Wings, RacingJunk.com, RC Fuel Injection, Rod End Supply, Saldana Racing Products, SpeedMart, and Triple X Race Components. If you would like to join the CLS and be a marketing partner in 2025, please contact Jon Robertson via email at jon.robertson@sbcglobal.net or by calling (310) 367-9050.
Motor City Buick/GMC California Lightning Series Points
- Aiden Lange … 1561
- Drake Cardey … 1509
- Zate Legend … 1467
- Jeff Dyer … 1436
- Bobby Michnowicz … 1374
- Braydin Collie … 1373
- Leland Day … 1184
- Jon Robertson … 1102
- Eric Greco … 1058
- Cody Nigh … 992
CLS vs BCRA Civil War Series Final Points
- Greg Dennett, BCRA … 427
- Aiden Lange, CLS … 425
- Drake Cardey, CLS … 401
- Bobby Michnowicz, CLS … 391
- Jeff Dyer, CLS … 381
- Braydin Collie, CLS … 377
- Zate Land, CLS … 373
- Matt Land, BCRA … 367
- Leland Day, CLS … 352
- Eric Greco, CLS … 328
Central California Shootout Final Points
- Aiden Lange …242
- Drake Cardey … 225
- T.J. Smith … 224
- Jeff Dyer … 221
- Leland Day … 213
- Braydin Collie … 207
- Hunter Kinney … 206
- Zate Legend … 199
- Jon Robertson … 187
- Eric Greco … 139
2025 California Lightning Sprint Car Series Schedule
April 12 Bakersfield Speedway Eric Greco
May 3 Ventura Raceway Aiden Lange
May 17 Merced Speedway David Gasper (CLS vs BCRA Civil War)
May 31 Ventura Raceway Postponed
June 7 Bakersfield Speedway Jeff Dyer
June 21 Ventura Raceway Aiden Lange
July 5 Santa Maria Speedway Aiden Lange
July 26 Santa Maria Speedway CLS vs BCRA Civil War Aiden Lange
August 22 Plaza Park Raceway Eric Greco
August 23 Lemoore Jet Bowl Raceway Hunter Kinney
August 30 Ventura Raceway Jeff Dyer
September 12 Bakersfield Speedway CLS vs BCRA Civil War Bobby Michnowicz
September 13 Merced Speedway CLS vs BCRA Civil War Bobby Michnowicz
October 4 Ventura Raceway Bobby Michnowicz
October 25 Ventura Raceway Jeff Dyer
November 25 Bakersfield Speedway Western Lightning Sprint Car Championship with USAC National Midgets on Flo
To keep up with the CLS online, please visit the website at http://racecls.com/ and follow on the club’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/californialightningsprints.
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
2022 David Gasper
2023 Bobby Michnowicz
2024 Bobby Michnowicz
Special Thanks to Wendy Michnowicz and Ed Haney Video.
