Lance Willsey and João Barbosa confirmed for the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season behind the wheel of the team’s Ligier JS P217

JUPITER, Florida (20 November 2023) – Sean Creech Motorsport (SCM) completed a successful test of its Ligier LMP2 car last week at Sebring International Raceway as preparation continues in earnest for the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

Drivers Lance Willsey and João Barbosa are set to return to SCM in 2024, with two additional drivers for January’s Rolex 24 at Daytona yet to be announced. Both full season drivers gained significant experience behind the wheel of the No. 33 Focal One Ligier JS P217 at Sebring, as the car paced 213 trouble-free laps in a test abbreviated by inclement weather.

SCM made the switch from the LMP3 class to LMP2 and chose to remain with Ligier in a JS P217 chassis. The team has competed in multiple IMSA series with the Ligier LMP3 car for the past five years, but both drivers quickly realized that the only characteristic the Ligier P3 and P2 cars share is the label.

“The Ligier is an extremely capable car,” said Willsey. “But it’s a completely different car to drive than the P3 so it requires a very significant resetting of muscle memory with regards to everything from brake points to throttle applications. That means I am starting over to an extent, but we have a solid team at SCM and a great deal of engineering assistance from Ligier, which is a huge help.”

Last week’s test can be summed up in one word: incremental – as in incremental changes to the setup, with team engineers learning what makes the Ligier JS P217 LMP2 car work, and incremental adjustments by the two drivers as they come to grips with the myriad of differences between the LMP3 and LMP2 cars.

The test was scheduled for two full days, but Florida weather had other ideas, as a persistent low-pressure system held Wednesday’s test to only 33 laps in the early morning. But Barbosa was able to get a solid read on the car, happy with the balance and grip level before the rains came and washed out the remainder of the day.

Conditions were cool Thursday morning, with intermittent light sprinkles as Willsey took his first laps in the car. As the day progressed, the team worked on a wide variety of setups and adjustments as knowledge of the car was gained and the track evolved. Both drivers were quite encouraged at the end of the day, having run 10 hours completely trouble-free.

“It was a steady progression of developing the car, which went extremely well,” said Willsey. “Then for me, it was just a matter of figuring out all the nuances to this car. But I’m extremely pleased – and I would say that I’m most pleased about the effort that the team has put in, stripping the car and completely rebuilding it flawlessly. We rolled out at Sebring and just did fuel and tires all day long without a single issue. So barring the weather hiccup, it could not have gone smoother from the perspective of our to-do list. We had a set of changes we wanted to work through and quantify, and we ticked off all those boxes.

“We’ve got a long road ahead to completely learn this car, but we’re on that path.”

“The car was just spot-on, and that’s down to all the hard work by the team,” said Barbosa, a four-time winner of the Rolex 24. “They did a superb job – after all the late nights and the long hours at the shop, it was great to see their faces as the day progressed, knowing that the hard work really paid off. The car ran like clockwork and we were able to go through a lot of our test items, even more than we were expecting. So for our first proper test day with this car and with the crew getting to know how it operates, it was very, very positive. We’re excited about the test in Daytona and the chance to see where we stack up.”

As Barbosa gained more experience behind the wheel of the Ligier, he found that the LMP2 car was much closer in performance to the cars he ran for years in the DPi class, rather than to the LMP3 car.

“The Ligier P2 just does everything better than the P3: it’s a five-star car. I had to go back to the DPi days to find related performance. It’s a bit like one of those cars: obviously a little bit less power but everything else is similar. We know that Daytona is going to be a different animal, but I think we’re ready to go. The crew is pumped up.”

At the end of the test, team principal Sean Creech was very pleased with the car’s performance and that of the crew, after the long months of preparation.

“Reliability and strategy will be key in the endurance races and last week’s test was a good look in terms of reliability,” said Creech. “We ran 10 hours trouble-free on Thursday and if there’s a weakness in this car, this track would have found it. But I can’t say enough about the crew – they did a phenomenal job on this car, and that work showed. It was a good start to the 2024 season.”

Next up for the SCM team is the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s official series test at the Daytona International Speedway. The LMP2 teams will be on track December 6 and 7, in preparation for January’s season opener, the 62nd Rolex 24 at Daytona.

SCM thanks partner Focal One for its continued support.

About SCM

Team leader Sean Creech has competed in a multitude of sports car series from 1990 until the present day, including Group C, IMSA GTP, WSC, Grand-Am, SRO World Challenge, and IMSA. SCM will contest the full WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in 2023 with João Barbosa and Lance Willsey. http://seancreechmotorsport.com/

About Focal One

One in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime in the United States. The Focal One® HIFU Prostate treatment offers patients a non-invasive outpatient procedure to target prostate tissue while avoiding the common side effects such as loss of urinary continence and sexual function. The Focal One treatment uses high-performance, high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) to precisely target and ablate the prostate, allowing patients to quickly return to normal activities. http://www.focalone.com/

Vallelunga, Spain, November 20 – Ron Atapattu and Kevin Madsen competed in the IMSA Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America series season finale at the historic 4-kilometer Vallelunga Circuit near Rome, Italy. The duo raced the No. 124 Lamborghini Broward Super Trofeo EVO2 in the AM-LC class for the 10th edition of the Lamborghini Super Trofeo World Finals.

An announced 85 cars from around the world were competing and challenging one another for podium finishes across two separate regional races and two World Final races.

The Lamborghini Broward team did not have a good start to the race week when Atapattu and Madsen were unable to practice or qualify due to a needed fuel cell change necessitated after a safety inspection. That required the Miami-based ANSA team, who prepares and fields the car, to pull the engine, gear box and fuel system before they could bring the car on the grid. They were fortunate to receive support from a competing American team, the Indianapolis-based WTRAndretti team, who assisted the crew to work through the night to get the car prepared, showing the true spirit of racing.

With no qualifying time, the No. 124 Lamborghini Broward Super Trofeo EVO2 had to start from the 27th position on the grid for the USA Race 1. That only gave Atapattu and Madsen the determination they needed to push against all odds to finish third in class and 12th overall and be able to proudly raise their trophies from the podium after an amazing drive.

For USA Race 2, Madsen started from last on the grid. He fought hard during the first part of the race and was leading in class when he pitted for a mandatory pit stop. Atapattu took the wheel and maintained a strong drive, including a hard charge after losing some positions, and finished third in class in spectacular form.

The impressive drives by Atapattu and Madsen in the No. 124 Lamborghini Broward Super Trofeo EVO2 awarded them with back-to-back podium appearances at the biggest Lamborghini races in the world. Following two previous podium finishes, including a victory at the season opener at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Calif., in Monterey, solidified an amazing partial season in the 2023 IMSA Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America series for the well paired duo.

Quotes:

Ron Atapattu, Team Owner/Driver, No. 124 Lamborghini Broward Elephantea Super Trofeo EVO2:

“We were not lucky this year, experiencing mid-season engine issues at Indianapolis and rear axle failure while leading at Road America. This weekend went south when we were blinded-sided by Italian track folks with a safety inspection that required us to change the fuel cell. The team worked tirelessly all night to pull the engine, gear box and fuel system. After all this we are super happy to take two podium finishes this weekend. We are back and it was a great way to close out the North America season!”

Kevin Madsen, Driver, No. 124 Lamborghini Broward Elephantea Super Trofeo EVO2:

Regarding USA Race 1:

“Holy cow! With the car never touching the track in practice or qualifying, who would have thought we’d charge like an elephant to the front and end up on podium. Thanks to the team at ANSA, Lamborghini, and Wayne Taylor Racing for getting the new fuel cell in our car. Great drive for Ron and glad I could cut through the field after he gave me the car in Race 1.”

Regarding USA Race 2:

“For Race 2 I took the green starting from dead last in 27th position due to us missing qualifying and was happy to quickly make my way through the field. I’m told I turned the car over to Ron first in class, so it was clear the team and engineers did a great job to get us there. Ron stayed competitive in the field and brought us home our second podium here in Italy!”

The World Final races featured a race each day on Saturday and Sunday between 82 entrants from all Lamborghini Squadra Corse series around the globe – Europe, Asia, and North America at Autodromo Vallelunga in front of over 10,000 spectators.

In the World Finals qualifying, both Atapattu and Madsen had strong drives. Atapattu clocked his fastest lap of the weekend. In the end Madsen qualified fourth overall for an impressive result.

The World Finals Race 1 featured 40 cars in the AM-LC class race, which saw a number of cautions and accidents on course, which the No. 124 drivers had to negotiate through in order to remain in the race. Atapattu drove a clean stint and turned the ‘Raging Bull’ over to Madsen, who also had to manage accidents and traffic. On the final lap his luck ran out when he was hit from the rear, which sent him into the car in front. Then another car came from off in a gravel trap back on track into Madsen before spinning ahead of him and into the wall. They felt fortunate to cross the line in 15th position after starting in 38th and with only needing splitter and diffuser repairs afterward.

In World Finals Race 2 much of the same on track chaos was experienced with several drivers wrecking and more caution flags displayed. They were pleased to start the No. 124 Lamborghini Broward Super Trofeo EVO2 from fourth on the grid with Madsen as starting driver. He managed to turn the car over to Atapattu in third place. Ron drove a solid race and kept clean from the further Race 2 madness to finish with an impressive 12th in class/19th overall place finish in the ultra-competitive nearly 40-car field.

Quotes:

Ron Atapattu, Team Owner/Driver, No. 124 Lamborghini Broward Elephantea Super Trofeo EVO2:

“The World Final races were not for the weak at heart. With so many cars and different skill level drivers on track, there were plenty of accidents to try to avoid to even stay in the race. We managed it for the most part and finished both races. It would have been great to be on the podium again but considering all the chaos, we were glad for a solid finish in both races.”

Kevin Madsen, Driver, No. 124 Lamborghini Broward Elephantea Super Trofeo EVO2:

Regarding World Finals Qualifying:

“What an epic qualifying for the No. 124 Lamborghini Broward car. Ron had his best lap of the weekend. Just a great follow up to everything we trained for on the sim. I have to thank Tom and Pinky, our engineers, who gave us a fantastic car. We’re running an old ABS system in the car that no one else uses anymore so we knew we had to engineer around it and push as a driver to make up for that time loss. I’m so happy to snag fourth overall for Race 2 in a super competitive global 40 car field. Everyone involved here on the team should be proud.”

Regarding World Finals Race 1:

“Ron did a fantastic job in keeping the car clean in a race strewn with yellows. I hopped in and really had to be super cautious moving past every car. There were also a lot of wrecks I had to avoid and multiple yellows. In the end we avoided any trouble and made it through over half the 40-car field but on the final lap, after a yellow packed the field up, it really got bad. I was hit from behind multiple times in Turn 11 with the first hit sending me into the car ahead. Then in the final corner a car that was off track came back on track and down into me before spinning. It was just a battleground out there but happy to get to the finish with minimal bruising.”

Regarding World Finals Race 2:

“It felt great starting fourth on the grid to keep ahead of a lot of the trouble going on mid-pack. The power steering issues I had in qualifying, which gave me a bicep workout, were resolved and the car mostly patched up after the hits we took in Race 1 from competitors. I turned the car over to Ron in third and he drove solid all the way to the checkered. What a great end to the weekend.

“There were a lot of contact and yellows and crashes in both world finals races. Ron did a great job staying away from most of the trouble out there and bringing it home in both World Final races.”

This weekend concludes the Lamborghini Super Trofeo season for 2023. No plans or announcement have yet been made for 2024.

Warren Henry Auto Group’s Lamborghini Broward, located in Davie, Florida, serves as a sponsor and partner for the Wild Elephant Racing team.

Supporting partners for the Wild Elephant Racing team include Lamborghini Broward, elephantea, ShipOCI, Star Warehouse, Hippogriff Racing Co., Racers Safety Source, and CXC Simulations.

About Warren Henry Auto Group

Established in 1976, Warren Henry Auto Group is one of the longest-standing, private, family-owned dealership groups in Florida. The company comprises of nearly 500 employees, six different retail locations, and 17 luxury and premium brands including Jaguar, Land Rover, INFINITI, Audi, Lamborghini, Bugatti, Hennessey, Koenigsegg, Toyota, Ford, Lincoln, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, RAM, Icon, and Vespa.

Grounded in its original core values and vision, the company prides itself on providing exceptional customer service, creating a superior work environment for its employees, and supporting local causes in the communities it serves. Warren Henry Auto Group has received numerous awards and accolades including being named Best Dealership to Work for by Automotive News, honored by J.D. Power for Dealer of Excellence, and recognized by the South Florida Business Journal Philanthropy List. The company’s headquarters is located at 2300 NE 151st Street in North Miami. For more information, call (305) 690-6006 or visit: www.warrenhenryauto.com.

For more information, please go to: www.wildelephantracing.com.

(Cypress, CA, November 18, 2023) Brody Roa finished off his spectacular 2023 USAC/CRA Championship season with a second-place finish in the series finale at Perris Auto Speedway. The result gave him 14 top-five finishes in the 18 races on the schedule. Included among those top five were eight wins. The victories brought his lifetime total to 21 and propelled him to fourth all-time in the 24-season history of USAC/CRA.

Roa, 32, entered the 2023 finale with the championship already wrapped up, but it did not hold back his effort. Competing against a stout 29-car field, he pushed the pristine white Inland Rigging #17R to the seventh-fastest qualifying time with a lap of 16.632. That placed him in the fifth starting spot in the third 10-lap heat race. The Garden Grove, California driver steered his way to an impressive second-place finish in the heat.

Roa started on the pole for the final 30-lapper of the year at the legendary 27-year-old half-mile clay oval. From there he led the first 17 laps in the Tommy and Christy Dunkel-owned car before slipping back to second. He stayed there through the final USAC/CRA checkered flag of the 2023 season.

Roa’s eight wins in 18 USAC/CRA races and 14 top-five finishes are extremely impressive. Just as remarkable is the fact that he finished on the lead lap in 16 of the 18 races. In one of the races he did not, he was on his way to a certain victory when he was knocked out by a lapped car.

“I never thought about it,” Roa responded when he was asked about finishing on the lead lap all but two times. “Just getting lapped is something I am not really proud of. I guess thinking about it, that is pretty cool. I have never thought about it before.”

Throughout the season, Roa and the entire team were cool, calm, and relaxed. The season was stress free and that contributed a lot to the success. There was little worry throughout the year.

“Not, not really,” he answered if there was any time he was worried about the way things had gone. “The points deal, I was comfortable with it all year. The way we were running and the decisions (on the car) we were making were really good. There was no point in the year when we were really struggling that I thought we were not good enough to stay out there (in the point lead). I never got worried about it until the end when I was worried about finishing it. Honestly, I paid more attention to the heat race points than the year-end points.”

Another deal for Roa this year was the fact that for the first time, he was driving for someone else. Inland Rigging’s Tom and Christy Dunkel provided him with everything he needed to win a championship. In addition to cars, they also added support away from the track and a great friendship.

“It was smooth,” he said about driving for the Dunkel’s. “The 410 stuff really kind of operated the same. Tommy and I worked together really good on what we needed throughout the year. Having the 410 car at my house was nice. I could do what it needed maintenance-wise and make sure it was good to go. Tom was always there for support with what we needed. It was a really smooth transition. It almost seemed the same. Just with a different car and a different look.”

“Tom, Christy, and Inland Rigging have supported me for a few years now. It was not like somebody brand new came in and we had to learn to work together and learn to communicate. I think that really helped with the immediate success. We already had a relationship coming into the deal. This year it was just at a much higher level.”

With the busy season almost done, Roa will have some extra time on his hands.

“I don’t know,” the friendly driver laughed when asked what he was going to do with the time off after Saturday’s Turkey Night Grand Prix. “Christmas is a pretty serious thing around this household. We will do that. The week before Turkey Night we are going to go out to the river and do Thanksgiving out there. We will pretty much go straight from there to Ventura on Friday. Through the off season we will just spend some time with the family and find some cool stuff to do. Hang around home and make some plans for next year, too.”

One of the cool things he will do is go to the USAC Champions banquet in Indiana. It will be his second time there. The first came after he won the USAC West Coast Series Championship in 2016. Then there is this little indoor race in Tulsa in January. He has raced in the Chili Bowl before, but as of right now, he does not have a ride.

“No plans for the Chili Bowl right now,” Roa said. “I would love to. If anything I would love to go to the Chili Bowl. No plans to drive right now.”

“Yeah, oh yeah,” he responded when asked if he would drive if someone called and offered him a Chili Bowl ride. “Definitely.”

Roa was not the only one flying the Inland Rigging banner at the Perris finale. Tommy Dunkel made his 410 debut in the USAC/CRA Series. While he has raced in the series with a 360 engine before, it was his first time racing a 410 and he gave a good account of himself. In his first voyage in a 410 sprint car, which is about as equal as riding a Brahma Bull in the PBR, he qualified 23rd of the 29 cars on hand. He placed seventh in his heat and eighth in the B main. That B main finish only left him two spots shy of making the 30-lap finale.

In addition to Roa and Dunkel, the team brought a third car for Eddie Tafoya Jr. to race in The PAS Senior Sprint Cars. Racing for the first time in over half a decade, the past Pittsburgh Pirates draft choice won the Senior main event.

The team wants to thank the following sponsors for making the 2023 season possible. Inland Rigging, Dunkel Farms, United Asset Sales, Osborne Speed & Machine, “Biker” Bruce Fischer, ALR Virtual Services, Burris Racing, Caltrol, Jambo Barbeque Pits, Competition Suspension, K-1 Race Gear, Molecule, Rod End Supply, Driven Racing Oil, Baldwin Filters, and NGK Spark Plugs.

Brody Roa’s 2023 Race Results

January 27 Cocopah Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 1st A Main

January 28 Cocopah Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 1st A Main

February 25 Kern County Raceway Park USAC West Coast Sprint Cars Rained Out

March 3 Central Arizona Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars Rained Out

March 4 Central Arizona Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars Rained Out

March 11 Imperial Valley Raceway SoCal Open Comp 17th A Main

March 18 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 2nd A Main

March 24 Kings Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars Rained Out

March 25 Thunderbowl Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars Rained Out

April 1 Mohave Valley Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 2nd A Main

April 15 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 5th A Main

April 22 Kings Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 1st A Main

April 29 Kern County Raceway Park USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 1st A Main

May 6 Mohave Valley Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 1st A Main

May 20 Thunderbowl Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 2nd A Main

May 27 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 15th A Main

June 10 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 1st A Main

June 24 Bakersfield Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 1st A Main

July 15 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 1st A Main

August 12 Santa Maria Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars Canceled

August 19 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars Rained Out

September 7 Devils Bowl Speedway USAC National Sprint Cars 6th A Main

September 8 Texarkana 67 Speedway USAC National Sprint Cars Rained Out

September 9 Texarkana 67 Speedway USAC National Sprint Cars 14th A Main

September 23 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 2nd A Main

October 14 Mohave Valley Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 6th A Main

October 21 Imperial Valley Raceway SoCal Open Comp 1st A Main

November 3 Cocopah Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 15th A Main

November 4 Cocopah Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 12th A Main

November 11 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 2nd A Main

November 25 Ventura Raceway USAC West Coast Sprint Cars

Tom Dunkel’s 2023 Racing Results

January 12 Chili Bowl Midget Nationals Prelim. Night 12th C Main

March 11 Imperial Valley Raceway SoCal Open Comp 16th A Main

April 1 Mohave Valley Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 9th B Main

April 8 Ventura Raceway VRA Sprint Cars 1st A Main

May 6 Mohave Valley Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 11th A Main

May 13 Ventura Raceway USAC West Coast Sprint Cars 11th A Main

June 17 Ventura Raceway USAC West Coast Sprint Cars 19th A Main

June 24 Bakersfield Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 14th A Main

July 8 Ventura Raceway VRA Sprint Cars 2nd A Main

July 15 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 8th A Main

August 19 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars Rained Out

September 2 Ventura Raceway VRA Sprint Cars 2nd A Main

September 16 Ventura Raceway USAC West Coast Sprint Cars 8th A Main

October 7 Kern County Raceway Park USAC West Coast Sprint Cars 19th A Main

October 14 Imperial Valley Raceway So Cal Open Comp DNS

November 11 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 8th B Main

November 25 Ventura Raceway USAC West Coast Sprint Cars

Eddie Tafoya Sr. Racing Results

November 11 Perris Auto Speedway Senior Sprints 1st A Main

(Torrance, CA, November 18, 2023) Mere hours before his 60th birthday, legendary Bobby Michnowicz driver gave himself an early present by sewing up his historic sixth California Lightning Sprint Car Series championship. The victory, his sixth in the CLS in 2023, came during the running of the 7th Annual Western States Lightning Sprint Car Series championship at the Bakersfield Speedway. It was his fourth win in the first seven years of the event. In addition to capturing the main, and sewing up the CLS title, the longtime racer also clinched the crown in the CLS/POWRi Best of the West Series.

To say Michnowicz, who out-qualified the 16-car field, had an easy time in the 25-lap main event which featured $500.00 to win and at least $100.00 to start courtesy of Channel Islands Floorcoverings, is not an understatement. That is, it was not an understatement for 24 ¼ laps. The last ¾ of a lap was a monster with the wily veteran losing the lead going into turn three to Lakewood’s Aiden Lange, taking it back coming out of turn four, and winning in a dramatic photo finish.

Appropriately, Michnowicz’s lap of 12.580 was the quickest in Iron Alliance Engineering Qualifying on “The West’s Fastest 1/3-Mile High Banked Clay Oval.” Levi Klatt, who drove 1,150 miles from Langley, British Columbia, Canada to compete at the “Okie Bowl,” was second fastest at 12.609. The third-best time in qualifying came from 15-year-old Brodey Graham at 12.812. It was only Graham’s second time in a lightning sprint. His first was on October 28th when he shocked the regulars by taking the win at the Ventura Raceway.

2022 POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprint Car Series champion Brent Sexton of Lakeside bagged the win in the AG Sandcars/Triple X Racing heat #1. The 50-year-old was chased to his third heat win of the season by “Rockstar” Jon Robertson of Torrance and Michnowicz. In the T Shirts By Timeless second heat, 16-year-old Seth Dyer of Yucca Valley was the first driver to starter Jimmy “The Shoe” Irwin’s checkered flag. It was his second heat race triumph of 2023. Lakewood’s Aiden Lange and Dyer’s father, Jeff, finished in the place and show spots.

The last order of business before the main was the six car dash. It would establish the starting positions for the first three rows of the main. Jeff Dyer emerged victorious from that and earned the pole position. Michnowicz placed second and started alongside Dyer. Row two was set with Lange and Graham. BCRA star Greg Dennett of Livermore and Palmdale’s Eric Greco would start in row three.

When the green flag signaled the start of the final CLS points race of the series 29th season, Michnowicz raced into the lead ahead of Jeff Dyer, Lange, and Graham. Unfortunately, just after the first lap was completed, the yellow flew when Greco and 2022 CLS Rookie of the Year Connor Speir of Fillmore stopped in turn four. Greco drove away, but Speir had to be towed off the track with the front end of his pretty #57 severely damaged.

Things stayed status quo once the race restarted, but Michnowicz, in his familiar T Shirts By Timeless/Super Shox/Pflum & Wagner/Outlaw Wings/Fabozi Metal Works/Bondio Fab/Fast Time Studios/TJ Forged/DLX/Kawasaki ZX10 #21K, was pulling away from the field. By the time he had circled the 1/3 mile banked oval five times, he had established a 2.5-second lead over Dyer.

Bakersfield local Graham, who was once again looking like a seasoned veteran in the main event, was running third on lap eight when he suddenly slowed and pulled to the infield. That moved Lange up to third and Klatt to fourth. Moments after he pulled to the infield, heat two winner Seth Dyer did likewise. Unfortunately, Klatt did the same on lap 11 and became the next car out.

Michnowicz reached the lapped traffic on the 12th circuit. By that time he had a massive lead and looked to be headed for a certain win. Lange, who had finished in the top five in his last six starts, chased down Dyer at the halfway point and took him for second coming out of turn four. Dyer tried to come back on the inside, but Lange repelled the challenge. Even though he had moved up to second, he was far behind the streaking Michnowicz and seemingly had no way of catching the race-long leader. But nobody informed the young driver that he did not have a chance.

With 10 laps remaining, Michnowicz still had a 2.4-second lead over Lange. Suddenly, things began to change. Lange, who was seeking his second victory of the season, was inching his way closer to the leader. With five circuits to go, he was closing in dramatically. Michnowicz was hugging the bottom of the track while Lange was on the high side in one and two and would hit the low line in three and four.

As they took the white flag, Lange was about three lengths behind Michnowicz. There was a lapped car directly in front of the race long leader as they sped into turn one. Lange kept the throttle on and surged into the lead going down the back chute. Like he had been doing, he brought it back down to the inside going into three. Michnowicz was right behind him and the lapped car was right in front of both. As the lapped car came off the corner, it drifted up a lane. Lange was right behind him and did the same. Seeing a huge gap open up in front of him, Michnowicz’s eyes must have gotten as big as saucers. He blasted into the gap and pulled alongside Lange. They raced across the line inches apart and it was hard to tell who won. It was another Bakersfield/CLS barn burner finish. Visually, it was too hard to tell who the victor was. Veteran Bakersfield announcer John Candy shouted to the crowd, “It’s a you pick em’ photo finish at the line.” After several seconds and checking with the officials, Candy announced that Michnowicz had won.

How close was it? Winner Michnowicz did not know who won. When he was told to pull over and stop on the infield, he had to gesture to an official to find out if it was him or Lange.

“I don’t know who won, I didn’t know,” Michnowicz told the crowd when he was interviewed by USAC’s Drake York after the race. “I thought I got him, but then I looked at the board and it said #13. I thought I lost (at that point), but I guess I won.”

“I knew I was slow,” the happy winner continued. “I couldn’t even get by the lapped cars. It is tough to go out because you have to guess (while waiting for the USAC B main to conclude). You cannot work on your car as you have to sit there in the hot chute. We just guessed. I left it stuck out on the right rear and everything. I knew I was not good, but we won and I guess that is what counts.”

“It is cool. I never really watch points or count them. I just like to race. We always try to do our best and put ourselves with a chance to be out front and win some races. This is my favorite track. I love coming to Bakersfield. I raced Leland McSpadden here, that is how old I am. It is a great facility and the Schweitzer’s do a phenomenal job. The track is just good. I have been coming here since I was 16 years old in 1980. It has been a long time.”

Behind Michnowicz and Lange, Jeff Dyer, Sexton, and Dennett rounded out the top five. Bakersfield local Leland Day took home $100.00 for being the “PJ Benidetti Hard Charger” by placing sixth after starting 13th.

At the end of Tuesday’s race, which was the 16th of the year, Michnowicz was 143 points clear of second place Greco in the CLS championship standings. Lange placed third with Robertson fourth and Speir fifth.

In addition to winning his sixth CLS title, Michnowicz also sewed up the Best of the West title that matches the CLS/SWLS. The veteran driver had a 98-point cushion between himself and second-place finisher Greco. Jeff Dyer, Sexton, and Robertson placed third through fifth. All told, CLS drivers took eight of the top 10 spots in the first-year mini-series.

The next item on the agenda for the CLS will be the 2023 awards banquet on February 3rd. Details will be available soon on the CLS Facebook page.,

The CLS has already announced that its historic 30th season will kick off during the California Mid-Winter Fair at the Imperial Valley Raceway with races on March 1st and 2nd.

The following companies were marketing partners with the CLS in 2023. Hoosier Tires West, T-Shirts By Timeless, Extreme Mufflers, RacingJunk.com, Advanced Racing Suspension, Channel Islands Floorcoverings, King Racing Products, BR Motorsports, EZ Up, RC Fuel Injection, and Triple X. If you or your company would like to be a marketing partner with the CLS, please contact Jon Robertson using the contact information at the top of this release.

To keep up with the CLS online, please visit the website at http://racecls.com/ and follow on the club’s Facebook page.

California Lightning Sprint Car Series Bakersfield Speedway November 14th Results

Iron Alliance Engineering Qualifying: 1. Bobby Michnowicz, 12.580; 2. Levi Klatt, 12.609; 3. Brodey Graham, 12.812; 4. Eric Greco, 12.869; 5. Greg Dennett, 12.937; 6. Aiden Lange, 12.946; 7. Connor Speir, 12.969; 8. Jeff Dyer, 13.022; 9. Brent Sexton, 13.206; 10. Seth Dyer, 13.251; 11. Jon Robertson, 13.279, 12. Zate Legend, 13.336, 13. Leland Day, 13.415; 14. Brent Horn, 13,657; 15. Jason Schapansky, 13.729; 16. Pat Kelley, 14.068

AG Sandcars/Triple X Racing Heat #1: 1. Sexton, 2. Robertson, 3. Michnowicz, 4. Dennett, 5. Graham, 6. Day, 7. Speir, 8. Schapansky

T Shirt By Timeless Heat #2: 1. Seth Dyer, 2. Lange, 3. Jeff Dyer, 4. Greco, 5. Horn, 6. Kelley, 7. Legend, 8. Klatt

Dash: 1. Jeff Dyer, 2. Michnowicz, 3. Lange, 4. Graham, 5. Dennett, 6. Greco

7th Annual Western States Lightning Sprint Car Championship 25-Lap Main Event With Starting Positions

1. Bobby Michnowicz, Oak Hills, CA … 2nd
2. Aiden Lange, Lakewood, CA …. 3rd
3. Jeff Dyer, Yucca Valley, CA … 1st
4. Brent Sexton, Lakeside, CA … 7th
5. Greg Dennett, Livermore, CA … 5th
6. Leland Day, Bakersfield, CA … 13th
7. Eric Greco, Palmdale, CA … 6th
8. Zate Legend, Riverside, CA … 10th
9. Brent Horn, El Cajon, CA … 14th
10. Pat Kelley, Chino, CA … 15th
11. Jason Schapansky, Kamloops, BC, Canada … 16th
12. Levi Klatt, Langley, BC, Canada … 11th
13. Brodey Graham, Bakersfield, CA … 4th
14. Seth Dyer, Yucca Valley, CA … 8th
15. Jon Robertson, Torrance, CA … 9th
16. Connor Speir, Fillmore, CA … 12th

2023 California Lightning Sprint Car Series Final Point Standings

1. Bobby Michnowicz, Lomita, CA … 2026
2. Eric Greco, Palmdale, CA … 1883
3. Aiden Lange, Lakewood, CA … 1509
4. Jon Robertson, Torrance, CA … 1434
5. Connor Speir, Fillmore, CA … 1383
6. Jeff Dyer, Yucca Valley, CA … 1349
7. Seth Dyer, Yucca Valley, CA … 1440
8. Cody Nigh, Camarillo, CA … 959
9. Pat Kelley, Chino, CA … 927
10. Brent Sexton, Lakeside, CA … 817

CLS vs BCRA Civil War Standings

1. Greg Dennett, BCRA … 504
2. Eric Greco, CLS … 485
3. Bobby Michnowicz, CLS … 447
4. Dakota Albright, BCRA … 441
5. Aiden Lange, CLS … 430
6. Chris Crowder, BCRA … 343
7. Connor Speir, CLS … 327
8. Jon Robertson, CLS … 272
9. Leland Day, CLS … 245
10. Seth Dyer, CLS … 243

2023 CLS vs SWLS Best of the West Standings

1. Bobby Michnowicz, Lomita, CA, CLS … 919
2. Eric Greco, Palmdale, CA, CLS … 821
3. Jeff Dyer, Yucca Valley, CA, CLS … 789
4. Brent Sexton, Lakeside, CA. SWLS … 714
5. Jon Robertson, Torrance, CA, CLS … 633
6. Connor Speir, Fillmore, CA, CLS … 632
7. Seth Dyer, Yucca Valley, CA, CLS … 617
8. Pat Kelley, Chino, CA, CLS … 577
9. Aiden Lange, Lakewood, CA, CLS … 490
10. Cody Griggs, Lakeside, CA, SWLS … 299

2023 California Lightning Sprint Car Series Schedule

March 10 Imperial Raceway CLS/SWLS “Best of the West” Round #1 AJ Bender

March 11 Imperial Raceway CLS/SWLS “Best of the West” Round #2 Braden Chiaramonte

March 18 Bakersfield Speedway CLS With USAC Western Midgets Rained Out

April 1 Mohave Valley Raceway CLS/SWLS “Best of the West” Round #3 Brent Sexton

April 8 Bakersfield Speedway CLS AJ Bender

May 13 Ventura Raceway CLS With USAC 360 Sprint Cars Bobby Michnowicz

May 20 Bakersfield Speedway CLS/SWLS “Best of the West” Round #4 Bobby Michnowicz

June 3 Bakersfield Speedway CLS/BCRA “Civil War Series Round” #1 Jeff Dyer

June 17 Ventura Raceway CLS/SWLS “Best of the West” Round #5 Bobby Michnowicz

July 8 Ventura Raceway CLS Bobby Michnowicz

August 19 Ocean Speedway CLS/BCRA “Civil War Series Round” #2 Chris Crowder

September 9 Bakersfield Speedway CLS/BCRA “Civil War Series” Round #3 Chris Crowder

September 23 Ventura Raceway CLS Aiden Lange

September 30 Merced Speedway CLS/BCRA “Civil War Series” Round #4, Eric Greco

October 14 Mohave Valley Speedway CLS/SWLS “Best of the West” Round #6 Jeff Dyer

October 28 Ventura Raceway CLS Brodey Graham

November 14 Bakersfield Speedway CLS/SWLS Best of The West Round #6 Bobby Michnowicz

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

• Shehan Chandrasoma and Nikko Reger Co-Drive the No. 120 TPC Racing Lamborghini Austin Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo EVO2 to Pro-Am Victory Friday
• Alan Grossberg Improves Throughout World Finals Week in Italy in the No. 102 TPC Racing/Dream Racing Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo EVO2 in the LB Cup Class

ROME, Italy (November 19, 2023) – Stepping into the winner’s spotlight on the grandest stage in international Lamborghini Super Trofeo competition, TPC Racing, co-drivers Shehan Chandrasoma and Nikko Reger, and the No. 120 Lamborghini Austin Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo EVO2 team secured their first Super Trofeo Pro-Am class victory in the season-ending IMSA Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America race at the Lamborghini World Finals at Autodromo Vallelunga in Italy on Friday.

The win was the first for TPC Racing in international sports car racing competition and the initial victory for the team with Chandrasoma and Reger after pairing up with the duo at mid-season. The convincing victory followed a similarly competitive second-place Pro-Am finish by the No. 120 team in Thursday’s opening Super Trofeo North America race and completed a season-ending run of four-consecutive podium finishes to close out the year.

Including a pair of third-place showings one race prior to Vallelunga at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS), the late-season surge enabled Chandrasoma to secure the final Pro-Am season championship podium spot in third place, just one point behind the second-place competitor.

Chandrasoma started Thursday’s first 50-minute Super Trofeo North America race and immediately stepped up to battle in the Pro-Am top three. He pitted from third just past the 27-minute mark to hand off to Reger as the TPC Racing team performed a well executed and perfectly timed pit stop, as they did throughout the nearly week-long World Finals event.

Reger continued the fight at the front of the field and advanced to second in the closing stages. He masterfully held off Johannes van Overbeek, an overall Rolex 24 and two-time 12 Hours of Sebring race winner, for several laps to skillfully defend the runner-up position to the checkered flag.

The second-place result matched Chandrasoma’s best finish of the year, but those season-high marks would soon be surpassed in the Friday finale. Reger took the start and immediately challenged in the Pro-Am top three. Chandrasoma took over near the race’s halfway point and, after another top pit stop by the TPC Racing crew, returned to the track in fourth.

From there, Chandrasoma went to work as the competition cycled through their pit stops and he passed for two positions. He was in second with less than 20 minutes to go and, after steadily reeling in the leader, pulled off what proved to be race-winning pass with 13 minutes remaining. Chandrasoma took the checkered flag for the convincing win in Pro-Am and a solid top-five overall behind four top-tier Pro-class competitors.

With the Super Trofeo North America season in the books, Chandrasoma and Reger focused on the weekend’s World Finals doubleheader where they and their American competitor peers would race head-to-head with the best Super Trofeo teams and drivers from Europe and Asia.

Chandrasoma started Saturday’s opening race but was caught up at the start in the type of close-quarters contact incident that is not uncommon in the 40-plus car World Finals fields. The No. 120 was soon retired with radiator and minor bodywork damage but the TPC Racing team quickly repaired the Lamborghini for Sunday’s final race.

Chandrasoma and Reger raced in Sunday’s finale with a rebound on their minds and steadily progressed through the field for a strong top-five finish. The fifth-place result was not the end of the story, however, as two Pro-Am competitors that took the checkered flag ahead of the No. 120 were assessed post-race penalties. That moved the No. 120 up to third where TPC Racing and its drivers proudly represented the U.S. behind the class-winning team from Asia and the second-place European series finishers.

The TPC Racing lineup at the World Finals included LB Cup-class solo driver Alan Grossberg who was competing with the team for just the second time after debuting at Indianapolis in the No. 102 TPC Racing/Dream Racing Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo EVO2.

Improving from the beginning of a full week of on-track action that began with unofficial testing on Monday, Grossberg hit his stride in the Saturday and Sunday World Finals doubleheader. Starting near the back in both races behind an international field of the best LB Cup and Am-class competitors in the world, Grossberg improved 12 positions in Saturday’s race and nine spots on Sunday. He crossed the finish line 12th in both rounds.

Although the established TPC Racing team has been victorious in internationally-recognized major races in North America – including a GT-class victory in the 2006 Rolex 24 At Daytona – Friday’s victory was the team’s first outside of North America. TPC competed overseas for the first time in the team’s 20-year history in last year’s World Finals in Portugal where they scored an Am-class second place finish in the Super Trofeo North America finale to secure third in the Am season championship.

Harris Levitas, Director of Race Operations: “It was really incredible. The TPC Racing team did an absolutely amazing job preparing the cars and our engineering staff – and everybody on the team in whatever job they had – executed and that’s all we needed to do. The drivers did a fantastic job, and getting our first Super Trofeo Pro-Am race win together was a perfect way to cap off the year. I can’t thank Shehan Chandrasoma, his family, and Nikko Reger enough for trusting us to do this for them. To end the season with our first Pro-Am victory and first international win in our team’s history is just amazing. We are also proud of Alan Grossberg who continued to make incredible progress in just his second race with us in LB Cup. The week-long schedule in Italy was perfect for Alan as he got an incredible amount of track time and it showed. His best came at the very end in the competitive World Finals races where he pulled off several passes and took advantage of attrition to move up. He kept it clean when many others didn’t and it is great to see his ongoing development, particularly against the best Super Trofeo drivers in the world.”

Shehan Chandrasoma, Driver, No. 120 Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo EVO2: “What an end to the season with a first place finish. It definitely feels good to win fair and square, a clean race, no spins no wrecks with good competition. The TPC Racing team has been fantastic and nailed every single pit stop. Nikko put the car in an amazing position. I got in the car, had a really good stint, made the pass for first and got our first win of the season. We had great pace in both race one and race two in the North American championship finale in Italy and I think I am ready in Super Trofeo to do Pro-Am next year, maybe even Pro, and from then on plan to do GT3.”

Nikko Reger, Driver, No. 120 Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo EVO2: “You have the best competition in the world, some of the coolest cars in the world, and just overall one of the best racing series. We are having fun driving Lamborghinis, but we get to do it against some of the best and put our talent to the test. That’s a favorite part of driving here in Lamborghini Super Trofeo. So, I am absolutely loving it. I never dreamed of racing Lamborghinis in Italy, but we were here, showed very well, and it is great stuff. We should’ve had more wins this season but this is quite the way to wrap up the year.”

About TPC Racing: TPC Racing is the Mid-Atlantic’s premier maintenance, service, tuning and modification center dedicated solely to Porsche sportscars. TPC Racing specializes in R&D and sales of high-performance modifications for Porsche sports cars and race cars, offering a wide range of vehicle upgrades. Best known for a line of forced induction solutions for the Porsche 911, Cayman and Boxster, a long-time focus on only one make, Porsche, has enabled TPC Racing to become experts in Porsche service, tuning, and racing. In 2000, TPC Racing began entering races under its own banner, scoring an SGS-class Championship in 2004 in the Grand-American Rolex Series and was a class winner in the 2006 Rolex 24 At Daytona, and captured the 2013 and 2016 IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA Gold Cup Championships. More information can be found at www.TPCRacing.com.