10/9/2024
Bay Cities Racing Association Lightning Sprints
ALBRIGHT WINS HIS FATHER’S MEMORIAL RACE AND MICHNOWICZ TAKES THE CIVIL WAR SERIES TITLE
(Torrance, CA, October 7, 2024) Taking the lead when Bobby Michnowicz ventilated an engine with two laps to go, Dakota Albright won the 10th Annual Wayne Albright Memorial for the second time in his career last Saturday night at the Merced Speedway. Despite two holes in the block, Michnowicz did not give up when his engine let go. He managed to hang on to second and sewed up the title in the CLS vs BCRA Civil War Series.
Eighteen cars showed up for the event on Doug Lockwood’s racy Central Valley ¼ mile-banked clay oval. Ten of the cars were from the host Bay Cities Racing Association, and eight California Lightning Sprint Cars journeyed north for the event. CLS driver Jeff Dyer recorded the fastest lap in qualifying with a time of 13.324. BCRA drivers occupied the next four spots. Jason Schostag of Hangtown was second quickest at 13.409. Greg Dennett of Livermore turned in the third fastest time at 13.476. Modesto’s Josef Ferolito was fourth when he stopped the clocks at 13.536. Connor Speir of Fillmore, who came in leading the Civil War points, was fifth with a 13.566.
Albright, who lives in Waterford, claimed the victory in the first eight lap heat race. He was chased to the line by California Highway Patrol officer Jeff Dyer and Dennett. Michnowicz captured the second heat by beating Riverside teenager Zate Legend and Ferolito to the checkers.
Fast qualifier Dyer was on the pole when the main event rolled onto the track. Albright, who first won the race dedicated to his dad five years ago, was outside the front row. The second row featured six-time CLS champion Michnowicz and defending Civil War champion Dennett. Ferolito and Legend began the main in the third row with Seth Dyer and Elk Grove’s Matt Land in row four.
When the green flag began the 25-lap wingless main event, Dyer flew into the lead with Albright and Michnowicz in tow. Michnowicz immediately went to work on Albright for second. By the end of the fourth circuit, Dyer had an eight-car length lead. He increased that advantage to nearly a half straight a couple of laps later.
Albright in his #35Jr, Hyper Chassis, Kawasaki ZX10R (Thompson’s of Placerville, Oval Chassis Research, Johnson & Matos CPA, Romey’s Window Cleaning, Parker Performance & Fabrication, Wild West Commodities, Hinkle Performance, Angels Heavy Haul, Gladden Equipment, Sala Racing, 530 Wraps, Simpson Racin Products) was running in the cushion and continually fought off the advances of Michnowicz who was on the bottom.
Dyer, who resides in Yucca Valley, hit the lappers on lap eight and initially had no issues with them. Things got interesting in the race-long Albright/Michnowicz duel on lap nine when the six-time CLS champion poked his nose into second. However, that was momentary as Albright quickly inched his way back to the runner-up spot.
The top three were the same at the halfway mark, with only one difference. Albright and Michnowicz, while still scratching and clawing at each other for second, had caught up to race-long leader Dyer. At the end of the 15th go-around, Albright diamonded off the turn four and raced around Dyer for the lead. The veteran racer immediately put a couple of car lengths between himself and the early leader.
On the 19th lap, Michnowicz, who made the long tow up north old-school style with an open trailer, and Dyer were in heavy traffic. Michnowicz trapped his friend behind one of the lappers and roared by on the inside to take second. That proved very important as the race's first yellow flag came out for a lapped car one lap later.
Albright was in the lead when the race restarted with six laps to go. Michnowicz was second, with Dyer and Ferolito third and fourth. When the only other yellow of the race flew two laps later, the running order had not changed. But things were about to get really exciting.
The final green flag of the race waved with four laps remaining. Bumper checks on the restart nearly saw Dyer go past Michnowicz for second. The second-place driver thwarted that attempt, and by the end of the lap, he had edged his way by Albright for the lead. At that point, it looked like Michnowicz was going to end his four-month victory drought, but on the back chute on lap 23, his #21K huffed a big plume of white smoke. He blew the engine!
Albright flew back by Michnowicz as the latter’s car slowed due to the addition of two new vent holes! However, Michnowicz stayed on the track as Albright pulled away for the $1,035.00 winner’s share of the purse. Miraculously, Michnowicz kept his ailing steed going and he placed second. Ferolito got by Dyer after the restart for third. Dyer maintained fourth and Schostag finished fifth.
Palmdale’s Eric Greco, winner of the previous two CLS mains, broke a chain in hot laps. He rebounded from that to be the race Hard Charger, going from 14th on the start to finish seventh.
Michnowicz’s persistence paid off with big dividends. By staying on the track and finishing second, he captured the Civil War title. In addition, he extended his lead in the season-long championship standings over Greco with only two point-paying races remaining in the 2024 season. Going into the race at Ventura on October 26th, he has a 113-point advantage over Greco. Jeff Dyer, who has been like a yoyo in the standings going up and down, has clawed his way back to third. Teen Seth Dyer is fourth. Camarillo’s Cody Nigh, who missed the Merced race, is fifth, only one point out of fourth.
CLS drivers took eight of the top 10 spots in the Civil War Series. Coming into the night, Fillmore’s Connor Speir led the CWS points. However, Michnowicz’s heroics saw him win the mini-series championship by 11 markers. Speir placed second with Greco third. BCRA’s Dennett, the defending CWS champ, placed fourth, with Legend fifth.
The CLS would like to thank the following companies for being partners in the 2024 season. Extreme Mufflers, RacingJunk.com and Hoosier Tire.
Qualifying: 1. Jeff Dyer, 13.324; 2. Jason Schostag, 13.409; 3. Greg Dennett, 13.476; 4. Josef Ferolito, 13.536; 5. Connor Spear, 13.556; 6. Seth Dyer, 13.583; 7. Dakota Albright, 13.645; 8. Bobby Michnowicz, 13.677; 9. Tyler Gerdes 13.734; 10. Zate Legend, 13.829; 11. Leland Day, 13.835; 12. Jon Robertson 13.842; 13. Matt Land, 14.070; 14. Kindal Barstow, 14.872
No Time: Eric Greco; Hunter Kinney; Scott Kinney; Marshall Sexton
Heat #1: 1. Albright, 2. J. Dyer, 3. Dennett, 4. Day, 5. Land, 6. Speir, 7. Gerdes: DNS H. Kinney, Sexton
Heat #2: 1. Michnowicz, 2. Legend, 3. Ferolito, 4.n S. Dyer, 5. Robertson, 6. Schostag, 7. Barstow: DNS Greco
Main Event 25-Laps (with starting positions)
- Dakota Albright, Waterford, CA … 2nd
- Bobby Michnowicz, Oak Hills, CA … 3rd
- Josef Ferolito, Modesto, CA … 5th
- Jeff Dyer, Yucca Valley, CA … 1st
- Jason Schostag, Hangtown, CA … 10th
- Greg Dennett, Livermore, CA … 4th
- Eric Greco, Palmdale, CA … 14th
- Zate Legend, Riverside, CA … 6th
- Connor Speir, Fillmore, CA … 12th
- Leland Day, Bakersfield, CA … 9th
- Seth Dyer, Yucca Valley, CA … 8th
- Jon Robertson, Torrance, CA … 11th
- Kindal Barstow, Dinair, CA … 16th
- Matt Land, Elk Grove, CA … 7th
- Marshall Sexton, Ceres, CA … 15th
- Hunter Kinney, Citrus Heights, CA … 13th
DNS Scott Kinney, Citrus Heights, CA
DNS Tyler Gerdes, Oakdale, CA
Lap Leaders: J. Dyer 1-14, Albright 15-21, Michnowicz 22-23, Albright 24-25
2024 California Lightning Sprint Car Series Points
- Bobby Michnowicz, Oak Hills, CA … 1628
- Eric Greco, Palmdale, CA … 1515
- Jeff Dyer, Yucca Valley, CA … 1290
- Seth Dyer, Yucca Valley, CA … 1259
- Cody Nigh, Camarillo, CA … 1258
- Jon Robertson, Torrance, CA … 1251
- Connor Speir, Fillmore, CA … 1199
- Zate Legend, Riverside, CA … 1181
- Clay Byers, Castaic, CA … 768
- Leland Day, Bakersfield, CA … 640
CLS vs BCRA Civil War Points
- Bobby Michnowicz, CLS … 345
- Connor Speir, CLS … 334
- Eric Greco, CLS … 329
- Greg Dennett BCRA … 309
- Zate Legend, CLS … 276
- Seth Dyer, CLS … 274
- Leland Day, CLS … 263
- Jon Robertson, CLS … 256
- Matt Land, BCRA … 219
- Jeff Dyer, CLS … 219
2024 CLS Lap Leaders
Michnowicz, Bobby … 118
Greco, Eric … 54
Dyer, Jeff … 39
Speir, Connor … 33
Kinney, Hunter … 25
Dyer, Seth … 17
Lange, Aiden … 16
Bender, AJ … 15
Albright, Dakota … 9
Dyer, Seth … 9
Nigh, Cody … 4
Dennett, Greg … 1
Article Credit: Scott Daloisio
Submitted By: Dakota Albright
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