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Grant Sexton Electrifies Santa Maria With Dominant Victory

Lakeside, CA — April 9, 2026 — Longtime Sexton Gatlin Racing driver Grant Sexton stepped out of the family ride and into the Savage Racing #3F and delivered a dominant, runaway victory last Saturday night at Santa Maria Speedway. The 21-year-old will return to the Brian Fonseca/Samantha Sproull-owned entry this Saturday, April 11, for the SoCal Lightning Sprint Car Series race at Barona Speedway.

Sexton Gatlin Racing arrived at Santa Maria in full force. In addition to Grant, his father Brent “K.O.” Sexton, Braydin Collie, and Mark Henry fielded three SGR cars for the event at the 62-year-old dirt track. Grant wasted no time making his presence felt, setting fast time in qualifying with a blistering 13.777. Three-time Lightning Sprint champion Brent was fourth quick at 14.204, while El Cajon’s Braydin Collie and Rosamond’s Mark Henry qualified seventh and eighth with laps of 14.509 and 14.524.

In the heat races, Brent and Grant squared off in heat race #1, while Collie and Henry competed in heat race #2. Brent got the better of his son in their matchup, finishing third with Grant two spots back in fifth. Shortly after, Collie recorded a strong second-place finish, with Henry coming home fourth.

For the main event, the SGR cars occupied the inside lanes from rows two through five. Brent had the best starting spot for the team in third on row two, with Collie directly behind him. Grant started on Collie’s bumper, and Henry started just behind Grant in ninth.

It quickly became clear that Grant, driving the Red Hawk Casino and Resort/Madman Print Lab/Dirt 2 Rose Design/Henkel Performance/Crutchfield Performance/Diablo Fabrication #3F, had the car to beat. He charged to third by the end of lap two and moved into second when the race’s first yellow-flag slowed the action.

What followed kept the crowd on the edge of its seats. Sexton relentlessly pressured seven-time CLS champion Bobby Michnowicz, searching high and low for a way past the veteran. Michnowicz held firm until lap 10, when Sexton finally made his move, blasting into the lead and pulling away.

Once out front, the talkative Sexton built a commanding advantage. Behind him, Brent had climbed to third, with Collie running fifth. Henry exited early and was credited with 10th.

The only late-race twist came when Brent, running third, broke a chain. The misfortune cost him a podium finish but elevated Collie to third, giving him his second podium in three starts this season. Brent was credited with an eighth-place finish.

At the checkered flag, Sexton had stretched his lead to more than half a straightaway.

“Killer night out in the Savage Racing 3F,” Sexton said after the win. “I can’t thank Brian Fonseca and Samantha Sproull enough for letting me wheel this bad boy. That was a lot of fun! Had a really fun battle with Bobby Michnowicz for the lead. Congrats to teammate Braydin Collie on another podium. I cannot wait to come back to Santa Maria Speedway.”

The original plan this weekend was for Sexton Gatlin Racing to head north for Brent to compete at the Ultimate Sprint Car Series races at the Merced and Watsonville Speedways. However, due to forecasted rains, both of those shows were canceled earlier in the week. Thus, instead of a near 800-mile round trip, the team will be racing within 30 minutes of its Lakeside headquarters.

Brent enters Saturday’s race eighth in SoCal Lightning Sprint Car Series points. For Grant, it will mark his first SCLS appearance of the 2026 season. As this piece went to press, it appeared that teenage sensation Drake Cardey of Riverside may pilot an SGR car at Barona.

Event Information:
• Gates Open: 2:00 p.m.
• Racing Starts: 6:00 p.m.
• Adult Admission: $20.00
• Kids (7–17): $10.00
• Seniors, Military, EMTs: $10.00
• Kids 6 & Under: FREE
• Family Pack (2 Adults, 2 Kids): $50.00
• Parking: Free

Location: Barona Speedway is located 5.8 miles north of Barona Casino on Wildcat Canyon Road, between mile markers 11.0 and 11.5.

For more updates, follow Sexton Gatlin Racing on social media and stay tuned for results throughout the 2026 season.

Sexton Gatlin Racing would like to thank the following companies for making the 2026 season possible. East County Electric Works, Antonelli’s Deli, Keys Brothers, Geoff Dale, BR Motorsports, Maxima Oil, Automated Interiors, Valley Lubricant Services, Sexton Fire Protection, BK Wings, and Troy Dirt.

Collie would like to express his thanks to the following sponsors. Sexton Gatlin Racing/HRP Hose and Rubber Products/Sexton Fire Protection/Maxima Racing Oils/Automated Interiors/Valley Lubricant/Swift Powdercoating/Sunnyside Promotions/Sids Auto Body/BK Wings/BTS Equipment/TC Construction/Thunderstruck Motorsports/AG Sand Cars/Mom/Dad/Tavo/Grant/Dant

If you or your company are interested in becoming a marketing partner with Sexton Gatlin Racing in 2026, please call (619) 454-6945 or E-mail mailto:sextonfire@cox.net or mailto:sextonfire@gmail.com.

Warner Springs, California — April 9, 2026 — Making a rare Santa Maria Speedway appearance last Saturday, “Shugah’” Shane Sexton turned in his best performance of the young season, charging to a fourth-place finish in the Motor City Buick/GMC California Lightning Sprint Car Series main event. This week, he returns to familiar territory as he heads to his home track, Barona Speedway, for round #3 of the SoCal Lightning Sprint Car Series.

Making just his third career appearance at Santa Maria, Sexton got off to a strong start by circling the 62-year-old speed plant in 14.152 seconds in qualifying. The effort was good enough for the third fastest on the night and marked his best qualifying performance of the 2026 season. He followed that up in impressive fashion, blasting into the lead coming off turn two on the opening lap of his heat race and never looking back en route to his first heat race victory of the year.

In the 21-lap A main event, which was contested in memory of Belita Michnowicz, Sexton rolled off from the outside of the third row. The start did not go as planned, as he missed a couple of shifts on the opening lap and slipped back several positions. Undeterred, he quickly adapted, moving to the low groove while most of the field went to the top, and began carving his way forward.

The strategy paid off. Sexton methodically worked his way through the field, steering his gorgeous #74 to a strong fourth-place finish—his best result of the season.

“Third quick in qualifying, heat race win, and a 6-4 run in the main with the California Lightning Sprint Cars at the Santa Maria Speedway,” he told his Facebook followers after the race. “Thank you to Brian Fonseca for the hospitality and congrats on your team’s win (with Sexton’s cousin Grant Sexton).”

The good-looking performance moved Sexton to seventh in the CLS championship standings, despite competing in only three of the series’ four races to date.

Fans can catch Sexton’s races from Santa Maria on his new YouTube channel at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJ3OlA_-tPU. Be sure to check it out, like, and, of course, subscribe.

Heading into Saturday’s event, Sexton sits fifth in the SoCal Lightning Sprint Car Series standings, just 20 points out of the lead as he returns to his home track. The Warner Springs, California driver was especially strong at Barona in 2025, making eight starts and scoring a victory on June 7th. He also recorded two second-place and two third-place finishes, resulting in an impressive 4.75 average finish.

Without being taken out by another driver in one race and suffering a parts failure on the final lap of the season finale, that average would have been even better—making Sexton a clear contender heading into Saturday night.

Saturday’s Barona information

Location: Barona Speedway is located 5.8 miles north of Barona Casino on Wildcat Canyon Road, between mile markers 11.0 and 11.5.

Sexton would like to thank the following marketing partners for their support of his 2026 racing efforts: Black Widow Diesel, Site One Green Tech, Reel Technologies, AG Sandcars, Toby Ramos Tires, Allied American, Savage Racing, and Hose & Rubber Products (HRP).

Businesses interested in partnering with Shane Sexton’s exciting 2026 racing program are encouraged to contact him at ShaneSexton7@gmail.com or (610) 362-5921.

After Finishing Fourth At Santa Maria – “Shugah’” Shane Sexton Heads Home To Barona