 
| | CALIFORNIA LIGHTNING SPRINT CAR SERIES RELEASES 28th SEASON SCHEDULE (Upland, CA, December 28, 2021) Just five weeks after completing the successful 2021 racing season, the California Lightning Sprint Car Series has released the schedule for its 28th year of open-wheel racing action. The ambitious schedule consists of 22 dates. The year will kick off on March 25th when the CLS joins the World of Outlaws at one of the series mainstays, the Bakersfield Speedway. The showing will be the first of six in 2022 at the track known to locals as the “Okie Bowl.” The May 14th race on “The West’s Fastest 1/3 Mile High Banked Clay Oval” will see the CLS team up with the popular USAC/CRA Sprint Cars on the same card. The Kern County speed plant will be host to the final two rounds of the annual CLS vs BCRA “Civil War Series” on September 24th and November 15th. The November race will be run in conjunction with the USAC National Midgets. The Southern California based series will also appear on longtime promoter Scott Schweitzer’s track on April 16th and June 11th. Another longtime venue for the CLS, the Ventura Raceway, will host seven series races in 2022. That will be more than any other track. The first will be on March 26th and the last on October 29th. Sandwiched in the middle of the campaign will be three straight trips to the 1/5 mile oval on June 25th, July 9th, and July 23rd. Other dates on the near half century old track will be April 30th and May 21st. Fans who have never been to the track known as “The Best Little Dirt Track In America,” need to put it on their bucket list. The pit area is adjacent to the beach, just feet away from the breaking waves of the Pacific Ocean. Located on the Ventura County Fairgrounds, the track is within walking distance of numerous restaurants and hotels. The Placerville Speedway will see the CLS journey north for four races in 2021. The first will be round #3 of the “Civil War Series” on August 27th. The series will return to the red clay ¼ mile oval located on the El Dorado County Fairgrounds to close the 2022 campaign with three nights of action at the “Hangtown 100” on November 17th, 18th, and 19th. All three races will also see the USAC National Midgets in action. Those final three races will be non-point races for the CLS. One night before the first race at Placerville on August 26th, the CLS will make its lone scheduled 2022 appearance at the Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico. That night will be round #2 of the “Civil War Series.” The “Civil War Series,” which annually matches the CLS against the BCRA (Bay Cities Racing Association) will begin on April 2nd at the Merced Speedway in the annual Wayne Albright Memorial. In addition to the 19 mentioned races, three dates, September 9th & 10th, and October 8th, are at tracks to be announced. The May 14th and November 15th races at Bakersfield and the three nights in November at Placerville will all be available for fans around the globe to watch live on Flo Racing. 2022 California Lightning Sprint Car Series Schedule March 25 Bakersfield Speedway Winged - With World of Outlaws March 26 Ventura Raceway Winged April 2 Merced Speedway Non-Wing – Albright Class – Civil War #1 April 16 Bakersfield Speedway Winged April 30 Ventura Raceway Winged May 14 Bakersfield Speedway Winged – With USAC/CRA May 21 Ventura Raceway Winged June 11 Bakersfield Speedway Winged June 25 Ventura Raceway Winged July 9 Ventura Raceway Winged July 23 Ventura Raceway Winged August 26 Silver Dollar Speedway Winged – Civil War #2 August 27 Placerville Speedway Winged – Civil War #3 September 9 TBD Winged September 10 TBD Winged September 24 Bakersfield Speedway Winged – Civil War #4 October 8 TBD Winged October 29 Ventura Raceway Winged November 15 Bakersfield Speedway Winged – With USAC Midgets - Civil War #5 November 17 Placerville Speedway Non-Wing – With USAC Midgets - No Points November 18 Placerville Speedway Non-Wing – With USAC Midgets - No Points November 19 Placerville Speedway Non-Wing – With USAC Midgets - No Points The CLS would like to thank 2021 series sponsors Hoosier Tires, T Shirts by Timeless, TJ Forged Racing Wheels, and Walker Performance Filtration. If you or your company would like to become part of the series in 2022, please contact Jon Robertson at the following address mailto:jon.robertson@sbcglobal.net. To keep up with the CLS online, please visit the website at http://racecls.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/californialightningsprints Final 2022 California Lightning Sprint Car Series Championship Points 1. David Gasper ® – Santa Barbara, CA – 1846 2. Eric Greco – Palmdale, CA – 1817 3. James Turnbull - Indio, CA – 1713 4. Jeff Dyer – Yucca Valley, CA – 1629 5. A.J. Bender – San Diego, CA – 1472 6. Dominic Del Monte – Gardena, CA – 1359 7. Jon Robertson - Torrance, CA - 1046 8. Pat Kelley – Chino, CA – 871 9. Aiden Lange - Lakewood, CA – 815 10. Bobby Michnowicz – Oak Hills, CA - 807 2021 California Lightning Sprint Car Series Schedule and Winners March 13 Bakersfield Speedway – Eric Greco April 10 Bakersfield Speedway – Bobby Michnowicz April 24 Merced Speedway (Wayne Albright Memorial - Round #1 of the Civil War Series with BCRA – Wingless) – James Turnbull May 15 Bakersfield Speedway – A.J. Bender June 5 Ventura Raceway – A.J. Bender June 19 Keller Auto Speedway (Hanford) – Postponed due to heat. July 3 Santa Maria Speedway – Eric Greco July 24 Santa Maria Speedway (Wing Madness #1) Santa Maria – A.J. Bender August 7 Merced Speedway (Civil War Series #2 with BCRA – Winged) – Dave Gasper August 28 Ventura Raceway – Eric Greco September 18 Bakersfield Speedway (Civil War #3 with BCRA – Winged) – Kevin Michnowicz September 19 The Dirt Track at Kern County Raceway Park – David Gasper October 2 Ventura Raceway – Eric Greco October 30 Ventura Raceway – Jeff Dyer November 16 Bakersfield Speedway (Civil War #4 with BCRA – Winged - Western States Lightning Sprint Car Championship) – A.J. Bender November 18 Placerville Speedway Hangtown 100 – (Co sanctioned with BCRA and in companion with the USAC National Midgets) – Logan Seavey November 19 Placerville Speedway Hangtown 100 – (Co sanctioned with BCRA and in companion with the USAC National Midgets) – Chris Crowder November 20 Placerville Speedway Hangtown 100 – (Co sanctioned with BCRA and in companion with the USAC National Midgets) – Logan Seavey 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 |
| | HOVIS AUTO & TRUCK SUPPLY ALONG WITH BORN2RUN LUBRICANTS BECOME BRANDING & PRESENTING SPONSORS OF THE RUSH RACING SERIES IN 2022 & BEYOND |
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By Mike Leone
(January 4, 2022) - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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(Pulaski, PA)...RUSH Racing Series Directors Vicki Emig and Mike Leone are pleased to welcome Hovis Auto & Truck Supply as the Series' branding sponsor along with Born2Run Lubricants as the presenting sponsor for the upcoming 2022 season and beyond. Hovis and Born2Run replace Pace Performance and Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC after an impressive 11-year partnership with the Series. The Hovis and Born2Run logos will adorn not only the RUSH Racing Series logo, but also the Series logos of the RUSH Late Models, RUSH Sprint Cars, RUSH Sportsman Modifieds, RUSH Pro Mods, RUSH Stock Cars, and RUSH Karting Series.
Hovis Auto & Truck Supply began its marketing partnership with RUSH in 2019 by presenting the $10,000 to-win "Bill Emig Memorial" for the RUSH Late Model Touring Series at Lernerville Speedway in addition to the presenting sponsor of the Weekly, Touring, and Futures Cup Championships for the RUSH Sportsman Modifieds. That partnership continued through 2021 and expanded by bringing their Born2Run Lubricants into the fold as the "Official Oil" of RUSH and the co-presenting sponsor with Flynn's Tire of the RUSH Late Model Touring Series.
Moving into 2022, Hovis Auto & Truck Supply and Born2Run Lubricants have stepped up to become RUSH's most prestigious marketing partners; Hovis and Born2Run will now become synonymous with every facet of the RUSH Racing Series.
Hovis Auto Wrecking, Inc. opened as a family business in 1952. By 1969 their business had grown to include new parts sales and Hovis Auto & Truck Supply was formed. Hovis has grown to 17 locations throughout western Pennsylvania and expanded their business to include heavy duty truck parts and paint, body and equipment sales. For more than 50 years, Hovis Auto & Truck Supply has based their success on four key ingredients: their dedicated professionals, large inventories, quality name brand parts, and competitive prices. Meanwhile, Born2Run Lubricants offers a wide variety of premium quality lubrication products at an exceptional value and are exclusively packaged by Hovis.
"First off we cannot express how appreciative we are to Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC and Pace Performance," acknowledged Emig. "They got involved with us when Crate Late Model racing was starting to really take off in the Northeast and have been alongside of us through our growth into our other classes of Chevrolet Performance crate engine racing. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has taken its toll on the automotive industry and crippled supply chains over the past two years. When we met with Pace/Sweeney in the spring they were hopeful things would drastically improve by summer and fall, but that simply didn't happen. We certainly understand and will forever be grateful for everything Sweeney and Pace did to help grow the RUSH Racing Series throughout the years."
"While one door closed, another one opened," continued Emig. "My relationship with Hovis goes back many, many years. During my 11-year tenure as owner/promoter of Mercer Raceway Park, Hovis was one of, if not, the largest marketing partners at the speedway. Hovis presented several major events at Mercer including the 'Bill Emig Memorial', which at the time featured triple Big-Block Modified features. It was fitting when we got to work together again all these years later with RUSH it once again was in conjunction with the 'Bill Emig Memorial' and Modified racing. To now have Hovis and Born2Run move to the forefront of RUSH and all of our individual Series means so much to Mike and I, and we cannot be more excited to bring them along as we promote and grow Chevrolet Performance crate engine racing on a daily basis in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic."
Hovis Auto & Truck Supply belongs to one of the largest automotive program distribution groups in the nation. As a member of Federated Auto Parts, they keep abreast of changes in technology and quality parts in today's fast paced economy. Hovis is one of the largest distributors for each of its two automotive refinish lines: Axalta and AkzoNobel. Hovis is also a member of Vipar, one of the largest independent Heavy Duty Truck Parts Distributor Programs in the nation. Hovis' officers sit on advisory councils of numerous manufacturers, allowing Hovis Auto and Truck Supply to be on the cutting edge of technology.
High quality base stocks and additives ensure Born2Run products meet all API specs and are approved for use with most American, European, and Asian engine applications. Products include engine oil, hydraulic fluid, transmission fluid, and grease, and are available in quarts, gallons, pails, six-gallon eco-friendly boxes, kegs, and 55-gallon drums; featuring new steel drums and officially licensed dexos1 approved product where applicable.
The Hovis Auto & Truck Supply corporate office and distribution Center is located in Mercer, Pa. Hovis has locations in the following western Pennsylvania cities: Allison Park, Butler, DuBois, Emlenton, Erie, Franklin, Grove City, Hermitage, Meadville, New Brighton, New Castle, North Huntingdon, Oil City, Titusville, Wexford, and Zelienople. All of the store are open Monday through Friday from 8 p.m. until 6 p.m. All of the stores open at 8 a.m. on Saturdays have different closing times.
The RUSH Racing Series is brought to you by Hovis Auto & Truck Supply together with Born2Run Lubricants along with the support of Hoosier Tire, Bilstein Shocks, Sunoco Race Fuels, Bazell Race Fuels, Insinger Performance, MSD Performance, Holley Performance Products, FK Rod Ends, Schoenfeld Headers, Jones Racing Products, TBM Brakes, Performance Bodies & Parts, Racing Electronics, Wrisco Industries, Frankland Racing Supply, Landrum Performance Spring, Ontime Body & Graphic, Zarin Truck & Automotive, Sherwood Wheels, Alternative Power Sources, Precise Racing Products, Lincoln Electric, Velocita-USA, Waterstone Mortgage Hermitage, CrateInsider.com, and Wedge Motorspor |
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ROOKIE KEVIN KASERMAN IS LIVING HIS DREAM BEHIND THE WHEEL OF A RUSH SPRINT CAR |
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By Doug Kennedy
(December 27, 2021) - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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(Pulaski, PA)...You might figure that somebody who stayed away from racing for 16 years would never regain the interest in the sport again; not so for Kevin Kaserman, who was a 41-year-old raw rookie in the RUSH Sprint Car Series in 2021. Kaserman, who works in medical support at the VA hospital in Ravenna, Ohio, drove the blue #13 to a 13th place in the Equipment Rental Options Weekly Series standings and recorded his best finish of 11th at Pittsburgh's PA Motor Speedway on July 24.
“I lost interest in racing at the age of 14 and didn’t regain it back until I was 30,” revealed Kaserman, who resides in Middlefield, Ohio located about 40 miles east of Cleveland. “My family and I used to go to the races at Wayne County and Midvale Speedways all the time. Then around the age of 14, I started getting into golf and other things and just forgot about racing. I also lost interest because of the time you needed to spend and the finances involved.”
However, it was a race at Wayne County some 10 years ago that rekindled Kaserman’s interest in racing. “When I heard the '410' Sprints hot lapping, I was hooked once again,” said Kaserman. "Now a decade later, I'm finally living out my dream."
And it’s the RUSH Sprint Cars that Kaserman really likes. “RUSH is a great way to be involved in Sprint Car racing,” said Kaserman. “There’s no way I could get into a '410' financially. I actually began watching the Series when it began back in 2018. I like that the RUSH Series because it's so cost-effective. I don’t know much about engines so having a sealed engine package seemed to be the best way to go.”
Kaserman was actually planning on racing a Street Stock, but when he thought about that, here he was at the age of 40 and always wanting to race a Sprint Car, so that made his decision pretty easy. “I love the speed and the sound,” Kaserman said. “It also seems like an easier car to work on because everything is right there. You don’t have to pull off the body. It just seems simpler to me.”
“I’ve raced a total of 14 races in my life,” said Kaserman, whose race team is called Gizzmo Kaserman Racing. (Gizzmo is the Kaserman’s pug). With the exception of a few sponsors, Kevin finances his race team entirely on his own. “The thing I like is how everyone gets along so well and there’s no drama.”
This is his first season behind the wheel of any type of racecar. And as Kaserman said, “It’s certainly been an up and down one for me. I try to run with the big dogs, but after a short period of time, I start to fall back and then I get lapped. I ask myself why are they faster? What are their techniques?”
Besides watching races on YouTube, he also gets behind drivers on the track to see what they are doing. “To me, it’s consistency on the racetrack,” Kaserman says. “It seems like I do something different every time I go into a turn. My goal is to be less inconsistent and at least run mid-pack."
Kaserman’s racing career began this past year when he purchased a RUSH Sprint Car owned by fellow competitor, Brian Hartzell. ”I bought the car for $13,000 and financed it by cashing in my 401K. It wasn’t the smartest thing I’ve ever done. Brian is my go to guy. I end up asking him a lot of questions.”
He also admits that it hurts him that he doesn’t have better knowledge of the racecar. “But now, I’m starting to do some little things like general maintenance of the car. It’s like slowly climbing a hill. I’m learning my way by utilizing what other drivers are doing. I not only want to get to know the other drivers but gain as much knowledge about the car as I can.”
Other competitors who help Kaserman a lot are Ricky Tucker and 16-year-old Brian Cressley, who won the "Futures Cup" in 2021. “Brian is 16 and I’m 41 and I’m getting advice from him.” But for Kaserman, it’s everybody in the Series that will lend a helping hand and offer advice.
Kevin’s family also includes his older brother Randy, his father Rick, and his mother Sue. Rick is there with Kevin on race day serving as the crew chief and doing whatever else needs to be done. He also bought the trailer to transport the race car and pays for the pit passes and fuel to get to the track. “I don’t know a lot about racing, but I do know about good people,” said Rick. That’s why Rick feels there’s not a better division in existence.
“It’s important for me to be there,” continued Rick. “I always worry a little bit when he (Kevin) gets into the car. I’m always tugging on the straps and belts to make sure they are tight enough. My most relaxing moment is getting the car loaded and then heading home. We will talk on the way home and that’s quality time for us.”
Sue meanwhile has been confined to a wheelchair and walker for a large portion of her life. She is afflicted with rheumatoid arthritis for the last three decades or so. But that certainly doesn’t stop her from being at the racetrack to cheer on her son.
“I like to go and watch him," said Sue. “When I’m watching him race, especially when they are sliding around the track or getting too close to the wall, that’s what makes me nervous.”
“We have the wheelchair and the chair lift for her,” explained Rick. “We keep her going. The worst thing is not to keep her active. Kevin always wants his mom at the track. That’s why I like the drivers in the RUSH Sprint Cars; they are all considerate of Sue. They all want to make sure she gets up in the stands and ask her how she’s doing.”
“They’re great,’ said Sue of the other drivers and fans. “I’m so glad that Kevin and Rick got into RUSH. Kevin is a rookie and this is his first time doing this, so the other drivers look out for him. After the race, the other drivers will stop by to give Kevin and Rick tips and valuable information on things such as the set-ups on the car."
Kevin's immediate family also includes his wife Lora and their son Peyton, who Kevin would like to see racing sometime in the future. Peyton has Matchbox race cars that he races all over the house. A tradition for Kevin is to bring glow sticks to each and every race. He makes sure that his three-year-old son Peyton gets one for every race. Kevin recently began putting a glow stick on his mother’s wheelchair so that he could see where she was during the race.
There have been two other Kasermans who have raced and those were Rick’s older brother Jim, and his father Dick, who raced in the 1950s and 1960s.
Rick also has a dream of his own and that is to get behind the wheel of a Sprint Car for at least a few laps. “I will just stay out of the way of the other drivers,” Rick said. “The drivers said they would all look out from me. I’m on the final laps of my life. Right now, I live my dreams through Kevin and the race car.”
“People ask me why I’m doing this and I say because I’m enjoying myself,” Rick continued. “You write your obituary every day. We have no regrets. At the end of the night, even if he doesn’t finish well, if we had a good time and a good ride then it’s all worth it. The whole concept of doing this is about having fun with the family.”
Kevin’s mother and father were the two-page subject of Paul Brown’s (former head coach for the Browns and Bengals) book “Tiger Legacy”. It speaks about Coach Brown talking to Rick who told him “Don’t let her get away.” (referring to his wife Sue). The book’s subject matter surrounds the Massillon Ohio High School football team.
In closing, Kevin said, “I want to thank Vicki (Emig) for helping develop a racing division for guys like us that is affordable and competitive.”
RUSH Racing Series is brought to you by Pace Performance together with Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC along with the support of Hoosier Tire, Bilstein Shocks, Sunoco Race Fuels, Bazell Race Fuels, Insinger Performance, MSD Performance, Holley Performance Products, Hovis Auto & Truck Supply, Born2Run Lubricants, Flynn's Tire & Auto Service, FK Rod Ends, Schoenfeld Headers, Jones Racing Products, TBM Brakes, Performance Bodies & Parts, Racing Electronics, Wrisco Industries, Frankland Racing Supply, Landrum Performance Spring, Ontime Body & Graphic, Zarin Truck & Automotive, Sherwood Wheels, Alternative Power Sources, Precise Racing Products, Stop-Fyre, Lincoln Electric, Velocita-USA, Waterstone Mortgage Hermitage, CrateInsider.com, and Wedge Motorsports.
E-mail can be sent to the RUSH Racing Series at info@rushracingseries.com and mail to 4368 Route 422, Pulaski, PA 16143. Office phone is 724-964-9300. The RUSH Racing Series website is www.rushracingseries.com. Like our various Facebook and Twitter pages by searching for the appropriate RUSH Series. |
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| | The Bumper To Bumper IRA Outlaw Sprint Series is extremely proud to announce that title sponsor Bumper To Bumper Auto Parts & Service Centers has agreed to yet another three-year extension, making this partnership one of the longest in all of motorsports. Additionally IRA is honored to announce that both Sage Fruit and Hepfner Race Products (HRP) are back on for our Rookie of the Year (Top Apple & Apple Cup) programs. The Top Apple RoY receives a $2500 check from Sage Fruit plus a top & nose wing combo from HRP. The Apple Cup (runner-up) receives a $1250 bonus and a HRP nose wing. We are happy that The Hopf Farms Bullring Showdown will be returning again too, as will our Wisconsin weekend with the All Stars. We’ll be formally releasing our 2022 schedule within the next two weeks, which currently has 27 confirmed dates set at 15 different venues within a 4-state region (of course Wisconsin is our home), plus a handful of dates which we need to finalize yet. It’s nice to have options. While many of the set dates are annuals at familiar locations, there are a pair of (and maybe more) venues that we’ll be running which we haven’t visited in many years…. one which hasn’t hosted a sprint event since we were last there in the mid 80’s, and another which we haven’t visited in about fifteen years which is considered one of the most exciting sprint tracks in the country. We love running fair & festival dates and we’ll be back headlining the Outagamie, Langlade, Kenosha, and Sheboygan county fairs, and CornFest again too. We have lots of cool things to look forward to, and a few surprises too. And all will be live on FloSportsTV again, stay tuned….. |
 KENYON MIDGET SERIES |  CALIFOrNIA LIGHTNING SERIES |
| | 2022 California Lightning Sprint Car Series Schedule March 25 Bakersfield Speedway Winged - With World of Outlaws March 26 Ventura Raceway Winged April 2 Merced Speedway Non-Wing – Albright Class – Civil War #1 April 16 Bakersfield Speedway Winged April 30 Ventura Raceway Winged May 14 Bakersfield Speedway Winged – With USAC/CRA May 21 Ventura Raceway Winged June 11 Bakersfield Speedway Winged June 25 Ventura Raceway Winged July 9 Ventura Raceway Winged July 23 Ventura Raceway Winged August 26 Silver Dollar Speedway Winged – Civil War #2 August 27 Placerville Speedway Winged – Civil War #3 September 9 TBD Winged September 10 TBD Winged September 24 Bakersfield Speedway Winged – Civil War #4 October 8 TBD Winged October 29 Ventura Raceway Winged November 15 Bakersfield Speedway Winged – With USAC Midgets - Civil War #5 November 17 Placerville Speedway Non-Wing – With USAC Midgets - No Points November 18 Placerville Speedway Non-Wing – With USAC Midgets - No Points November 19 Placerville Speedway Non-Wing – With USAC Midgets - No Points |
 ira sprint car series |  Wisconsin wingLESS Sprints |
 RUSH SPRINT CAR SERIES |  ira lightning Sprints |
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