Racing returns to fair
IMPERIAL — A new tradition is gearing up to storm around the Imperial Fairgrounds Raceway as the California Lightning Sprints, Dwarf Cars, and URA Vintage Racers invade the California Mid-Winter Fair & Fiesta on March 11-12.
Two days of racing will be on hand on the second weekend of the California Mid-Winter Fair & Fiesta as the Lightning Sprints and Dwarf Cars compete on the super fast quarter dirt oval at the fair. On March 11, the racing will get underway at 5 p.m. with the next day’s racing beginning at 2 p.m.
It marks the fourth consecutive appearance at Imperial for CLS and Dwarf Cars while the Vintage race cars return to the fair for the first time in two years. With a record purse dangling in front of CLS drivers, a record number of entrants are expected.
It will be the historic first race that the CLS will compete under the banner of the United States Auto Club, an organization that has sanctioned races since 1956. The agreement to join forces with USAC ought to bring together lightning sprint racers under a more unified set of rules and procedures. The CLS will be unique within USAC as they will bring wings to a traditional nonwing club.
The California Lightning Sprints are a Southern California based 1200cc Mini-Sprint club. The group recently announced a 19-race schedule that begins at Imperial and hits similar venues at Bakersfield, Chico and Placerville before winding up the season in Ventura. With speeds in excess of 100 mph, the cars of the CLS may be small in size, but they are big on excitement.
Alex Grigoreas earned his first Imperial victory with a win at last year’s fair following a thrilling early race duel with Bobby Michnowicz, who was looking for his third straight Fair triumph. Grigoreas fought off the advances of Michnowicz and earned the win over James Heling and Darren Hillberg. Michnowicz would later notch his fourth CLS points Championship in the last five seasons. These drivers are expected to see action at the Fair along with 2016 Rookie of the Year Cody Nigh and teenager Aiden Lange who pleased the crowd by out-qualifying a veteran field that year at Imperial.
Dwarf cars are a throwback to the Jalopy races that ran at the fairgrounds in the 1950s, only smaller. They use bodies of vintage coupes, sedans or pickup trucks fashioned similar to cars built from 1928 to 1948 and use motorcycle engines with a maximum displacement of 1250 cubic centimeters.
The United Racing Association Vintage Sprints and Midgets will also make an appearance at the fair. Many drivers of yesteryear will have their cars out to let spectators see was racing was like decades ago.
For more information, call race organizers Joseph Dhalliwal 760-9602983 or Geoff Dale 760791-4314.