• dirt track racing news

AFTER GOOD RUNS AT VENTURA, SEXTON GATLIN RACING HEADS TO IMPERIAL FOR FRIDAY/SATURDAY DOUBLEHEADER

2025-03-14 22:46

(Lakeside, CA, March 12, 2025) After a successful run in the Ultimate Sprint Car Series last Saturday night at the Ventura Raceway, Sexton Gatlin Team drivers Grant Sexton and his father Brent will head to the Imperial Valley Raceway for a pair of Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car races this Friday and Saturday.

A total of 26 cars showed up for the USCS portion of the program at the track that is located adjacent to the breaking waves of the Pacific Ocean. Brent turned in a lap of 13.313 on his first night running a 410 engine. That was good enough for the fourth-best time in his group of eight drivers. It was the 16th fastest of the 26 cars on hand.

Grant broke a steering arm in his hot lap session and did not get a qualifying time. He began at the back of his heat, and proceeded to slap the back straight wall, ripping the Jacob's ladder out. That dropped the whole rear end out of the car and left the torque tube standing up like a tee-ball tee in turn two. Needless to say, he did not complete the heat.

The team thrashed to replace the drive train and the rear end in Grant's car. Despite their best efforts, they could not get the car ready to run before the B main. It looked like the 20-year-old driver's night was over at that point. However, attrition for others netted him an invitation to start at the back of the A main. From there, the 2023 USAC/CRA Rookie of the Year put on a show.

Starting shotgun on the 24-car field, Grant excited the crowd with a brave ride through the pack. He steered the beautiful #22 all the way up to fifth before a brush with another driver on the final restart pushed him back to eighth. That is where the talented third generation driver finished in the 30-lapper.

For Brent, it was a big night. Having competed in lightning sprint cars for decades and a 360 against the 410s in the USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series the past two years, Saturday was his debut in a 410 and he looked good. After the aforementioned qualifying effort, he started fourth in his heat race on the tight 1/5 mile track. He worked his way up to third, which earned him the 12th starting spot in the 24-car main event field.

"I started 12th and I went back five or six positions just because of me being a throttle jockey," he joked about his first time racing a 410. "Through attrition, I finished 13th."

"Somebody compared it to some of the motorcross stuff we used to do saying it was like comparing a two-stroke to a four stroke," the three time lightning sprint champion said. "It is definitely an eye opener and I give respect to the guys who have been driving those (410s) for so long. I love it. It takes more throttle control. Not that I had much throttle control before. It is definitely a discipline thing for sure."

Dating back to 2022, the Imperial Valley Raceway has supplied Sexton Gatlin Racing with a lot of successes. Racing with the POWRi Southwest Lightning Series at the Midwinter Fair in 2022, Brent and his oldest son Dalton won the two main events. At another POWRi show that October, Brent again collected the winner's trophy. Five months later Brent kicked off the 2023 POWRi campaign with fourth and second place finishes before visiting victory circle and placing third in the final two POWRi lightning races at the track. Grant notched a fifth place finish in an open 360/410 race that October.

In 2024, the Sexton's again launched their racing campaign at Imperial with Brent taking second and fourth in the lightning sprint mains. Grant ended up 5th and 9th in the open comp. 360/410 class over the two nights. Last October when USAC/CRA visited the track that is just north of the USA/Mexico border, Grant was 11th and 21st, while Brent made one of the mains and placed 13th.

In addition to Grant and Brent racing their 410s this weekend at Imperial, second-year lightning sprint driver Braydin Collie will compete in the SoCal Lightning Sprint Car Series portion of the program. Last season, rookie Collie made seven lightning sprint starts. His best finish was a second at Imperial on October 19th.

Racing will start at 6:00 p.m. each night at Imperial. Admission to the fair is $12.00 for adults and $10.00 for seniors and children. Parking at the fair is $10.00. Admission to the races is $10.00 for ages 18 and over and free for everyone 17 and under. The Imperial Valley Raceway is located on the Imperial Valley Fairgrounds at 200 E. 2nd Street in Imperial, California (92251).

For those who cannot make it to Imperial, both nights will be streamed live online with a subscription to Flo Racing.

The Lakeside, California team will wrap up a busy month of March with a trek to Ocean Speedway in Watsonville on the 28th and the Merced Speedway on the 29th.

Sexton Gatlin Racing would like to thank the following companies for making the 2024 season possible. East County Electric Works, Keys Brothers, BR Motorsports, Maxima Oil, Automated Interiors, Valley Lubricant Services, Sexton Fire Protection, BK Wings, and Troy Dirt.



If you or your company are interested in becoming a marketing partner with Sexton Gatlin Racing in 2024, please call (619) 454-6945 or E-mail mailto:sextonfire@cox.net or mailto:sextonfire@gmail.com.

Brent Sexton 2025 Results

3/8/25 Ventura Raceway USCS Sprint Cars 13th A Main

Grant Sexton 2025 Results

2/15/25 Mohave Valley Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 20th A Main

3/8/25 Ventura Raceway USCS Sprint Cars 8th A Main

This release was produced by Scott Daloisio. Contact (909) 226-7768 mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com