GRANT SEXTON GETS HIS FIRST SWLS MAIN EVENT WIN OF 2022 AT BARONA
2022-05-06 15:25
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(Lakeside, CA, MAY 4, 2022) 2021 Lucas Oil POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprint Car Series champion Grant Sexton picked up his first series win of 2022 when he outdistanced the main event field last Saturday night at the Barona Speedway. The teen's victory gave the SWLS four different winners in the first four races of the year.
Sexton, a 17-year-old high school student who resides in nearby Lakeside, opened the night by leading all the way to win the first heat race over Lake Elsinore's Jeremy Queener and Alpine's Peter Benker. Parker Dumas of San Diego, who was making his 2022 debut, nabbed the win in heat two. He was chased home by Alpine's Matt Sotomayor and San Diego's David Bezio. The third heat went to Lakeside's Dalton Sexton. Point leader Braden Chiaramonte of El Cajon placed second with Wyatt Boczanowski of San Diego third.
The lineup for the fourth SWLS main event of 2022, saw Sotomayor and Queener on the front row. Parker Dumas and Brent Sexton were in row two with Dalton Sexton and Chiaramonte in row three.
Queener won the battle to turn one at the start of the 20-lap race and was chased by Sotomayor and Grant Sexton. Sexton drove his white and pink Sexton Fire Protection/BK Wings/Troy Dirt/Victory Graphix/Swift Powdercoat/Maxima Oil/Infiniti Shocks/Scotty and Jimmy Keys #3 into second by the end of the opening circuit and then set his sights on Queener.
Queener continued to inch away from the pack until he caught up to lapped traffic in turn one on lap seven. Exiting the second corner, the leader used up the little bit of room a pair of side-by-side lappers left him on the wide line and continued to set the pace. Sexton got by the two lappers going into turn three and continued his pursuit of the leader.
The first yellow flag of the race came out on lap nine when Sotomayor lost a left rear wheel. The race only went five more laps before the second yellow flew when Bezio slowed on the front straightaway. That caution set up a thrilling lap 15. It started with Queener at the point, but he was quickly passed on the inside by Sexton. What happened next sent the crowd into a frenzy. As they came off turn four, Sexton went wide. Queener quickly seized the opportunity and ducked to the new leaders inside. Chiaramonte then went inside both and took the top spot going into turn one.
As they slid off turn two on the 16th go around, the two teenagers were side by side as they battled for the lead. They remained that way going into turn three, but as they came off turn four, Sexton got a great drive off the cushion and rocketed back into the lead. From that point on, the youngest member of the Sexton racing clan pulled away and won his first SWLS main of the year with room to spare. Chiaramonte came across the line second and was followed by Queener, Brent Sexton, and Dalton Sexton.
Brent Sexton's tenth to fifth run in the main event made him the race "Hard Charger."
Chiaramonte sits on top of the SWLS point standings with a 15-point advantage over Dalton Sexton. Brent Sexton is third, a mere nine points behind his oldest son. Bezio dropped back to fourth and Queener rounds out the top five.
The SWLS will take the wings off and return to the Barona Speedway on Saturday
The Lucas Oil POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprint Car Series would like to thank the Sexton Fire Protection, RTL Traffic Control & Equipment, Victory Graphix, BK Wing, and A.M. Ortega Construction Inc. If you or your company would like to become part of the series in 2022, please contact Brent Sexton at (619) 454-6945 or mailto:sextonfire@cox.net
April 23 Imperial Speedway race Results
Heat 1: 1. Grant Sexton, 2. Jeremy Queener, 3. Peter Benker, 4. D.J. Dimas, 5. Jim Squire, 6. C.J. Marin
Heat 2: 1. Parker Dumas, 2. Matt Sotomayor, 3. David Bezio, 4. Brent Sexton, 5. Jon Squire
Heat 3: 1. Dalton Sexton, 2. Braden Chiaramonte, 3. Wyatt Boczanowski, 4. Cody Griggs, 5. Ryan Dumas
Main Event (with starting positions)
1. Grant Sexton - Lakeside, CA - 4th
2. Braden Chiaramonte - El Cajon, CA - 6th
3. Jeremy Queener - Lake Elsinore, CA - 2nd
4. Brent Sexton - Lakeside, CA - 10th
5. Dalton Sexton - Lakeside, CA - 5th
6. Peter Benker - Alpine, CA - 7th
7. D.J. Dumas - El Cajon, CA - 12
8. Cody Griggs - El Cajon, CA - 11th
9. Wyatt Boczanowski - San Diego, CA - 9th
10. Jim Squire - Lakeside, CA - 13th
11. C.J. Marin - Imperial Beach, CA - 16th
12. Jon Squire - El Cajon, CA - 14th
13. David Bezio - San Diego, CA - 8th
14. Parker Dumas - San Diego, CA - 3
15. Matt Sotomayor - Alpine, CA - 1st
16. Ryan Dumas - San Diego, CA - 15th
Lucas Oil POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprint Car Points
1. Braden Chiaramonte - El Cajon, CA - 590
2. Dalton Sexton - Lakeside, CA - 575
3. Brent Sexton - Lakeside, CA - 564
4. David Bezio - San Diego, CA - 545
5. Jeremy Queener - Lake Elsinore, CA - 496
6. Cody Griggs - El Cajon, CA - 490
7. C.J. Martin - Imperial Beach, CA - 450
8. Grant Sexton - Lakeside, CA - 415
9. Matt Sotomayor - Alpine, CA - 344
10. Will Browne - Glendora, CA - 268
2022 Lucas Oil POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprint Car Series Schedule
March 4 Imperial Valley Raceway Wingless - Dalton Sexton
March 5 Imperial Valley Raceway Wingless - Brent Sexton
April 23 Imperial Valley Raceway Winged - Braden Chiaramonte
April 30 Barona Speedway Winged - Grant Sexton
May 14 Barona Speedway Wingless
May 28 Central Missouri Speedway (Winged National) Non-Points
May 29 Central Missouri Speedway (Winged National) Non-Points
June 8 Barona Speedway Winged
June 25 Barona Speedway Winged
July 9 Barona Speedway Wingless
July 14 Deming Speedway (Clay Cup - Winged) Non-Points
July 15 Deming Speedway (Clay Cup - Winged) Non-Points
July 16 Deming Speedway (Clay Cup - Winged) Non-Points
August 11 Norman County Raceway Minkota Nationals (Winged) Non-Points
August 12 Rivers Cities Speedway Minkota Nationals (Winged) Non-Points
August 13 Greenbush Race Park Minkota Nationals (Winged) Non-Points
August 14 Buffalo Rivers Speedway Minkota Nationals (Winged) Non-Points
Sept. 14 Perris Auto Speedway (with USAC/CRA) Winged
October 1 Barona Speedway Winged
October 8 Mojave Valley Raceway (co sanction with CLS) Winged
October 13 Lemoore Raceway (California Cup) Non-Points
October 14 Lemoore Raceway (California Cup) Non-Points
October 15 Lemoore Raceway (California Cup) Non-Points
October 23 Imperial Valley Raceway Wingless
This release produced by Scott Daloisio (909) 226-7768 sdaloisiosports@gmail.com