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Sexton/Gatlin Racing
[email protected]
[email protected]
(619) 454-6945
For Immediate Release
SEXTON TEENS BEAT THEIR FATHER FOR THE FIRST TIME – OFF TO WASHINGTON THIS WEEK!
(Lakeside, CA, July 16, 2018) It was a historic night for Sexton/Gatlin Racing on July 10th at the Ventura Raceway when Brent Sexton’s two teenage sons, Grant and Dalton, beat him for the first time in a California Lightning Sprint Car Series main event. While it does not show on the scoresheet, Brent was a DNF due to a tangle while running fifth. Both boys finished the race.
Things started off on a high note in qualifying when two-time series champ Brent out-qualified the 21-car field with a lap of 11.895. The Tennessee native’s oldest son, Dalton, turned in the ninth fastest qualifying time at 12.231 and Grant was 19th when he stopped the clocks in 13.314.
Brent squared off with Grant and five other cars in the first-eight lap heat race of the night. Brent came home fourth and Grant was seventh. Dalton flew the flag for Sexton/Gatlin Racing by himself in the third heat and came home fourth in the seven-car field.
To begin the main, Brent had the best spot of the Sexton triad as he was coming from the outside of the third row in sixth. Dalton was on the inside of the fifth row in ninth and Grant was starting near the rear of the field on the outside of the ninth row in 18th.
For Brent, a two-time CLS champion, things were going smoothly early on. He was running fifth in the main event. However, things changed in a hurry on the 10th lap. In turn two, a lapped car spun and then came down across the bottom of the track. The fourth-place car had nowhere to go and clipped the lapper setting off a chain reaction crash that included Brent and the sixth-place driver as well. Brent’s bright orange and blue #44 ended up tipped over on its left side. Fortunately, he and the other three drivers were all uninjured in the melee, but Brent was done for the night and was saddled with a 19th place finish.
With Brent on the sidelines for the duration, it was up to the kids to fly the Sexton/Gatlin banner the remainder of the way. Many in the crowd had their eye on Grant even before the crash involving his dad as he was winding his way through the field to an eventual seventh place finish and the race “Hard Charger” award. Dalton, who had worked his way into the top five at one point, ended up eleventh.
Brent’s misfortune cost him in the standings as he dropped back to fourth. Grant is ranked ninth and Dalton is eleventh. In addition, Grant remained the leader in the “Rookie of the Year” standings, but Dalton is only 32-points behind in second.
The team is headed north this week to compete in the prestigious 35th Annual Clay Cup at the Deming Speedway in Everson, Washington on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. After competing in the Northwest, the trio will return to Southern California and be back in action in the California Lightning Sprint Car Series at the Ventura County Fair on August 1st.
To keep up with all the exploits of the Sexton/Gatlin Racing Team, be sure to visit it’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Sexton-Gatlin-Racing-1173560279445564/
Sexton/Gatlin Racing would like to thank the following companies for making the 2018 season possible. Sexton Fire Protection, Scotty and Jimmy Keys, BK Wings, Victory Graphics, Henchcraft, Sam Coe Performance and Swift Powdercoat. If you or your company would like to be a part of the Sexton/Gatlin team for the 2018 campaign, please call (619) 454-6945 or E-mail [email protected]
SEXTON/GATLIN 2018 CALIFORNIA LIGHTNING SPRINT CAR SERIES RACING SCHEDULE
March 31 – Placerville Speedway – BCRA – Brent 2nd - Grant 14th - Dalton 17th
April 14 – Ventura Raceway – USAC National – Brent 5th – Grant 7th – Dalton DNS
April 21 – Bakersfield Speedway – USAC National – Brent 7th – Dalton 9th – Grant 18th
May 5 – Ventura Raceway – USAC National – Brent 2nd – Dalton 10th – Grant 12th
May 19th – Barona Speedway – Jim Squire Memorial – Brent 4th – Dalton 8th – Grant 18th
May 26 – Perris Auto Speedway – USAC National – Salute to Indy – Brent 11th – Dalton 12th – Grant 16th
June 16 – Bakersfield Speedway – Civil War vs BCRA – Brent 6th – Grant 12th – Dalton 21st
July 7 – Ventura Raceway – USAC National – Grant 7th – Dalton 11th – Brent 19th
July 19 – Deming Speedway (Everson, WA) – 35th Annual Clay Cup
July 20 – Deming Speedway (Everson, WA) – 35th Annual Clay Cup
July 21 – Deming Speedway (Everson, WA) – 35th Annual Clay Cup
August 1 – Ventura Raceway – USAC National – Ventura County Fair
August 18 – Perris Auto Speedway – USAC National – California Racer’s Hall of Fame Night
August 25 – Barona Speedway
September 8 – Bakersfield Speedway – USAC National
September 21 – Placerville Speedway – Civil War vs BCRA
September 22 – Placerville Speedway – Civil War vs BCRA
October 6 – Ventura Raceway – USAC National
October 20th – Barona Speedway
October 27 – Ventura Raceway – USAC National
November 17- Bakersfield Speedway USAC National with USAC National and Western Midgets
December – River City Expo Center – Tulsa, Oklahoma
This release produced by Scott Daloisio. Contact (909) 226-7768 mailto:[email protected]
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