BENDER WINS CHRISTIAN STOVER MEMORIAL AND $1,000.00!

(SEPTEMBER 1, 2010, LAKESIDE, CA)  Before the second largest crowd of the season, Ramona, California’s Bobby Bender won the 1st Annual Christian Stover Memorial and the $1,000.00 first place check in the California Lightning Sprint Car Series last Saturday night at Perris Auto Speedway.  The victory was Bender’s series leading sixth win of 2010.

Saturday’s race honored Christian Stover who at 16-years-old lost his life in an ATV crash in 2009.  In 2007, when he was just 14 years old, Stover became the youngest ever Lightning Sprint Car main event winner at The PAS.  After his Lightning Sprint Car win, the teenage sensation went on to race with VRA, winged sprint cars in Northern California and with USAC at the 2008 Oval Nationals.

Starting on the outside of the front row in the 16-car main event field, Bender set the pace into the first turn over Spring Valley’s Jarrett Kramer when starter Eddie Ramirez threw the green flag to begin the 20-lapper.  Bender’s teenage brother A.J., who came into the night leading the championship point standings, was third at the outset.  However, disaster struck on the first lap for A.J. when he broke a chain and coasted back to a stop and a last place finish.  That brought out the only yellow in the main event.

Brent Sexton, driving Chris Dickey’s car that was designed to look like an exact replica of the car Stover drove to victory as a 14 year old at The PAS, was slated to start on the pole for the main event.  When he was late getting to the grid, officials penalized him and made him start last.  Amazingly, he went from 16th to 7th on the first circuit.

When the race was restarted, Bobby Bender, Kramer, Tim Brown of Wildomar, impressive rookie Kevin Michnowicz of Lomita and Corona’s Darren Hillberg occupied the top five spots.

While Bender was setting a sizzling pace and building a small lead at the front, Sexton was coming up fast.  The 2009 series champion quickly disposed of the “Okie Astronut” Tobey Sampson of Torrance and Hillberg to move into the top five.  He then chased down Michnowicz and Brown and was up to third on lap six.

While Sexton was slicing and dicing his way to the front, leader Bender and second place Kramer were already encountering lapped traffic.  Despite the lapped traffic, Bender maintained an eight to ten car advantage over Kramer most of the race.  With three laps go, Sexton caught Kramer and they began to fight for second.

Coming off turn two on the last lap, Bender drifted wide allowing Kramer to close in, but the latter could get not closer than three car lengths at the checkered flag.  Sexton was another three lengths back in third at the finish with Brown and Michnowicz rounding out the top five.  Bender had lapped all but six cars by the end of the race.

After telling legendary Southern California announcer Chris Holt about his win and thanking his crew, Bender had time to reflect on Stover.  “It is not even about the purse.  It is about racing for Christian,” the young driver told the huge crowd.  “Last year when this all happened, I put a sticker on the hood of my car and I said, ‘Christian is going to be riding on the hood all year long.’  It is still there!  I have not even changed the hood.  Thank you to Denny (Christian’s Dad) and the Christian Stover Foundation.”

Earlier in the night, Sexton took home $200.00 for winning the three-lap dash for cash over A.J. Bender, Bobby Bender and Michnowicz.  Sexton and A.J. won the two six lap heat races.