Vacation Is Over and Sexton’s Return to Usac/Cra Competition Saturday – Collie Gets Hard Charger at Barona - Speedway Digest

The father-son sprint car racing duo of Brent Sexton and his son Grant, who spent two-weeks away from the dirt track wars, returns to action this Saturday night when the Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series invades the Santa Maria Speedway. It will be the Sexton Gatlin Racing Teams’ second trip to the track, which is located on California’s Central Coast, in 2024.

451018226_26699683389622597_1697567435445923570_n.jpgRookie of the Year contender Brent Sexton in the July 13th main at Perris Auto Speedway. Kenny Lonngren photo.

Brent, 52, is currently third in the USAC/CRA Rookie of the Year standings. In addition, he ranks 13th in the series’ regular championship points battle. Grant, 20, last year’s USAC/CRA Rookie of the Year, is tied for 15th in the standings. They last competed at the Ventura Raceway in the Ultimate Sprint Car Series race presented by Inland Rigging on July 20th. On that night, Grant finished seventh in the A main. Brent was passing for the final transfer spot in the B main when the race was red flagged on the last lap. Officials called the race complete at that point, leaving Brent in seventh position, one spot shy of the transfer.

The Lakeside, California-based team made its first 2024 appearance at the newly reopened Santa Maria Speedway on July 6th. On that night, they both qualified for the A main, with Brent getting a 15th-place finish. Grant’s night ended early after a tangle with another car. He turned over and ended up with a 20th-place result.

After this week’s show, the Sexton Gatlin Racing team will have little time to rest before returning to action when USAC/CRA visits Perris Auto Speedway one week later on August 17th.

For fans who want to see SGR in action at Santa Maria on Saturday, the gates will open at 4:00 p.m. Qualifying will start at 5:00, and the first race will start at 6:00. Adult tickets are $30.00. Seniors and military get in for $23.00. For kids 6-12, it is only $5.00, and children 5 and under are free. The track is located at 1900 Hutton Road in Nipomo. The track website is https://santamariaspeedway.net/.

While Brent and Grant were away from the track last week, Brent’s #44 lightning sprint was in action with El Cajon’s Braydin Collie behind the wheel for the SoCal Lightning Sprint Car Series event at the Barona Speedway. The first time Collie drove the car was at Santa Maria in a California Lightning Sprint Car Series race on July 6th. After a slow start that night in qualifying and his heat race, the motorcycle racer shocked longtime race watchers by going from 13th to sixth in the 25-lap main event. Last Saturday at Barona, there were no surprises. He was fast from the beginning. The young racer started at the back of his five-car eight-lap heat and drove forward to finish third. In the 20-lap main, he started 13th again. This time in the main, he went one spot better and finished fifth. He passed more cars than any other driver in the 14-car field and received the race “Hard Charger Award.”

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, Sexton Fire Protection, BK Wings, 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:[email protected] or mailto:[email protected].

SGR PR