The Story From Lernerville: Swartzlander scores 90th career win, Bowser earns 5th victory of season, Lux gets first win in Detman 111, Kelley wins thriller

On another beautiful Friday evening at the Lernerville Speedway,  Brian Swartzlander and Joe Kelley each padded their career leading win totals in their respective divisions, while Carl Bowser cruised to his fifth victory of the season in the Sprint Cars. A new winner emerged in the Super Late Models, as Matt Lux held off all challengers in the Jim Detman #111.

DIEHL Automotive Group Modifieds

Garrett Krummert and Rick Regalski paced the 15 car field to the green in the evening's first feature.

Krummert grabbed the early lead with Regalski taking 2nd. 3rd starting Steve Feder found misfortune on lap 3 as he slid high off turns 1 and 2 while pressuring Regalski for 2nd, and would eventually fall to back of the field.

The first caution flew on lap 5 for Rodney Beltz stopping on the backstretch.  Krummert once again showed the way on the restart. Brian Swartzlander proved strong on the outside as he made his way into 2nd around Regalski, and then began putting heat on Krummert for the lead in the following laps.  On lap 9, Swartzlander used the momentum off the top side to overtake Krummert down the backstretch.

Pat Miller Photo

Last week's winner Mat Willamson was on the move as he challenged Reglaski for 3rd, but was unable to make the pass for several laps. By lap 12, 9th starting Rex King Jr entered the battle for 3rd and quickly dispatched both Regalski and Wiliamson for the position.

Up front, Swartzlander continued to ride the cushion to hold the advantage over Krummert, while King Jr began to close on both. Jeff Miller went up in smoke on lap 15 to bring out the second caution of the feature. During this caution, 4th running Williamson went pitside with ignition issues, ending his string of impressive finishes this season.

Swartzlander chose the outside on the lap 15 restart and would remain in front. The outside proved to be the fastest way around the action track, as both Krummert and King Jr. attempted to make things happen to his inside, but to no avail.

In the closing laps, Swartzlander distanced himself from the field, while the battle headed up for 2nd between King and Krummert. On the final lap, King Jr. made his way around Krummert to come home second.

 Swartzlander's victory snapped a streak of mechanical failures for the Leechburg driver, as it was his first win since June 5th.

Top 10: 

1 Brian Swartzlander

2 Rex King Jr.

3 Garrett Krummert

4 Rick Regalski

5 Kevin Bolland

6 Rex King Sr. 

7 Jeremiah Shingledecker 

8 Shawn Fleeger

9 Steve Feder

10 Carl Murdick

Peoples TWP Sprint Cars

Carl Bowser, a four time winner this season, drew the pole for the 25 lap event.  Bowser went right to the cushion and blasted to the lead ahead of Ralph Spithaler and Brandon Matus.  The field quickly began to string out, with the top five of Bowser, Spithaler, Matus, Eric Williams and last week's winner Jack Sodeman Jr. all running the same line on the cushion.  

The pace was slowed on lap 7 as Cody Bova spun to the inside off turn 4.   Bowser once again raced out to the lead on the restart. Matus overtook Spithaler for 2nd, and Sodeman dispatched Williams for 4th.

Pat Miller Photo

Matus was able to keep pace with Bowser, but once again the top five all were running the same outer groove. Another caution on lap 14 again for Bova once again bunched the field up.

 Bowser held the advantage once again with a very good restart, which allowed no opportunity for Matus to pull a slide job.  Sodeman did pull a slider to take 3rd from Spithaler. From there, Bowser remained in command and road the cushion to a convincing victory.  Matus, Sodeman, Spithaler and Williams completed the top five.

Top 10:

1 Carl Bowser

2 Brandon Matus

3 Jack Sodeman Jr.

4 Ralph Spithaler

5 Eric Williams 

6 AJ Flick

7 Brandon Spithaler

8 Brent Matus

9 Sye Lynch

10 Bill Kiley

Precise Racing Super Late Models

Matt Lux had only driven the Jim Detman #111 on a handful of nights this season. Stepping in for Brian Swartzlander in the middle of the season, the 'Franklin Flyer' scored his first victory of the season and the first ever for the #111 machine.  

Kenny Schaltenbrand and Tony Burke paced the field to green, but it was third starting Lux who raced to the Lap 1 lead.  A pair of early yellows slowed the pace on laps 2 and 4. Lux looked particularly strong on both restarts, as he held the point over Michael Norris.  10th starting Alex Ferree made his way past Schaltenbrand for 3rd by lap 7 and quickly closed on the lead duo of Lux and Norris.  

Pat Miller Photo

By lap 11, Lux was managing lap traffic has he continued to hold off both Norris and Ferree.  A caution on lap 17 proved to be a major factor in the outcome of the race. Lux chose the outside on the restart and once again pulled away running the cushion.  A new challenger was present now, though, as Mike Pegher Jr. followed Lux right into second around both Ferree and Norris.  

In the closing stages, Lux continued to stretch his lead en route to a convincing victory over Pegher, who managed to fend off challenges from Ferree to take the runner up spot.  Norris settled for 4th, while Andrew Wylie rounded out the top five.

Alex Ferree wrapped his third straight points title and sixth overall, tieing him with Bob Wearing Sr. for the most all time in the division.

Top 10:

1 Matt Lux

2 Mike Pegher Jr

3 Alex Ferree

4 Michael Norris

5 Andrew Wylie

6 Gary Lyle

7 Tony Burke

8 Dan Swartzlander

9 Sam Eichelberger

10 Herman Bertolini

Millerstown Pic-A-Part Sportsman

Joe Kelley endured a multitude of restarts and a hard charging Jim Fosnaught to earn the victory in the night's final event.

Bog Egley took to the early lead from the pole position. Behind him, Mike Miller split Brandon Wearing and Joey Zambotti to quickly take 2nd on the opening lap. Miller then drove by Egley on the outside to the lead the next lap.  However, on lap 3, Miller's car experienced troubles coming off turn 4, slowing suddenly. This allowed Egley to retake the lead, but in the scramble to avoid Miller, Zambotti and Terry Young made contact, sending both pitside with issues and bringing out a caution.  Miller was able to continue, and was placed 3rd on the following restart. 

Pat Miller Photo

Cautions continued to fly on laps 6,7, and 8. Kelley had moved into second on the lap 7 restart, and then took the lead away from Egley on the outside on the lap 8 restart.  Wayne Carbo charged hard on the outside to momentarily overtake Egley for 2nd on lap 10.  Egley then engaged in a side-by-side battle for 2nd with Carbo for several laps before another yellow on lap 13.

The restart order was Kelley, Egley, Carbo and Jim Fosnaught.  Kelley was committed to the bottom on the restart and shot out to the lead, but it was Fosnaught who found speed on the outside to advance from 4th to 2nd.  

Kelley appeared to be in command as the field was given the two to go signal, but one last caution setup an interesting restart between the 66 and 20J.  

Kelley once again chose to run the low line, with Fosnaught charging to his outside.  Coming to the white, Fosnaught positioned himself to make a run to the outside of Kelley. Down the backstretch, he pulled even with Kelley and going into four it was anyone's guess who would come away victorious. 

By a mere 0.033 seconds, Kelley beat Fosnaught to the line in a thrilling finish to put a cap on the night.

Top 10:

1 Joe Kelley

2 Jim Fosnaught

3 Bob Egley

4 Corey McPherson

5 Mike Miller 

6 Wayne Carbo 

7 Bob Lipinski 

8 Aaron Easler

9 Brett McDonald 

10 Jeff Miller

The “Fab Four” season will conclude next Friday with the final points event.   AJ Flick holds a 10 point lead over Brandon Matus going into next Friday. Either Flick or Matus will add their name to the historic list of Sprint Car champions.