8/9/2023
Lernerville Speedway
$10,000-to-win Autism Awareness 50 Highlights Huge Night of Racing on Friday
Sarver, PA (August 9, 2023) One of the most unique Fab4 Friday nights in Action Track history will take place this Friday as the evening not only kicks off with the held, $10,000-to-win ‘Autism Awareness 50’ presented by Thrower Concrete which features some of the best late model drivers in the area, but will also see an entire Fab4 Friday racing program to follow with two hotly contested points battles to follow along with! The 50-lap event for the Precise Racing Products Late Models, originally scheduled for July 28, has a lineup featuring a front row that contains the always formidable Mason Zeigler and Fab4 heavyweight and regional star Michael Norris, and is loaded with talent well behind that row with a resurgent, six-time track champion Alex Ferree who stands as our most recent Late Model feature winner (Aug 4) , and familiar names such as, ULMS McConnell Memorial feature winner Gregg Satterlee, Chub Frank, Matt Lux and a good mix of weekly warriors who will be looking to keep the lion’s share of the purse in the area.
Coming into Friday night, the battle atop the standings in the Peoples Natural Gas Sprint Cars has been put to rest by AJ Flick who simply needs to show up and compete on the final two nights of the weekly racing season and complete his finish in the held over feature from July 28 to earn his seventh career track championship. Behind flick though, only seven points separate Dan Kuriger, Brandon Matus and Darin Gallagher for the runner up spot, comprising a battle to keep an eye on during the final points nights of the season. Flick also leads the way in victories, amassing six feature wins in nine starts while Kuriger, Matus and Brandon Spithaler share the other three wins in the division thus far.
Although only show up points will be available for the Precise Racing Products Late Model drivers for the ‘Autism Awareness 50’ to start off the night, a tight battle exists at the top of the standings between leader Tyler Dietz and second running Michael Norris that will be one to watch once the Fab4 racing begins! Just one point separates the two drivers with just two points nights of racing left. It’s a battle that could very well go down to the final set of turns so be sure to keep an eye on both the heats and the feature later on. Currently, Ken Schaltenbrand and Levi Yetter are both less than 30 points back behind the leaders but would need some misfortune at the front to put themselves within reasonable reach heading into Championship Night on Friday, August 18. Norris leads the way with regards to feature wins within the division with four wins in eight features while Dietz, John Garvin Jr., Ferree and Colton Flinner own the other four victories on the year.
The Diehl Automotive Big Block Modified points battle took a big swing last Friday night as Rex King Jr. opened up a 19 point lead over Garrett Krummert by virtue of a fifth place finish on August 4 and an unfortunate finish for Krummert who started second on the grid last Friday but came home credited with an 18th place finish. Krummert will need to stay on the podium and hope for a slip from King somewhere in the final two nights of racing to have a chance to make up the gap. Behind them, four time and defending track champion Jeremiah Shingledecker resides 45 points back from the leaders. Krummert currently leads the division with three feature wins in 2023, while King has garnered two victories this year with Shingledecker and Brian Swartzlander both owning one win apiece thus far. Invading drivers Erick Rudolph (2) and Mat Williamson (1) have also wound up in Terry Bowser Excavating Victory Lane this year.
Tyler Dietz would love to become the first driver since Blackie Watt in 1982, to win multiple division titles and seemingly has one in the bag as he owns a commanding 70 point lead in Millerstown Pic-A-Part Pro Stock action heading into Friday night. Cody Koteles and Brett McDonald round out the top three drivers in the standings but could see their title chances totally evaporate before the time the 20 lap main event takes the track. Dietz has managed six wins in 10 features in the division this year while Jake Dietz, Chris Schneider, Christian Schneider and Brian Daugherty have collected the other four checkered flags.
Pits will open at 4 PM on Friday night with grandstands opening at 5 PM. Hot laps are tentatively scheduled to start at 6:30 PM, followed by the ‘Autism Awareness 50’ at 7 PM which will be followed by opening ceremonies and then the entire Fab4 Friday night racing program. General admission is $18, while children 10 and under will be admitted free as always! Pit passes will be available for $30 and the entire night of racing starting with hot laps will be available on our streaming service at Dirt.tv via subscription ($24.99/Month-$149.99/Annual). We look forward to having you with us for what promises to be a night of racing you simply don’t want to miss.
Submitted By: Gary Heeman