8/13/2020
Lernerville Speedway
Fab4 Reset; Bowser, Flinner, Krummert and Dietz lead points
Seven Fab4 Fridays remain as points battles intensify
Stay tuned in with LernervilleTV and the Action Track Podcast
Sarver, PA (August 12, 2020) It can be hard and confusing trying to find the midpoint of a sliding scale or schedule as it may be at Lernerville Speedway in 2020, but with six Fab4 Fridays in the rearview mirror, (one of which was cannibalized by rain), and seven still left to be contested, this coming Friday, August 14 acts as the mid-point of the 2020 season. As the PIAA and WPIAL try to chart their path towards their own version of Friday Night Lights in the way of a high school football season, Lernerville Speedway is scheduled to be go hammer down into Mid-October with Fab4 Racing most Fridays between now and Championship Night on October 9.
In the Peoples Natural Gas DIRTcar Sprints, two-time track champion (2011, 2014) Carl Bowser leads the way with an 11-point leader over three-time track champion and back-to-back feature winner AJ Flick. Bowser tied Racin Ralphie Spithaler for ninth on the all time Lernerville Sprint wins list last month with by taking the checkered flag on July 17; it was a controversial win that involved contact with Flick. The incident on July 17 has seemingly polarized the crowd into pro-Bowser and pro-Flick camps, but has undoubtedly fueled Flick to back-to-back feature wins at the Action Track the past two Friday Nights. Flicks recent surge finds him well within striking distance and hitting on all cylinders at the halfway point of the season. Two-time and defending Track Champion Jack Sodeman Jr. scored the Opening Night feature win, but has battled some gremlins since, yet sits third in points; 29 behind Bowser and 18 behind Flick. Brandon Spithaler and Brandon Matus sit tied for fourth in points just three markers behind Sodeman. Michael Bauer is the only other driver to win a Fab4 feature in the sprints so far, but a part-time schedule and some bad luck finds him tenth in points.
Colton Flinner sits atop the point standings in the Precise Racing Products DIRTcar Late Models despite not yet finding his way to Terry Bowser Excavating Victory Lane in 2020. Flinner has been up front all season, leading laps often, scoring a pair of second place finishes and putting himself in a prime position to win his first Lernerville Track Championship when the wins start to come. Tyler Dietz sits second in points, (right where he finished the 2020 season), a scant five points out of the lead. While the defending track champion in the Pro Stocks hasnt found success in the Late Models like he has in the Pro Stocks, Dietz is getting faster and continues to put together solid finishes each week. The pleasant surprise of the season so far in the Late Models has been Modified convert Will Thomas who sits in third, 26 points behind Flinner and 21 behind Dietz. Defending Track Champion Ken Schaltenbrand has had a slow start to his title defense, but is well within striking distance, just 29 points out of the lead. Mike Miller rounds out the top five in points, while feature winners Russ King, Tommy Beck, Mike Norris and Jared Miley have each missed at least on Fast Friday of Fab4 Racing.
For most of the past decade, the names Swartzlander, King and Williamson have dominated the point standings in the Diehl Automotive DIRTcar Big Block Modified ranks, but 2020 has seen two new names top the charts as Opening Night feature winner Garrett Krummert has led the way all season and Jammin Johnny Mollick rides second, just nine points out of the lead. Mollick scored his first career Lernerville Modified feature a few weeks ago and has consistent speed and finishes this season. But as is typically the case in this division, the points are tight throughout the top five with July 31 winner Rex King Jr. three points behind Mollick and defending track champion Briand Swartzlander just three points behind King. Dave Murdick is fifth in points; 10 behind Swartzlander and just 25 behind Krummert. Rex King Sr. is the most recent feature winner and currently rides sixth in points.
2020 is shaping up to be another epic battle right down to the final checkered flag between defending track Champion Tyler Dietz and six-time champ Corey McPherson. Points leader Dietz has a pair of feature wins in 2020, while McPherson has to find his way back to Terry Bowser Excavating Victory Lane. With seven Fab4s remaining, just 12 points separate the friendly rivals. Fresh off his second win of the season last Friday, Joey Zambotti is tied for third in points with Opening Night feature winner Mike Miller. The duo trail Dietz by 24 points and McPherson by 12. Consistent finishes find Brett McDonald fifth in points, while July 31 feature winner Chris Schneider has won the only Lernerville race he entered so far this season!
This Friday, August 14 is Go Kart Night and some of the future stars of Fab4 Racing will have their karts on display as they dream Fast Fridays at the Action Track! Â Any kart racers are invited to attend the event and put their karts on display by calling the speedway office (724) 353-1511.
In addition to Go Kart Night, we will also be hosting two charity events this Friday Night. The first is a benefit for Lisa Hartman, (wife of former Pro Stock driver and current Sprint car driver John Hartman), who was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer in June. Silent and Chinese auction items will be set up inside the main gates. Diehl Modified driver Chris Rudolph and the folks from Ride for Kids “ Western PA will be co-hosting the STAR Family Event benefiting children with pediatric brain tumors. In addition to Chinese auctions items and a 50/50, the STAR Family event will also allow some of the Heroes of Fab4 Racing to meet some amazing young heroes that are battling brain tumors. Your generosity for both events will be greatly appreciated!
If you are not able to attend the races in person this Friday or any Friday, please consider keeping up with the action by watching out live-stream at www.Lernerville.TV. For just $20 for a single pass, or $30 for a full month of Fab4 Racing, you can watch all of the weekly racing action right from the comfort of your living, from your beach house on vacation or camp site, or even right in the palm of your hand! Both the single pass and monthly subscription offer video on demand access of the event.
Another great way to keep up with everything Fab4 Racing is to listen to the Action Track Podcast. Every Friday Night, track announcer Big E and PR Director Gary Heeman recap the nights results and talks to one of the heroes of Fab4 Racing for your listening pleasure and convenience throughout the week. Links to the podcast can be found on our website www.Lernerville.com and on our social media channels on Facebook and Twitter.
Last, but certainly not least, if you havent already done so, we encourage you to download the Cardsona app on your smart phone, iPad or tablet. The Cardsona app not only allows you to network with race fans and business colleagues, you can also store your Covid waiver form electronically and skip the line at the main gates by entering through the Cardsona Express Gate on the turn one side of the main concession stand.
Back to News
