Brian Swartzlander Finds Victory Lane Friday Night At Lernerville

Story By: GARY HEEMAN / LERNERVILLE SPEEDWAY – SARVER, PA – The 2019 season opened up beneath cloudy skies and cool temperatures on Friday night at Lernerville Speedway and fans were treated to a full night of action packed racing on a night that saw a little of everything.

Familiar faces returned to Terry Bowser Victory Lane and a pair of drivers returned for the first time in quite a while.

Brandon Matus didn’t treat fans to his famous fence climbing exhibition, but he did treat himself to a well deserved victory in the Peoples Gas Sprint Car main event. Matus bolted out to the early lead while Jack Sodeman Jr, AJ Flick and Sye Lynch took up positions directly behind him. However, Matus proved to be the fastest car on the track throughout 25 laps and was able to maneuver through lapped traffic efficiently to keep any potential challengers at bay as the laps wound down en route to his first feature win at Lernerville since October of 2015.

In the Precise Racing Products Late Models, Michael Norris was the class of the field for the majority of the main event, picking up where he left off from a dominant 2018 campaign. However, a series of restarts in the final two laps, including three consecutive green-white-checkered situations at end proved vital to the final outcome. Russ King, who had made his way forward to a podium position, was able to second and then overtake Norris on the final restart to score his first feature win in over a year. Meanwhile, Brian Swartzlander held off an early charge from Rex King Sr. early on in Diehl Automotive Big Block Modified action, and once firmly in the lead, never looked back to secure his 96th career feature win at Lernerville.

Corey McPherson closed out the evening as he has so many times before, with a feature victory and looked impressive in doing so in Millerstown Pic-A-Part DIRTcar/RUSH Pro Stock action. Almost equally impressive was the speed with which Joey Zambotti made his way from the tail of the field following an incident on the opening lap. Zambotti used several restarts to pick up positions and was perhaps the fastest car on the track in the second half of the race but came up just short at the end of 20 laps.

Peoples Natural Gas DIRTcar 410 Sprint Feature: (25 Laps)
1. (13) Brandon Matus
2. (2) AJ Flick
3. (11) Carl Bowser
4. (42) Sye Lynch
5. (46) Michael Bauer
6. (55) Gary Kriess
7. (56) Ralph Spithaler
8. (08) Dan Kuriger
9. (40) George Hobaugh
10. (23) Darren Pifer
11. (22) Brandon Spithaler
12. (C1) Clay Riney
13. (5J) Jordan Harble
14. (33) Brent Matus
15. (4N) Jimmy Norris
16. (1) Brandon Fredericks
17. (4K) Bill Kiley
18. (23Jr) Jack Sodeman Jr.
19. (14) Jeremy Hill
20. (38) Leyton Wagner

Precise Racing Products DIRTcar Late Models Feature: (25 Laps)
1. (56) Russ King
2. (72) Michael Norris
3. (27) Michael Lake
4. (10) Jared Miley
5. (111) Matt Lux
6. (91T) Tommy Beck
7. (15) Kelvin Kohan
8. (8) Clayton Kennedy
9. (20) Doug Eck
10. (29) Ken Schaltenbrnd
11. (48) Colton Flinner
12. (14) Dan Angellichio
13. (W3) John Wayne Weaver
14. (77) Tyler Dietz
15. (92) Jayme Beck
16. (81) Mike Miller

Diehl Automotive DIRTcar Northeast Big Block Modified Feature: (25 Laps)
1. (83) Brian Swartzlander
2. (65) Rex King
3. (165) Rex King Jr.
4. (37MD) Jeremiah Shingledecker
5. (29) Garrett Krummert
6. (61) Dave Murdick
7. (13) Rick Regalski
8. (75) Jeff Miller
9. (45) Steve Feder
10. (25) Chris Rudolph
11. (22) Kevin Long
12. (71) Randy Chronister
13. (3K) Shawn Kozar
14. (18) Colton Walters
15. (83T) Tom Glenn
16. (A51) Bill Barr
17. (27R) Dave Reges

Millerstown Pic-A-Part RUSH/DIRTcar Pro Stocks Feature: (20 Laps)
1. (C33) Corey McPherson
2. (948) Joey Zambotti
3. (27) Tyler Dietz
4. (13X) Ryan Moyer
5. (30) Bob Egley
6. (32) Mark Sanders
7. (28Y) Terry Young
8. (10) John Hartman
9. (35B) Jake Dietz
10. (26) Mike Bordt
11. (310) Dale Tuche
12. (22JR) Chase Lambert
13. (66) Joe Kelley
14. (29B) Scott Byers

Ferguson Heating & Air Conditioning B-Main for Peoples Gas Sprints: (Top 5 Transfer)
1. (4N) Jim Morris
2. (33) Brent Matus
3. (1) Brandon Fredericks
4. (4K) Bill Kiley
5. (38) Leyton Wagner
6. (22F) George Fredericks
7. (00) Alan Free
8. (92) Chad Hill
9. (12) Cody Swanson

Glassmere Fuel Serivice Heat 1 for Peoples Gas Sprints:
1. (42) Sye Lynch
2. (23JR) Jack Sodeman Jr.
3. (56) Ralph Spithaler
4. (40) George Hobaugh
5. (08) Dan Kuriger
6. (4K) Bill Kiley
7. (12) Cody Swanson
8. (33) Brent Matus

Dlubak Powder Coating Heat 2 for Peoples Gas Sprints:
1. (13) Brandon Matus
2. (2) AJ Flick
3. (14) Jeremy Hill
4. (5H) Jordan Harble
5. (23) Darren Pifer
6. (1) Brandon Fredericks
7. (92) Chad Hill
8. (91) Sadie Siegel
9. (250) Jared McFarland

Gellners Sales and Serivce Heat 3 for Peoples Gas Sprints:
1. (55) Gary Kriess Jr.
2. (22) Brandon Spithaler
3. (46) Michael Bauer
4. (C1) Clay Riney
5. (11) Carl Bowser
6. (4N) Jimmy Morris
7. (00) Alan Free
8. (38) Leyton Wagner

Hotel Saxonburg Heat 1 for Precise Late Models:
1. (56) Russ King
2. (10) Jared Miley
3. (48) Colton Flinner
4. (14 ) Dan Angellichio
5. (W3) John Wayne Weaver
6. (15) Kelvin Kohan
7. (111) Matt Lux
8. (77) Tyler Dietz
9. (13) Todd Weldon
10. (81) Mike Miller

Lojack’s Cycle Shop Heat 2 for Precise Late Models:
1. (29) Ken Schaltenbrand
2. (72) Michael Norris
3. (91T) Tommy Beck
4. (27) Michael Lake
5. (9) Clayton Kennedy
6. (20) Doug Eck
7. (92) Jayme Beck
8. (1C) Mike Pegher Jr.
9. (10L) Gary Lyle

McCutcheon Enterprises Heat 1 for Diehl Modifieds:
1. (37) Jeremiah Shingledecker
2. (65) Rex King
3. (45) Steve Feder
4. (165) Rex King Jr.
5. (13) Rick Regalski
6. (22) Kevin Long
7. (18) Colton Walters
8. (71) Randy Chronister
9. (27R) Dave Reges

Thermo Twin Windows Heat 2 for Diehl Modifieds:
1. (83) Brian Swartzlander
2. (61) Dave Murdick
3. (83T) Tom Glenn
4. (3K) Shawn Kozar
5. (A51) Bill Barr
6. (25) Chris Rudolph
7. (75) Jeff Miller
8. (29) Garrett Krummert
9. (4J) John Mollick (Did Not Start)

Thoma Meat Market Heat 1 for Pic-A-Part Pro Stocks:
1. (33) Corey McPherson
2. (948) Joey Zambotti
3. (13X) Ryan Moyer
4. (30) Bob Egley
5. (32) Mark Sanders
6. (26) Mike Bordt
7. (35B) Jake Dietz
8. (25) Brett McDonald

Hovis Auto and Truck Supply Heat 2 for Pic-A-Part Pro Stocks:
1. (27) Tyler Dietz
2. (66) Joe Kelley
3. (10) John Hartman
4. (310) Dale Tuche
5. (28Y) Terry Young
6. (22JR) Chase Lambert
7. (29B) Scott Byers
Car Count Total: 77
Peoples Natural Gas Sprints: 25
Precise Late Models: 19
Diehl Modifieds: 18
Pic-A-Part Sportsman: 15