BUFFALO TWP — On Lernerville Speedway’s opening night, AJ Flick was looking for an eye-opening victory.

He just missed.

But the 22-year-old Sprint car driver gladly accepted the consolation prize.

Seeking his first career Sprint feature win after finishing sixth in points last season, Flick started Lernerville’s first feature of 2015 from the sixth spot Friday night. He took the lead on Lap 6 and held off hard-charging Ed Lynch Jr. for the next 17 laps.

Lynch passed Flick on Turn 2 of the 23rd lap and went on to capture his 110th career Lernerville feature win. He moved into sole possession of third place on the track’s all-time list, trailing only Bob Wearing Sr. (179) and Lou Blaney (118).

“He was fast ... really good, really smooth,” Lynch said of Flick. “Turn 2 was the only part of the racetrack I was faster. That’s where I had to get him.

“But I wasn’t sure if I’d ever get close enough to be in position to pass him.”

Flick navigated his way through lapped traffic well — at times pulling away from Lynch — but never totally shook loose from him.

Both drivers are from Apollo.

“I hit a rut between Turns 1 and 2 that slowed me up a little,” Flick said. “I got it back together and was still fast, but when Ed Lynch is behind you, sometimes your quickest still isn’t fast enough.

“Finishing second to the Sprint division’s all-time wins leader here? I can’t complain about that.”

Lynch made more history. Flick earned more respect.

“History is what you want to be part of. Give the younger guys something to shoot for,” Lynch said.

After running sparingly at the Sarver oval the past couple of years, Lynch plans to race at Lernerville more regularly this season.

“I love traffic,” Flick said. “That’s the key to Sprint car racing. I look around and pay attention while I’m out there. If you’re smart, you can recognize where other cars might be struggling and take advantage of it.

“I didn’t win the race, but I finished head of Jack Sodeman Jr., Lee Jacobs, Carl Bowser ... I beat some pretty good cars. I’m out to win a points championship more than races. My father (Mark Flick) won the Modified title here in 1994 and won one race that year. Consistency is the key.”

Evans City’s Brandon Spithaler started 10th and finished third. He won the season-opening heat race as well.

“We tried some different things tonight and they worked,” Spithaler said. “The track was really racy tonight. I wish it was like this every week.”

The King brothers from Bristolville, Ohio — Russell in the Late Models, Rex Jr. in the Modifieds — won their respective features. Rex King started fourth in the Late Model feature, passed leader Jared Miley on the 13th lap, then held off Saxonburg’s Alex Ferree, Miley and Mike Pegher Jr. for the win.

“That was pretty wild,” King said. “Jared Miley is a class act. He raced me clean the whole way.”

Ferree, two-time defending Late Model points champion at Lernerville, had to tail the field to begin the feature after leaving his heat race with a flat tire.

While fixing the flat, his crew noticed a hole in the radiatior and repaired that as well. That enabled Ferree to work his way through the field.

Rex King Jr. passed Justin Wright, a New York driver, on a 23rd-lap restart to get the Modified victory.

“Justin was faster than me tonight, but he had problems on that restart and I was able to get by him,” Rex said.

Rex King Jr. won on Opening Night here last year as well and went on to win the Modified points title. Mat Williamson of St. Catharimnes, Ontario, was involved in a multi-car pile-up to begin the feature and had to go to the pits. He returned to the track with a dented-up vehicle and managed to finish third.

Butler’s Terry Young won the Sportsman Stock feature on Opening Night last year and did so again. He started ninth and took the lead on Lap 13.

“I don’t know what happened there,” Young said. “The tires must have come in or something. I was getting faster and I really enjoyed that.

“I hope to win (the opener) 10 more years in a row.”

Notes: There were 72 cars in the pits. ... The Murdicks experienced bad luck on the track. Modified pole-sitter Dave Murdick was involved in the aforementioned pile-up to begin the feature, pitted and never returned. His father, 77-year-old Carl, rolled his No. 6 car over on its roof early in the feature. He was OK, but out of the race. Carl Murdick is entering his 57th racing season. ... Butler’s Steve Feder violently flipped his Modified on the 23rd lap. He was OK, but his car endured significant damage.