BUFFALO TWP — Michael Norris lived a dream a year ago at Lernerville Speedway.

Norris, 27, a 2010 Knoch graduate and two-time defending Late Model points champion at the Sarver oval, became the first local driver to win a World of Outlaws Late Model trace at the track. He reached victory lane in the second 30-lap feature race of the three-night Firecracker 100 weekend.

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Norris placed sixth in the first 30-lap feature of the weekend and was the highest-finishing local driver in taking 10th in the 100-lap main event that Saturday night.

The 13th annual Firecracker 100 — paying $30,000 to win — takes place Saturday night at Lernerville. Two 30-lap features — paying $6,000 to win —will conclude the racing action Thursday and Friday night at the Sarver oval.

“Michael proved last year that a local driver can win against those guys,” Lernerville regular Late Model Driver Russ King said. “Those (30-lap) features are the length of race we're accustomed to running.”

Norris said that “there's five or six Lernerville Late Model drivers who are capable of doing what I did. Everything must has to fall into place.”

At the season's midway point, Norris trails Ken Schaltenbrand of Sarver by 15 in the points race. After winning five feature races here in 2017 and nine last year, Norris has found victory lane twice in six races this season.

If he gets there this weekend, it won't be in his own No. 72 car.

“Norris drove Todd Cerenzia's car to victory lane last week and will be driving it again at this week's Firecracker.

“Between racing at Lernerville two weeks ago and at Eldora last week, our car got pretty busted up,” Norris said. “It'll be back, but I knew we couldn't get it ready by this week.”

Brian Daughtery, a friend in tracing who handles the shocks on Norris' car, got him together with Cerenzia.

“I called Brian and, jokingly, asked him if he knew of anyone who needed a driver, that we were done,” Norris said. “That's how this all came together.”

Schaltenbrand, who has one feature win at Lernerville this season, hopes to make the main event this weekend.

“You always want to win, but realistically ... This is A hobby, we do it for fun, and we're going up against guys who do this for a living,” Schaltenbrand said.

“Best thing I can do is minimize mistakes and be the best I can be. It's cool just being part of a show of this magnitude.”

The WoO Late Models are coming to Lernerville from Eldora, where series points leader Brandon Sheppard won $125,000 in Saturday's finale. Also winning at Eldora last week were Darrell Lanigan, Ricky Weiss and Shane Clanton.

Sheppard has won eight of the 14 WoO features run so far this season. Brandon Overton, the 2017 Firecracker 100 champion, has won two WoO features this year.

Lanigan and Clanton are former Firecracker 100 winners. Scott Bloomquist is the only driver to win the event three times. Jimmy Mars is a two-time champion.

Last year's winner, Chris Madden, has parted ways with Skyline Motorsports, team owner Greg Bruening recently announced.

Gregg Satterlee, a former Lernerville regular, finished fourth in the 2013 Firecracker 100. No local has ever placed in the top three.

“The 100 laps make a big difference,” King said. “Our drivers just don't do races that long. I was fifth or sixth in 2017 because the track rubbered due to a lot of rain and I was smart enough to ride the track in that scenario.

“But, normally, my stuff is pretty much burned up after 50 laps or so.”

King has participated in 10 previous Firecracker 100s. Kelvin Kohan, a local driver from Gibsonia, is only in his first full season of racing a Late Model. He is fourth in the track's points standings.

“They're the very best,” Kohan said of the Outlaw drivers. “You can learn from a show like this. The immediate goal is to qualify and go from there.”

The RUSH Crate Late Models will also be on the race card Thursday through Saturday. Their Saturday night feature will pay $10,000 to win.

Concerts will take place following the Thursday and Friday night shows. A charity kickball game and driver-fan horseshoe match are also part of the weekend.

Main gates open at 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 4 p.m. Saturday.