BUFFALO TWP - Dave Murdick has been down this road before.

The 41-year-old Modified driver from Slippery Rock enters Friday night's race card at Lernerville Speedway just five points off the points lead.

Murdick has 240 points, falling behind Jim Weller Jr. after the latter won the Modified feature here last week.

"We lost the points race by seven here in 2001," Murdick said. "And we missed a night that year to race for BRP (Modified series) points."

Murdick won the BRP series title that year. He won the Sportsman's Speedway points championship in 1990.

Now in his 25th year of racing, he has never won a points title at Lernerville.

"It's one of our goals and I guess it could happen this year," Murdick said. "But our best year was 2001 and we fell short that season. We've been close a couple of other times, too.

"I think the points title is more important to my crew than it is to me. It's a sign of consistency and that reflects well on all of us."

His father, Carl Murdick, won the Modified points title at Lernerville in 1970. If Dave Murdick wins one, they will become the second father-son combination to win track championships here. Bob Wearing Sr. and Jr. comprise the other.

Weller and Murdick are the only two Modified drivers with six top-five finishes at Lernerville so far this year. Brian Swartzlander, who is 10 points behind Weller, has four.

"Point championships at Lernerville mean a lot because there's so much competition here," Murdick said.

Steve Slater has been Murdick's crew chief since 2001, when his brother left racing.

"Dave's car is pretty similar to my brother's," Slater said. "I was my brother's crew chief for a couple of years, so it was a smooth transition.

"Dave is one of the most knowledgeable people in racing when it comes to setting up a car. We've been clicking as a team from Day 1," he added.

Murdick began coming to the track at age 9, when his father brought him along.

"He was always into cars," the elder Murdick said. "I used to have a go-kart, and when he was 4, he'd go out and sit in it all day.

"The day he got his driver's license, he came to the track and raced my car. He couldn't wait to get started."

Murdick has won 17 features during his career, including one at the Sarver track three weeks ago. He won two features here this year.

"Dave was a member of my crew from the first day we could get him in the pits," his father said. "He'd help change the gears, change the tires, whatever we needed."

During the 2001 season, Murdick won features at Lernerville, won the BRP Modified series, finished second in points at Lernerville and finished a career-high ninth at the Eckerd 20, a 200-lap Modified feature in Syracuse, N.Y.

Approximately 125 drivers attempt to qualify for that event, which requires pit stops.

"There's nothing like that race," Murdick said of the October event. "Just qualifying for it is tough enough. Finishing in the top 10 was a thrill."

Murdick is sitting third in points at Mercer this season, but Tommy Kristyak has a comfortable lead there.

"I want to win it for him (Murdick)," Slater said of the Lernerville points race. "He's been so close before. Dave deserves to win one."

Murdick does have other goals in racing as well. One is driving a Sprint car on a regular basis at Lernerville.

He drove Charlie Holben's No. 42 Sprinter last week.

"I owned my own Sprint car for a couple of years (1998-99), but couldn't keep it going financially," Murdick said. "The motors don't last in those things.

"You might get 15 (racing) nights out of a Sprint motor. The motor in my Modified has been around three years. We've got 60 nights on it, at least."

While Murdick will continue to drive his No. 61 Modified, he has been talking to Sprint car owners about picking up a second ride.

"I won't own a Sprint car, but I hope to race one someday, maybe as soon as next year," he said. "I'd love to do double duty."

Lernerville Speedway Points Leaders

(Top 15 through July 2)

Sprints

Chad Hill 229, Ed Lynch Jr. 215, Rod George 215, Kevin Schaeffer 196, Arnie Kent 180, Dan Shetler 165, Gary Rankin 163, Mike Shearer 134, Gary Kriess Jr. 128, Scott Bonnell 121, Charlie Holben 121, Jerry Matus 117, Brent Matus 114, Davey Jones 103, Mike Dehner 97

Late Models

John Flinner 220, Gary Lyle 204, Chuck Kennedy 190, Doug Eck 178, Nick Jones 175, Lynn Geisler 160, Ken Schaltenbrand 142, Rob Kosecki 127, Jeff Henry 127, Tom Kitchen 123, Bob Wearing Jr. 122, David Scott 121, Spanky Dougherty 107, Chris Schneider 106, Mike Johnson 92

Modifieds

Jim Weller Jr. 245, Dave Murdick 240, Brian Swartzlander 235, Kevin Bolland 204, Tommy Marshall 177, Tom Winkle 169, Gary Risch Jr. 156, Lonny Riggs 155, Carl Murdick 147, J.R. McGinley 136, Eddie Brown 98, Gary Risch, Sr. 98, Justin Broerman 86, John Durci 86, Del Rougeux 83

Pure Stocks

Joe Kelley 240, Rob Shook 235, Greg Beach 231, Butch Lambert 209, Paul Schreckengost 192, Scott Bochek 160, Bob Egley 148, Bob Lipinski 146, Mike Turner 140, Jason Fosnaught 129, Nick Reges 129, Dave Spangler 128, Herman Bertolini 121, Jeff Bastin 117, Doug Graham 117