BUFFALO TWP - His time is coming.

Jack Sodeman Jr. of Butler, driver of the No. 49 Sprint car at Lernerville Speedway, knows it is. His car is telling him so. His father is telling him so.

And both are qualified to do so.

Sodeman, 28, picked up a ride this season from the newly formed race team of Jeff and Bonnie Rudzik of Rudzik Excavating and Don Blackshear of Blackshear Engines.

"They were looking for a driver and some pretty good racing names had interest," Sodeman said. "I'm just glad they picked me. We all make a pretty good team. We all want the same things."

They're racing the No. 49 in Central and Western Pennsylvania, along with Ohio, and Sodeman hopes they race the All-Star circuit on a regular basis next season.

"That's where I want to be," he said.

He'd love to notch a feature win at Lernerville first. Sodeman owns 10 feature wins in a 12-year Sprint car racing career, but none at the Sarver track.

His father, Jack Sodeman Sr., was the Modified points champion at Lernerville in 1985 and won 38 features here.

"I raced for 30 years," the elder Sodeman said. "Jack's a good driver who's just had some bad luck at this track.

"He's good. The car's good. The crew is good - it's just a matter of time. You'll see him in victory lane."

The younger Sodeman is no stranger to winning. He began racing go-karts at age 7 and wound up winning 250 races, including six track titles and a World Karting Association national crown.

He was 16 years old when he began racing Sprint cars, but he didn't meet instant success in that division.

"We didn't have any money, but I was used to that in racing," Sodeman's father said. "We ran used parts, built our own motors, put everything together from scratch."

In 1996, the younger Sodeman blew nine motors and finished just three races.

"Our winter program that year consisted of stuff we could salvage out of junk yards," he said. "Our rods kept breaking, our cylinder walls didn't hold up - our parts just weren't good enough to finish races.

"I remember getting my first Sprint car. I didn't have all of the money up front, but Don Koshier sold it to me anyway and let me pay it off at my leisure. If it wasn't for him, I may nave never gotten started."

Sodeman began making a name for himself eventually, winning the Sprint points title at Sportsman's Speedway in 2000.

Now he's with a fresh race team and couldn't be happier.

"I wanted a faster experience and I've got it," he said.

Blackshear has built engines for Arnie Kent, Andy Priest, David Scott and other notable drivers.

"I've been wanting to put together my own deal for a while," Blackshear said. "Jeff and I got together and made it work.

"We're fine. The car is fine. We know why the car is fast and we just keep it there."

Sodeman already has finished second, fourth and fifth in Sprint features at Lernerville this season.

"When the car's running up front, good things can happen," Blackshear said. "Jack just needs a break. It hasn't been his night yet.

"But his night's coming."

The No. 49 will participate in the All-Star series races locally during Speed Week, which runs the last week of June and the first few days of July.

Lernerville Speedway Points Standings

(top 15 through May 27)

Sprints

Rod George 114, Ed Lynch Jr. 107, Kevin Schaeffer 90, Arnie Kent 78, Charlie Holben 72, Dan Shetler 71, Gary Rankin 71, Mike Shearer 63, Scott Bonnell 63, Brent Matus 61, Cory Good 60, Davey Jones 59, Carl Bowser 59, Jack Sodeman Jr. 39, Bob Bennett 38, Mike Dehner 38

Late Models

John Flinner 110, Mike Blose 110, Bob Wearing Jr. 89, Nick Jones 89, Mike Johnson 85, Lynn Geisler 78, Chuck Kennedy 71, Ken Schaltenbrand 71, Chris Schneider 67, Tom Tuite 63, David Scott 49, Mike Norris 44, Jared Miley 44, Jeff Jones 43, Carl McKinney 42, Dan Swartzlander 42

Modifieds

Kevin Bolland 116, Jim Weller Jr. 107, Dave Murdick 103, Tom Winkle 99, Del Rougeux Jr. 91, Brian Swartzlander 90, Mark Flick 85, Chanda Reitz 70, JR McGinley 66, Pete Simpson 61, George Hobaugh 59, Gary Risch Jr. 58, Mike Turner 49, Phil Evans 46, Carl Murdick 45

Pure Stocks

Boby Whitling 97, Bob Lipinski 94, Greg Beach 91, Mike Turner 84, Bob Egley 75, Jake Ayers 72, Paul Schreckengost 71, Mike Pegher 67, Butch Lambert 66, Rob Shook 62, Wayne Carbo 59, Dave Spangler 58, Jason Fosnaught 52, Herman Bertolini 47, Pat Hanley 46