BUTLER TWP — Lernerville Speedway took a glimpse at the past and a glance at the future during the track's 39th annual awards banquet Saturday night at the Days Inn.

The 2007 season begins March 30. Only one special show — the inaugural World of Outlaws Late Models Firecracker 100 June 29 and 30 — will take place on a Friday night.

"Our racing community doesn't like losing its regularFriday night racing to special shows, so that's not going to happen this year,"said Lernerville general manager Gary Risch Jr.

"We have 23 regular Friday nights of racing scheduled this year, so rainouts won't hurt as much."

Lernerville had nine shows canceled because of rain last year.

Risch said the track will feature a new fence along the front straightaway this season, along with a new lighting system along the racetrack.

"The difference will be very noticeable,"he said. "We're going to have the best lit dirt track in the country."

Gary Risch Sr., who served as co-general manager of the Lernerville facility with his son last year, will oversee the concessions operation at the track this year.

DIRTMotorsports continues to own the speedway.

"Ninety percent of what happened at Lernerville last season was through the work of my son, not me,"the elder Risch. said. "I don't know many corporations who would hand a business over to a 28-year-old, but they made the right choice."

Besides Fab Four racing, Lernerville will host the World of Outlaws Late Models April 17 and for the Firecracker 100, World of Outlaws Sprints on May 15 and July 17, All-Star Circuit of Champions on June 5, MACSLate Models Aug. 31 and an Enduro 100 Pure Stocks race Sept. 14.

The Firecracker 100 will feature a 100-lap Late Models race with a total purse of $240,000.

Last year's top drivers were honored at the fete, including points champions Kevin Schaeffer (Sprints), Lynn Geisler (Late Models) of Cranberry Township, Kevin Bolland (Modifieds) and Butch Lambert (Pure Stocks) of Mars.

Schaeffer thanked his family for "all the support in helping me fulfill a lifelong dream of being a track champion at Lernerville."

Geisler and Bolland lauded the roles their respective crews played in their success.

"It's not the driver; it's how the car is prepared that makes it happen,"Geisler said. "I'm just lucky enough to be behind the wheel and keeping the car out of trouble."

Geisler won his fifth Lernerville points crown in 2006 — his first since 1994.

"You look at last year, you see guys with one win here, two wins there — it shows how competitive the Late Model division has become at Lernerville,"Geisler said.

Bolland won his second Lernerville track championship while his mother was hospitalized with cancer. She died Sept. 7.

"Most of my hours and days each week were spent in the hospital with her while my crew was working on the car,"Bolland said. "I don't even know how I made it to the track some Friday nights."

Lambert dedicated his Pure Stocks title — his third in five years — to his father-in-law Bob Kennedy, who died recently.

"He was always there with a helping hand,"Lambert said. "I could always hear his voice when I was on the track, saying 'You can't pass someone by following him.'

"Bob would be the first to tell me when I did something wrong — and when I did something right. I hope I can still hear his voice this year."

Other banquet highlights included:

• Office manager Linda Fennell received an appreciation award from Gary Risch Jr. for her 25 years of continual service to the track.

• Ed Lynch Jr. received his sixth Cavalcade Award for most points by a Sprint driver at Western Pennsylvania tracks. He had 13 wins and 19 top-three finishes in the region this year.

Other Cavalcade winners in 2006 included Robbie Blair in Late Models, Rex King in Modifieds and Andy Michael in Pure Stocks.

• Carl Bowser, Matt Lux, Jason Fosnaught, Josh Richards, Dan Shetler, Jared Miley, Nick Reges, Dave Hess Jr. and Sam Stile received checkered flags for posting their first career Lernerville feature wins in 2006.

Lernerville Speedway2006 Special Award WinnersMost Improved Drivers: Carl Bowser (Sprints), Matt Lux (Late Models), Keith Swartzlander (Modifieds), Wayne Carbo (Pure Stocks)

Hard Luck Award: Charlie Holben

Sportsmanship Award: Steve Solari

Rookie of the Year: Danny Holtgraver

Grover Clasper Award: Ginger Meloy, Jim Magill

Craig Fleming Appreciation Award: Mary Lynn Nicholas