BUFFALO TWP — Alex Ferree spent the first six weeks of Lernerville's 2007 season making noise in the Late Models division.

He spent Friday night making history.

The Saxonburg resident didn't lead the 25-lap feature until the final few feet, when he passed Matt Lux off of turn four just before the checkered flag.

The win came by just 12-one hundredths of a second, but it makes Ferree the first Late Model driver to win three straight races at the Sarver track since Lynn Geisler managed the feat in 1997.

Ferree has now won five of the six races in the division at Lernerville this season.

The only Late Model driver to best him so far in 2007 was Sammy Stile on April 27.

As Ferree and Lux approached turn three on the final lap Friday night, the latter chose to stay low and Ferree used it to his advantage.

"Matt seemed to be real good on the bottom," Ferree said. "I had hit the wall off of turn four earlier in the race, but I figured it was all or nothing. I stayed high and said (to Lux), 'Let's see what you got.'"

Again, Ferree couldn't keep from hitting the wall on turn four, but he had just enough speed to nip Lux at the end.

"Thank goodness for that wall or I would've ended up in the stands," Ferree said.

In Friday's other action:

n Mars' Butch Lambert, the track's defending Pure Stocks champion, won his first race of 2007.

Lambert took over the lead following a caution flag on the seventh lap.

A late-push from Jason Fosnaught made things interesting, but Lambert prevailed in the 15-lap event.

"I'm sure it was exciting to watch," Lambert said with a hint of sarcasm. "It feels good."

It was an emotional win for the driver of the No. 27 car.

"My father-in-law (Bob Kennedy) passed away recently," Lambert said following the race. "I wish he was still here and I'm dedicating this win to him."

• Kevin Bolland led for the first 12 laps of the 25-lap Modified feature, but ran into trouble on lap 14 — literally.

Just after Jim Weller, Jr. had passed him for the lead at the start of the 14th lap, Bolland's front end collided with Weller's right side, leading to a multi-car pileup at the end of the front straightaway.

Just avoiding the melee was Brian Swartzlander, who made it through unscathed and went on to lead the final 10 laps before taking the checkered flag.

"It was too close," Swartzlander said of almost crashing his No. 83 Modified. "I just tried to turn to the left and get out of the way."

Bolland was forced to drop out of the race, but Weller remained on the track ... and almost won.

In third place from laps 19-21, Weller took over the second position on the 22nd lap and made Swartzlander sweat out the final three go-arounds.

A caution flag on the 22nd lap aided Weller's chances.

"That last restart came with just four laps to go," Swartzlander said. "And I knew that would give him (Weller) a chance. I'm not surprised at all that he made it close in the end."

It was Swartzlander's third win this season at Lernerville.

• Kittanning's Rod George took the night's 25-lap Sprint event, with Sarver's Carl Bowser coming in second.

Note: There were 91 cars in the pits, with a high of 27 Pure Stocks and a low of just 16 Modifieds.