BUFFALO TWP— Local drivers were involved in a lot of close calls during Firecracker 100 heat race qualifying Friday night at Lernerville Speedway.

The top three finishers in each of the six heats moved directly into the 100-lap Late Model feature event at the Sarver track Saturday night.

David Scott of Garland, Lynn Geisler of Cranberry Township and Dutch Davies of Warren all finished fourth in their respective races.

Dave Hess Jr. of Waterford found his way into the feature — and into the pill draw for a starting position near the front — by finishing second in the final heat race.

"It definitely played to my advantage getting in that last heat,"Hess said. "I had a chance to watch the other drivers in the other races and how they handled things out there.

"David, Lynn, Dutch ... They all have good cars. The breaks just didn't come their way."

Scott suffered the biggest heartbreak, as he was running second for most of the first heat after starting from the sixth spot. He got crossed up in Turn 4 and dropped to third. Tim Fuller passed him on the final lap to secure the final transfer spot.

Hess has already won a Late Model feature at Lernerville this season, but knows the Firecracker 100 is a different animal.

"The fact that I know this track played to my advantage tonight," he admitted. "But these (Outlaw) drivers are fast learners. They'll be hooked up and ready to go tomorrow."

Saturday's feature will have an impact on the tight World of Outlaw Late Model points standings. Clint Smith and Steve Francis — tied for the points lead entering the weekend — are already in the feature and in the pill draw.

So, too, is popular Pennsylvania driver Chub Frank, who trails the leaders by only six points. All three finished second in their heat races.

Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., won the closest heat race of the night, nipping Francis by a fraction of a second to take the checkered flag.

"I was probably on the gas a little too strong coming in,"Richards said of the close finish. "I gave Steve that bottom groove and he took full advantage.

"Those last couple of laps, I probably took it too easy trying to hold the lead. That race was just a sign of things to come."

Richards races at Lernerville 12 to 15 times a season.

"That helps a little, but these guys can run anywhere," he said. "And Lernerville is always a racy track. There are always great races here and this one Saturday should be one of the best.

"Now that I've qualified, we can relax and work on setting the car up for the feature."

Only 18 of the 60 cars in the pits Friday have that luxury Saturday. All cars that finished fourth through eighth in their heat races will be involved in one of the two B-Mains Saturday.

Cars finishing ninth and 10th will compete in a C-Main, the top six finishers there advancing to one of the B-Mains. The top three finishers in each of the B-Mains will join the Firecracker 100 field.

Other notes from Friday's competition:

• Shane Clanton won the first heat race and was clocked the fastest — 112.902 miles per hour — of any car during the heats.

• Earl Pearson Jr. won the fourth heat race despite having never raced at Lernerville before.

"Darrell Lanigan gave us some advice on set-up and with the tires, we guessed and made the right call,"Pearson said.

• Lanigan owns the qualifying record time for Lernerville at 15.072 seconds, set on April 29, 2005. Chris Madden had the fastest qualifying time Friday at 15.698 seconds.

• The 60-driver field come from 13 states.

Racing resumes at 7 p.m. Saturday with the C-Main, followed by the two 15-lap B-Main events. The Uncle Sam 30 — a 30-lap feature for the top 24 cars that failed to qualify for the Firecracker 100, will precede the main event.