BUFFALO TWP— The Fourth of July just became one of Ken Schaltenbrand's favorite holidays.

Schaltenbrand, 32, jumped in front of race leader Mike Blose on the final lap and snared his first Late Model feature win since 2003 Friday night at Lernerville Speedway.

The feature win was only Schaltenbrand's second in 15 seasons of racing at Lernerville, and this year hadn't started any better than some of the previous ones.

"We were really struggling at the beginning of the year,"Schaltenbrand said. "We were trying a different motor again and didn't get anything right during the heat races.

"We just keep on trying, keep on plugging away."

The perseverance paid dividends during the feature.

The Sarver driver of the No. 29 car started from the 15th spot, but found himself in second by the 14th lap in a race filled with restarts.

For the final 11 laps, Schaltenbrand ran nose-to-nose with pole-sitter Blose. He secured the lead with a strong push off Turn 2 of the final lap.

The race had 11 restarts.

"We were set up more for longer runs,"Blose said. "All of those cautions killed us. Kenny had softer tires and the race played out well for him."

Climbing out of his car in victory lane, Schaltenbrand stood on the roof, hoisting 9-month-old daughter Ava high in the air.

"This was a tough one,"Schaltenbrand said. "We (he and Blose) have been running together for a long time. He's a clean guy and this thing was back and forth. I didn't know who was going to be in front at the end."

In other features:

• Ed Lynch Jr. won his third Sprint feature of the season at Lernerville and 91st of his career, taking the lead from pole-sitter Scott Priester of Rimersburg on Turn 4 of the 13th lap and keeping it from there.

Lynch started from the eighth spot and won for the second time in the past three weeks at the Sarver track.

"Finishing races has been tough on us this year,"Lynch said. "But I think it's time to race now."

Lynch is traveling to Eldora for national races Thursday and next Friday before returning to Lernerville for the Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup race July 15.

Priester continued a run of bad luck Friday.

He won his fourth heat race of the campaign and has one second and two thirds in features, but he has yet to find victory lane in 2008.

Priester was running a solid second to Lynch with a lap to go when he hit the wall coming off Turn 4, ending his evening.

"Yeah, I am feeling a little snake-bit,"Priester said. "We've been running well all season, then something happens. We're going to get there one of these weeks, but I am starting to lose patience."

• Jim Weller Jr. is a veteran Modified driver still looking for a checkered flag this season. He had to settle for second behind Kevin Bolland Friday.

Bolland, the New Brighton driver of the No. 777, started up front and led all 25 laps to post his third win this year and the 40th of his career at Lernerville.

The feature was marred by numerous accidents — one causing Erik Martin of Evans City to be transported to an area hospital by helicopter — as only 10 of 18 cars finished the race.

"The track was perfect tonight,"Bolland said. "Everybody races harder when it's like this. When it's dry or slippery, you have to be able to drive it."

Weller agreed.

"It wasn't rough. It wasn't dusty. This was the best track we've had all year,"he said.

Weller appeared to have a chance to overtake Bolland on the final lap. The two cars collided twice, but Bolland held on for the win.

"Nothing to say there,"Weller said. "That was just racing."

• Bob Egley of Kittanning started eighth, took the lead on the 20th lap and won his third Street Stocks feature of the season.

Jason Fosnaught and Joe Kelley were in front of Egley, but both had to tail the field after being part of a mishap that brought out the final caution flag of the night.

Notes: There were 87 cars in the pits. ... Martin has a history of back problems and was taken to the hospital as a precaution after feeling pain in his back following a wreck. ... Butler's Terry Young won his first heat race of the year. ... Butler's Brent Ellenberger flipped his Sprint car early in the feature, but was unhurt.