BUFFALO TWP Looking to form a race team in a month? Call Butch and Gary Kriess.

Gary Kriess Jr., 39, a former Butler resident now living in Erie, garnered six feature wins at Lernerville Speedway during a Sprint car racing career that he ended five years ago.

"I sold all my stuff to Carl Bowser," Kriess said. "I got out of it completely."

"There wasn't one part left in the garage," said his father, Butch Kriess.

That wasn't a problem over the past five years as Kriess lent his services to fellow Sprint driver Scott Bonnell's crew.

About a month ago, Kriess bought a 2007 Sprint car from Brian Ellenberger and decided to get back behind the wheel.

Empty garage? Big problem.

"This last month has been crazy," Butch Kriess said. "We got the trailer finished (last Thursday night), just in time to get here for opening night."

Opening night at Lernerville last week was a non-points night, giving drivers a chance to shake down their cars without taking a hit in the standings.

Kriess finished last in his heat race and 16th in the feature. None of that mattered.

"We're just trying to see what we've got in this car," his father said. "We needed a race to help figure that out."

Ellenberger joined the World of Outlaws circuit this season. The car he sold to Gary Kriess has only six races on it.

"I've missed being on the track," Kriess admitted. "I've got a little more time now and when Brian was looking to sell what we thought was a pretty good car, we decided to go for it.

Despite the driver living in Erie, the Kriess race team plans to be at Lernerville on a regular basis this season. Kriess will race at Mercer on Saturday nights.

Butch Kriess has more than 50 years in the racing game, having driven a Late Model and Modified during the 1960s and '70s.

He and his son have been on the same race team since 1994.

"I'm glad Gary's behind the wheel again," his father said. "From the day he stopped racing, I knew his heart still wanted to do it. Brian and Scott are glad he's back out there, too. They know how much he's missed it.

"We've been friends with the Ellenbergers for years. When Brian knew he wanted to sell that car, he thought we might be interested despite the short notice."

Butch Kriess described this past month as "a mad dash."

There is no backup car, but he does have a backup chassis "that I'm hoping we never have to use."

Never a man to waste words, Kriess' goal this year is short and to the point.

"Get to the winner's circle," he said. "Nothing else matters."

Points racing begins at Lernerville Friday night.