BUFFALO TWP — Carl Bowser's latest win at Lernerville Speedway came in Friday night's 25-lap Sprint feature.

But in one respect, his path back to victory lane was much longer.

Bowser, a native of Sarver, raced in a Sprint division in Australia for two months last winter.

"The tracks there are much smaller, much tighter," he said. "It teaches you to be aggressive.

"Racing here, you have a tendency to just fall into a rhythm, but in Australia, you have to push as hard as you can on every lap. It helped me out a lot."

But before he could apply what he learned Down Under, Bowser needed an engine that would cooperate.

"The motor we were using, we just couldn't get any power to the track," he said. "Two weeks ago, we were basically ready to pull our hair out. It wasn't fun coming to the track.

"Then we switched motors. The car was amazing tonight, anyone could've driven it."

Bowser took the lead after the race's second caution flag was waved following a wreck involving Bob Felmlee, who had led the pack for the first six laps.

Bowser never gave up the top spot after that, leading by several car lengths at times, before holding off points leader Rod George.

The 22-year old Bowser also won at Lernerville in 2006 and 2008.

"The guys working on the car tonight gave me a great chance," Bowser added.

n The Late Model feature saw Doug Horton and Gary Lyle alternate first and second place for the last 22 laps, with Lyle picking up his first win at the Sarver oval since 2002.

After running a close second for most of the race, Horton took the lead on lap 18, only to give it back to Lyle with one lap to go.

Saxonburg's Alex Ferree placed third.

After seven years of not winning a race at Lernerville, Friday's victory was extra-special to Lyle, who planned on not racing after last year before he won his current car in a raffle.

"Boy, it's been a long time," he said. "It's good to be back."

• The Modified Feature was won by Kevin Bolland, who started eighth, but moved into the lead for good on the sixth lap.

He cracked the top five on lap No. 3, and moved into second place behind Phil Evans, Jr.

Just as the two began the sixth lap, a caution flag slowed the field and Bolland passed Evans on the restart.

Though his lead was a comfortable one for much of the race, Bolland did have to contend with two more caution flags, the last coming with just one lap to go.

But the veteran driver held off Brian Swartzlander and Slippery Rock's Dave Murdick, who placed third.

• Bob Lipinski and Bob Egley were 1-2 in the Sportsman Stock point standings entering the night and that's how they finished the 20-lap feature, the final race of the evening.

Saxonburg's Wayne Carbo finished third.

Notes: All three Late Model heat races were won by local drivers — Lynn Geisler (Cranberry Township), John Flinner (Zelienople) and Ferree. ... There were 93 cars in the pits. ... Fab Four racing returns to the track Friday.