BUFFALO TWP — How badly did Erik Martin want to get into a race car?

He saved his money for six years to buy one.

"I've been telling everybody for years that the day would come when I'd be down there racing instead of up here watching," said Martin.

That day came last year, when the Evans City resident bought a Modified car from Chanda Reitz "without my parents even knowing about it."

"I figured once I had a car, they'd have no choice but to help me with it," Martin said.

Such aspirations have since been exceeded.

Martin went on to finish 14th with 216 points last season and was named Lernerville Speedway's Rookie of the Year in the Modified class.

His father, Allen, and older brother, Dustin, helped him with the car. Allen Martin spent a few years working with Jim Kradel's race team at Sharon Speedway a few years back.

"I figured I'd get back into it eventually, just not this soon," he said.

Dustin Martin bought a Modified from Jeremiah Shingledecker last year and has joined the racing scene as well, pitting alongside his brother at Lernerville.

"These guys are keeping me busy," their father said. "I work on both of their cars equally. I don't want to be accused of showing any favoritism."

Before last year, neither Martin brother had done any kind of racing.

Dustin is using a small-block engine, trying to compete against the big blocks on the Sarver oval.

"I'm a realist," he said. "I'm not going to be much competition for those guys. This year is all about experience for me."

There's not even a race for victory lane going on between the two brothers. Erik admits he's a few years away from considering himself a threat to win a feature.

"It's a gradual process," Erik Martin said. "I have to keep learning from my mistakes and get a little better each year. Getting into the top 10 in points would be a big achievement this year. "

Martin missed a couple of weeks last season after being flown to a hospital following a crash at Lernerville. He received a concussion and had two pinched nerves in his back.

"It was one of those deals where they were taking every precaution because they didn't know what was going on with his back," Allen Martin said.

"Was I nervous? I almost beat the helicopter to the hospital in my car," he added.

While Erik Martin was recovering, his crew repaired the car and Dustin drove it.

As soon as Erik was medically cleared to race, his father made sure he was back behind the wheel.

"If he didn't get back out there as soon as possible, he may never have gotten back out there," Allen Martin said. "And I know how badly he wants to race."

Erik's best finish in a feature last year was seventh. He stands 15th in points so far, starting out the year with a bit of a sophomore jinx.

"We've had things break, flat tires. ... I was running fifth in a feature recently and blew the back rear," he said.

Working on his younger brother's car last year made Dustin Martin want to join the fun even more.

"It just fed the urge," he said. "I learned a lot from Erik last year, more about life outside the car than inside.

"So much more goes into this than you would guess from watching in the stands. Setups, tires, learning the track, how the car handles. ... People think this is easy. Trust me, it's not."