BUFFALO TWP — A Late Model triple-header is descending upon Lernerville Speedway this week.

The action begins with the rain makeup of the Showdown in Sarvertown World of Outlaws Late Model race Thursday night.

Gates open at 5 p.m. and hot laps begin at 7:15, followed by the B-Main and the 50-lap feature, which pays $10,000 to the winner.

The Firecracker 100 takes place Friday and Saturday nights. The Friday night portion consists of time trials at 7:15 p.m., followed by heat races. Gates open at 4 p.m. A concert and fireworks follow the racing action.

Saturday has a full day of events on tap, beginning with a weenie roast and a driver-fan horseshoe contest at noon. A driver autograph session begins at 4 p.m., which is when the gates open.

B-Main racing commences at 7:30, followed by the Uncle Sam 30 and Firecracker 100 features. The Uncle Sam 30 is a 30-lap event for non-Firecracker 100 qualifiers and pays $3,000 to win.

The Firecracker 100 winner will receive $30,000.

Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn., winner of the inaugural Firecracker 100 in 2007, has signed on for this year's event.

Last year's Firecracker 100 champion Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine, Iowa, who picked up $90,000 in four wins during May, will defend his title.

Birkhofer, 37, has been one of the hottest Late Model drivers this year. He has five wins, 10 top-three finishes and 12 top-five finishes in 15 starts.

Birkhofer started fourth in last year's Firecracker 100 and took the lead in the 70th lap.

"It's a racy place," Birkhofer said in a Lernerville press release. "If you're good, put the right tires on and take care of your stuff, you can start towards the rear and win.

"The Firecracker was one of the first big-money wins we had with our new car. I was just kind of getting in a rhythm of what was going on with the car when we won that race.

"Now, with more than a year under our belts with these cars, I feel like we're as good, or better, than we were then," he added.

Fifteen of the top 16 drivers in the World of Outlaws Late Model points standings (through Monday) are registered to compete this weekend. They include the top six of Josh Richards, Darrell Lanigan, Steve Francis, Rick Eckert, Shane Clanton and Tim Fuller.

Francis has five wins and Richards three in the Outlaws Late Model series this year.

Area drivers who signed up early for the weekend action include Jared Miley, Alex Ferree, John Mollick, Mike Blose, Gary Lyle, Keith Barbara, Jason Fosnaught, Matt Lux, Greg Satterlee, Dave Hess Jr. and Michael Norris.

This weekend's action is part of the Great Northern Tour for Late Model drivers. The tour raced at Canandaigua Speedway in New York Tuesday and has a scheduled stop at Big Diamond Raceway in Pottsville, Pa., before arriving at Lernerville.