BUFFALO TWP — In Josh Richards' case, when you're hot, you're hot.

In Darrell Lanigan's case, when you're not, you're not.

Richards, 21, took advantage of Lanigan's misfortune Thursday night to win the World of Outlaws Late Model Showdown in Sarvertown at Lernerville Speedway.

The victory was the Shinnston, W.Va., driver's second Outlaws feature win in as many nights and fourth in six races during this week's Outlaws Great Northern Tour. Richards pocketed $10,000 for his win Thursday.

"For the past few weeks, we've stopped shuffling around stuff," Richards said. "We get to the track, make sure the car's all right and get it out there."

Richards has driven a new car the past six races.

"We're getting along pretty good," he said about his new ride.

Richards took over the lead in the Outlaws Late Models points race with Thursday's win. The victory was his fifth of the year in the Outlaw series, tying him with Steve Francis for the lead in that department.

Lanigan, of Union, Ky., is the series' defending points champion and holds the track record for the fastest lap time in a Late Model. But he still hasn't won a race here.

Lanigan led last year's Firecracker 100 for the first 69 laps before yielding to eventual winner Brian Birkhofer. He was on the pole for the 50-lap feature Thursday and led for 27 of the first 33 laps, holding off Richards and Chub Frank.

But when a caution came out — the ninth of 12 in the race — Lanigan let his foot off the gas and his motor blew.

"I was right by him when it happened," Richards said. "All of a sudden there was smoke everywhere. You couldn't even see Darrell's car.

"You hate when stuff like that happens. I would rather have won tonight by racing it out, seeing if I could get by him. He was pretty good tonight."

So was Frank, who started alongside Lanigan in the first row and finished second. He never slipped lower than fourth.

Frank led the race for the first six laps before Lanigan overtook him.

"I probably made a mistake on tires tonight," Frank said. "The track was really slick and I couldn't get any push.

"This was wide-open racing. With all of those restarts, cars were bound to get jumbled up toward the back. That kept happening all night."

Thursday's race managed to dodge the raindrops. Rain fell briefly during the first few laps of the feature, but the precipitation stopped despite numerous lightning flashes in the area.

Richards was appreciative of the numerous caution flags.

"If this race ran straight through the 50 laps, I don't know if my motor would have made it," he said. "It kept heating up pretty quickly.

"It was so hot and humid out there, my shield kept fogging up. The race itself wasn't physically taxing, just the weather."

Cranberry Township's Lynn Geisler, who won the second B-Main Thursday, was the highest finisher among area drivers, taking 12th.

Thursday night's feature — a rain makeup from May 5 — served as a prelude to this weekend's Firecracker 100. Time trials and heat races take place tonight, followed by the 100-lap feature paying $30,000 to win Saturday night.

"The track may be totally different this weekend with the rain that's in the forecast," Frank said. "It may be much heavier.

"The key to success in the Firecracker will be qualifying in a good position and staying there."

Richards agreed.

"Preparing a car for 100- laps is a lot different than 50," he said. "You definitely want to be up front. Starting near the front of the field was definitely key tonight."

Richards started Thursday's feature from the third position.