BUFFALO TWP — Starting up front is good. Running up front is better.

But finishing up front is all that matters.

Carl Bowser of Sarver and Lynn Geisler of Cranberry Township received that painful reminder Friday night at Lernerville Speedway.

Bowser started on the pole for the Sprint feature and led for 23 laps. Rod George of Kittanning slid underneath him between Turns 3 and 4 at that point, jumping in front of Bowser and taking the checkered flag.

It was George's 42nd career feature win and his second of the 2010 season at the track. Bowser was bidding for his third career Lernerville triumph.

"I was flying around the top of the track," Bowser said. "I have no idea how Rod was so good on the bottom, but he was.

"When you're running first and that guy behind you does that slide move, you're a sitting duck. It was just a slick move by him."

Bowser had visions of returning the favor between Turns 1 and 2 of the next lap, but he couldn't get close enough to pull it off.

"I didn't feel comfortable with it, so I backed off and just ran the same line behind him," Bowser said.

George had the slide move in mind for a few laps and patiently awaited his opportunity.

"I had to make sure I was close enough to him," George said. "I didn't want to rub wheels with Carl. He's a good friend, he races clean and it's fun racing against him."

Ed Lynch Jr. of Apollo, the track's all-time Sprint feature victory leader who is looking for win No. 1 at Lernerville this year, nearly spoiled the party for George and Bowser.

Lynch was running third and coming hard when he lost his brakes with five laps to go.

"Communicating through the transponder, I found out I was the fastest car on the track halfway through the race," Lynch said. "If the brakes don't blow out, I felt like I had the best car."

Geisler has 108 career Late Model wins at Lernerville — second all-time to Bob Wearing Sr.'s 117 — but managed only one win here last season.

Geisler started up front for the feature Friday night and led for the first 20 laps. He had a straightaway lead over the second-place car before a bevy of cautions tightened the field.

The 25-lap feature had eight restarts. On the sixth one (21st lap), Gregg Satterlee and Geisler were nose-to-nose coming around Turn 2 before Satterlee gained a slight edge.

The two cars bumped just before Turn 3 and Geisler spun out. Forced to the back of the pack, Geisler rallied to finish seventh while Satterlee went on to post his eighth career Lernerville victory.

"I saw Lynn up top and thought I was clear of him," Satterlee said. "I didn't see him coming up on Turn 3 and drove right into the middle of the track. We just came together."

Geisler had no problem with the contact.

"That's all part of this gig," he said. "He didn't see me and that's what happened. My car was good tonight."

In other features:

• Jim Weller Jr. picked up his 34th career Modified win at Lernerville, but the first since July 11, 2008. He started ninth, but was in second by the seventh lap.

Weller and pole-sitter Del Rougeux Jr. traded the lead three times over the final five laps, with the Hubbard, Ohio, driver of the No. 31 nipping Rougeux at the finish line.

Weller won Modified track titles at Lernerville in 1997 and 1999.

• Joe Kelley of Mount Pleasant became the track's first three-time feature winner of the season, grabbing the lead on the ninth lap after starting 13th in the Sportsman Stock feature.

Kelley has a track-record 35 wins in the division.

"This can all come to an end really quick," Kelley said of his fast start this season. "It can leave you just as fast it comes."

Butch Lambert of Mars, who drove the No. 19 car because Jason Fosnaught was out of town at a wedding, finished second.

Notes: There were 76 cars in the pits. ... The BRP Modified Tour is part of Fab Four racing at Lernerville next Friday. ... Dave Hess Jr. picked up his third heat race win in Late Models Friday night and is the only driver with three heat wins in any division thus far. ... Dean Pearson of Harrisville (Modified) and Terry Young of Butler (Sportsman Stock) claimed their first heat wins of the campaign.