Opportunity knocks
BUFFALO TWP — While the cat was away, the mice sure played.
With defending Lernerville Sprint points champion and current leader Danny Holtgraver participating in an all-star race at Williams Grove Friday night, Brian Ellenberger and Carl Bowser took care of business at home.
Butler's Ellenberger and Sarver's Bowser finished 1-2 in the Sprint feature at the Sarver oval. They entered the night trailing Holtgraver by 31 and 19 points, respectively.
“This jumbles up the points thing, that's for sure,” Bowser said. “There's a long way to go yet, but if I'm leading (points) right now, that's a first for me.
“I've finished second in races here twice in a row now. The car is really good. We're definitely on the right track.”
So is Ellenberger's No. 22 car, which found victory lane at Lernerville for the first time since opening night of last year and for only the fifth time in his career.
Ellenberger started on the pole and led the race from start to finish.
“This track was really fast,” Ellenberger said. “Our car's been good all year. ... We just won at Mercer (last weekend), so things are beginning to turn around for us.
“It's cool to be part of the points deal here. I'll miss a couple of races here when we travel, but so will some other guys. We may be able to stay in the mix.”
Bowser said he and Holtgraver will likely miss a couple of Lernerville race nights before the season is over.
“It will be interesting to see how this all plays out,” Bowser said. “Brian's year of racing with the Outlaws has made a real difference for him.”
In other features:• Gregg Satterlee of Rochester Mills took the lead on the fifth lap and pulled away from the field to win the Late Model feature.Satterlee started from the fifth spot in winning his 13th career Lernerville feature. He led second-place Jared Miley by a half-lap when a caution flag came out with four laps remaining.“My car was perfect, but I don't have the engine he (Satterlee) does to fire off a wet track,” Miley said. “This was definitely his race.”Besides one DNF this year, Satterlee has two feature wins and two runner-up finishes at Lernerville this spring.“The night of the DNF, I basically quit and pulled myself off the track,” Satterlee said. “A car got into me and I was frustrated that night.“Everything about the car tonight was dead on. If I had to run that race all over again, I wouldn't change a thing.”• New Brighton's Kevin Bolland started seventh, took the lead from pole-sitter Dean Pearson during a third-lap restart and cruised to his 53rd career Lernerville Modified win.Brian Swartzlander finished a distant second.The win was Bolland's first at the Sarver oval since April 15.“We've had a few rainouts here and my pill draws haven't been the greatest,” Bolland said. “When you draw a pill and wind up behind some top cars, it's hard to win a race.”Swartzlander said Bolland worked the middle and low groove to his advantage during the entire race. On a 23rd-lap restart, he tried getting around the No. 777 by going high around Turn 2, but it wasn't to be.“As hot as it's been all week, we set the car up for a slick track,” Swartzlander said. “That rain hit earlier today and the track was heavier than we expected. We weren't ready for it.”• Chris Schneider of Creighton won the Sportsman Stock feature, passing defending points champion Joe Kelly on the 11th lap.Kelly, the division's all-time victory leader at the track with 42, has yet to win here this season.<B>Notes: </B>There were 77 cars in the pits. ... Satterlee, Bolland and Schneider became the first two-time winners at Lernerville this season. ... Scott Priester of Rimersburg brought his No. 11 Sprint car to the track for the first time this year and won his heat race. ... Jeremiah Shingledecker (Modified) and Chicora's Mike Miller (Sportsman Stock) picked up their fourth heat race wins of 2011, tying Swartzlander for the track lead.<B><I><U></B></U></I>
