BUFFALO TWP — The 48th season of points racing gets under way Friday at Lernerville Speedway with one noticeable difference.

The track has purchased and installed a new scoreboard in the infield that will now display the top ten leaders of the race instead of the top five.

Last year’s scoreboard — which had been in place for years — was inoperable for much of last season.

“This new one is state of the art,” track general manager Gary Risch Jr. said. “It has a lot more capabilities.

“Our timing and scoring is directly linked into it. When we have major races here, the lap times during time trials will be readily displayed.”

One major rule change will take affect this season.

All lapped cars will be sent to the back of the field upon every restart following a caution.

In past years, lapped cars tailed the field only on restarts in the final five laps of a race.

Lernerville will also debut the “FlyBy” rule, allowing the first car to be one lap down get his or her lap back on the restart.

“This would help a car that maybe encountered an early problem and was able to get it fixed in the pits to still be a factor in the race,” Risch said. “Both of these rules are designed to improve the quality of the feature events.”

All four defending track champions — Sarver’s Carl Bowser in the Sprints, Saxonburg’s Alex Ferree in Late Models, Rex King Jr in Modifieds and Jim Fosnaught in Sportsman Stocks — are expected back to run full schedules this season.

Mat Williamson of Erie, the 2013 Modified points champion, has indicated plans to run a full schedule at Lernerville again this year.

That would mean the past four track champs in that division — King, Williamson, Brian Swartzlander and Jeremiah Shingledecker — will do battle on a regular basis come Friday nights.

“It says a lot about our facility that drivers are willing to travel from that far away to race here,” Risch said. “Mat says he loves the competition here.

“Guys like him make our local drivers that much better, too.”

Swartzlander is trying to become the first driver to attain eight track championships in a single division at Lernerville. Bob Wearing Sr. and Lou Blaney both own nine track titles at the Sarver oval, but over two divisions.

Public relations director Eric Westendorf pointed out that 2014 point race runner-ups Brandon Matus in Sprints, John Garvin Jr. in Late Models and Rob Shook in Stocks “are ready to break through and get better every year.”

Sye Lynch, son of Lernerville all-time Sprint win leader Ed Lynch Jr., will race regularly at the Sarver track this season. He will drive the No. 5 car run by Mike Lutz last year.

“Sye is going after the Lernerville Rookie of the Year award this year and, with his name could contend for the national rookie award,” Westendorf said.

The All-Star Sprint series will be running in this region Saturday and Sunday.

Risch said Danny Holtgraver, Lernerville’s 2010 Sprint champion, may run here Friday along with other top Sprint cars from other areas.

Risch does not anticipate any noticeable decline in numbers this season.

World Racing Group continues to own and run the track.

“As a general rule, racing for points isn’t as popular as it once was,” Risch admitted. “But there’s still something to be said for winning a points championship at Lernerville.

“There’s a lot of history here. A lot of great drivers have been at Lernerville and it means a lot for a driver to get his name on the list of champions here.”

Gates open at 5 p.m. Friday. Racing begins at 7:30 p.m.

Lernerville Speedway All-Time Win Leaders

Overall

Bob Wearing Sr. 179, Lou Blaney 118, Lynn Geisler 109, Ed Lynch Jr. 109, Lou Gentile 89, Blackie Watt 84, Brian Swartzlander 84, Ralph Quarterson 61, Johnny Beaber 55, Kevin Bolland 55

Sprints

Ed Lynch Jr. 108, Johnny Beaber 55, Lou Blaney 49, Ralph Quarterson 47, Rod George 45

Late Models

Bob Wearting Sr. 117, Lynn Geisler 109, John Flinner 41, Ben Miley 34, Alex Ferree 29

Modifieds

Brian Swartzlander 87, Lou Blaney 69, Bob Wearing Sr. 62, Blackie Watt 61, Kevin Bolland 55

Sportsman Stocks

Joe Kelley 47, Scott Bochek 29, Bruce Milbert 27, Buitch Lambert 22, Rick Robinson and Chris Schneider 21