BUFFALO TWP — The slick surface at Lernerville Speedway had served Dale Blaney well in the past.

He found it to his liking again on Friday.

Blaney took the checkered flag in the All-Star Sprint feature and the $5,000 that came with it. It was his third all-star win and 17th career victory overall at the Sarver oval. He won the points title here in 1991.

“I’ve run a lot of 30-lap races here before and our car had run well,” said the Fowler, Ohio resident. “We seem to have a good combination when the track is like this.”

Blaney’s night began with him finishing first in the time trials at 13.047 seconds, more than a second faster than Aliquippa’s Tim Shaffer.

Then, after placing third in his heat race, he was in second place in the main event behind Cody Darrah for the first 16 laps, which included three caution flags.

Blaney’s car bumped Darrah’s back end as the two completed their 16th lap along the front straightaway.

By the time both cars came around on the next lap, Blaney was in the lead.

He never did give up the top spot, surviving caution flags on laps 25 and 26. He used the outside groove throughout the race.

“Guys on the bottom seemed to be making up good ground,” he said, “but with the momentum I had on top, there seemed to be less chance of error.”

Darrah placed second, 1.268 seconds behind Blaney.

“I know Cody is going to be in the hunt every night,” Blaney said. “We’ve had a lot of fun racing against each other.”

Unlike Blaney, Darrah had struggled here in the past.

“This is red clay and there’s very little grip,” Darrah said, “but that’s the challenge. We have to keep working at it, but I started second and finished second tonight. It’s exciting to come out here and be competitive.”

Eric Williams earned the pole position for the start of the race, but before one lap had been completed, he was behind both Darrah and Blaney. Williams finished ninth.

Sheldon Haudenschild broke into the top five on the fourth lap and placed third.

“We wanted to get to Cody and Dale as quickly as possible,” said Haudenschild, “then we tried to run with them in the second half of the race. I’m just glad we had a good night. I’m happy with third place.”

There were 32 all-star sprints in the pits, but only 25 competed in the feature.

Friday was the fourth race of the season on the all-star schedule and Blaney was pleased to get his first win of 2015 under his belt.

“This win is huge for everyone involved,” he said. “I love coming here, love the fans.”

In the only race of the night in which Lernerville points were at stake, Jason Fosnaught edged Butler’s Terry Young in the Sportsman feature.

Fosnaught was driving the No. 25 car in place of Brett McDonald, who entered the night in fourth place in the points standings. Young was second behind leader Corey McPherson.

Also pulling into victory lane were Jared Miley in the Late Model feature and Adam Hilton in the Modified feature, which included just six cars.

Fab Four racing returns to the track next Friday.