BUFFALO TWP — The Late Model competition is turning up a few notches this weekend at Lernerville Speedway.

The ninth annual Firecracker 100 program commences Thursday night at the Sarver oval with a 30-lap feature paying $6,000 to win. The same deal takes place Friday night, followed by the 100-lap main event Saturday evening, paying $30,000 to the winner.

“We stopped doing pre-registration for this event because you never know about the weather,” Lernerville publicity director Eric Westendorf said. “We didn’t want drivers paying an early entrance fee, then losing that money because of a rainout.

“Still, we’re expecting the usual field, about 55 to 60 cars. Someday, we’d love to get this up around 80 cars. The competition should be fierce.”

Darrell Lanigan broke through and won last year’s Firecracker 100 after a number of runner-up finishes. Lanigan and Jimmy Mars won last year’s Thursday and Friday features, respectively.

This year’s Firecracker 100 winner is anybody’s guess. The highest finish by a local Lernerville driver has been eighth, by South Park’s Jared Miley in 2012. Gregg Satterlee of Rochester Mills, a former Lernerville regular, finished fourth in 2013.

Does any local driver have a shot this time around?

“No ... Not the way (Jonathan) Davenport has been going,” defending Lernerville Late Model points champion and current leader Alex Ferree said. “He’s just been on fire.”

Davenport, from Blairsville, Ga., leads the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series in points this season and has already compiled 11 feature wins and five fast-times on the campaign.

Davenport has won two consecutive 100-lap races as well, including the recent Late Model dream at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio.

Another Georgia driver, Shane Clanton, has been pretty hot in his own right. He leads the World of Outlaw points standings this season and has five feature wins after getting shut out in the WoO series last year.

“It’ll be a great year if we end up winning the championship, but to be able to look back and say we’ve had a helluva season, we really want to win one of those big races like the Firecracker to go along with it,” Clanton said in a released statement.

Clanton — the 2010 Firecracker 100 winner — and Davenport have plenty of motivation this weekend. Clanton never got a chance to run last year’s main event. He was disqualified per WoO rules for bumping into Chub Frank’s car while their heat race was under caution.

Davenport was leading the 2014 Firecracker 100 before his car broke on the 68th lap.

Seneca Valley graduate and Wexford resident Mike Pegher Jr. will be among the local drivers taking on the pros this weekend.

“Just running three nights in a row is different for us,” Pegher said. “That can be tough on your equipment.

“My goals are modest ones for the Firecracker. Just try to make it into the show.”

For those who don’t, the Uncle Sam 30 is a 30-lap feature paying $3,000 to the winner of the non-qualifiers (for the Firecracker 100 feature) race.

Michael Norris of Sarver said some of the pro drivers are helpful and friendly to the local drivers — but not all of them.

“Some of them come in here all business ... Just stay out of their way,” Norris said. “Others will strike up conversation with you. I got to know Rick Eckert when I did some racing in Florida and we became pretty good friends rather quickly.

“I pay attention to how the pros handle themselves here, how they adjust to the track, etc. ... I just hope some of it rubs off.”

Ferree said making all three features over the weekend would be a success.

“Finishing among the top five would be very good, winning either Thursday or Friday would be fantastic,” he said. “Winning that 100-lapper Saturday ... If that were to happen, I’d probably retire.”

Ferree is guaranteed a spot in the Firecracker 100 lineup Saturday by virtue of his feature victory at Lernerville’s Mid-Season Championship last Friday.

“You still want to earn your way in,” Ferree said. “Getting a provisional and starting in the back ... Even in a 100-lap race, that’s not gonna cut it. These guys are too good.”

Mars and Scott Bloomquist are the only drivers to win the Firecracker 100 twice. Lanigan, Clanton, Brian Birkofer and Josh Richards are other previous winners.

Gates open at 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday. The band LOCASH will perform after racing Thursday. The Justin Fabus Band and Vanessa Campagna will perform after Friday’s race card.

The Kick-It Cup charity kickball game — benefiting Jeff Gordon’s Children’s Foundation — is at 1 p.m. Saturday. Gates open at 4 p.m. Saturday, when the drivers’ autograph session starts. Fan/driver horseshoe and cornhole tournaments will take place Saturday afternoon.