Keeping family on the fast track
BUFFALO TWP — Consistency and family.
No better words describe the 2016 Lernerville Speedway Hall of Fame induction class than those.
Longtime Modified driver Carl Murdick of Butler — the only man to race at Lernerville during every year of the track's existence before retiring at the end of last season — will join Cranberry Township's Lynn Geisler, former track publicist Carol Gamble and flagman Greg Wheeler in gaining induction Saturday night.
The quartet will join the track's HOF during the annual Lernerville Speedway Awards Banquet at Tables on the Green inside the Brackenridge Heights Country Club.
“I feel like I have my own family and my Lernerville family,” Gamble said. “Everything we got done at that track — the Kids Club, crafts, bike races — were community efforts.
“So many people pitched in ... the drivers, driver's wives, parents, staff members ... it's always a family-type effort. That's how Lernerville works. That's why it's successful.”
Gamble served as publicity director for 25 years at Lernerville. She worked at the track for more than 35 years and is now a racing columnist for the Butler Eagle.
Geisler and Gamble even became related through racing. Geisler's son, Travis, and Gamble's daughter, Carrie, met at a Lernerville Easter egg hunt and rode quads together at ages 4 and 6, respectively, that day years ago.
“They rode through a cow patties and were just a mess,” Gamble recalled, laughing. “When they were done, Travis looked at Carries and said 'I'm going to marry that girl.' We all thought it was so cute.”
It wound up being so true.
They were married nearly 25 years later and Geisler, Gamble — and Don Gamble, inducted into the HOF last year — now share grandchildren.
Geisler is the all-time track victory leader at Motordrome and PA Motor Speedway. He has 109 career feature wins at Lernerville and ranks among the track's all-time leaders.
“It goes without saying how great it is to be recognized for your accomplishments,” Geisler said. “It also shows you that this is the end of your career.“It's a mixed bag, sort of like the Hard Luck Award.”Geisler has more than 300 career racing wins. He began as a go-kart racer at age 13 and ended his driving career last season. Now he works with Seneca Valley graduate and Late Model driver Mike Pegher.Geisler was inducted into the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame in 2005.“I never set out to get any records,” Geisler said. “But I did want to win every race I was in. When you take that attitude and keep it for as long as I did, I guess the records are going to come.“The idea of starting out in racing and developing the fan base that I did — at least in my mind — over so many years is what I'm most proud of.”Geisler recalled going to the races at Heidelberg and South Park as a kid with his family.“I can't remember ever not being around it,” he said.Murdick got his family involved in racing. He raced for 56 years before retiring at age 78 at the end of last year.“I hardly ever missed a race and always found a way to finish among the top 10 in points,” Murdick said. “I'm proud of that,.”Murdick won more than 60 races in his career, including 54 Modified races at nine different tracks, and raced at more than 25 tracks. He didn't miss more than five race nights in Lernerville's 49-year history.His son, Dave, has been racing Modifieds since 1979 and, like Carl, is a former Lernerville points champion. His son-in-law Gary Rankin and daughter Sheila raced Sprints for years at Lernerville.Garrett Krummert, a Modified driver at Lernerville, is married to Murdick's grand-daughter. Carl still helps work on son Dave's and Krummert's cars.“It keeps me involved, but it's not the same as driving,” Murdick said. “The best part of racing is driving.”Wheeling served as a flagman at Lernerville, Tri-City Speedway and PA Motor Speedway for more than 25 years. He currently serves as Lernerville race coordinator.Lernerville Speedway opens the 2016 season April 15.
