BUFFALOTWP— Come the end of Friday's work day, most area dirt track drivers go home, load up the trailer and head over to Lernerville Speedway.

Except for Jody Keegan. He has to make travel plans.

Keegan, 40, races the No. 49 Sprint car here each Friday night. He travels to Lernerville each week from Fremont, Ohio — a three-hour drive — then spends the weekend in Western Pennsylvania. He races at Sharon Speedway on Saturdays and Tri-City on Sundays.

He's been doing so for four years, but it's not like there are no dirt tracks back home. Fremont Speedway and Attica Raceway Park are practically in his neighborhood.

"I never had any luck on my home tracks,"said Keegan, who has been in the Sprint division since 1994. "I knew some guys who raced at Lernerville. Johnny Beaber is from out my way.

"I heard good things about this track and decided to give this region a try."

During one month in 2005, Keegan won a feature at Lernerville, Sharon and Tri-City. While he has remained competitive, he's never won another feature at any of those tracks.

Getting started in racing as a Pure Stock driver in 1989, Keegan went on to have a lot more success in the 305-cubic inch Sprint car. He picked up about 30 feature wins in that division, including victories in 10 of 14 races at Hickory in 1998.

Since moving up to the 410-cubic inch division, victory lane has been harder to find.

"I guess I'm a slow learner," he said, smiling.

Jeff Rudzik of Struthers, Ohio, which is near Youngstown, owns his car. Keegan stays with either Rudzik or chief mechanic Joe Bova, also from Struthers, when he comes to this area to race.

"Jody runs in the top 10 consistently,"Rudzik said. "We're just breaking in a new car now, so it may be a while until we're dialed in again."

Two weeks ago, Keegan could not avoid a jam-up in front of him at Sharon and flipped his car, totaling it. He was unhurt in the mishap.

Rudzik had the No. 49 car, which is new, ready to go.

"We were going to break it out pretty soon anyway," he said.

Keegan's wife, Jill, comes from a racing family herself. Her father, Wally Heminger, raced Late Models for a number of years. The couple has two sons, Cody, 18, and Spencer, 12.

"My wife works in retail, so she rarely comes with me on race weekends," Keegan said. "I like to bring one of my sons with me when I can. Spencer is really into this. I can see him driving a race car some day."

Keegan teaches auto shop in high school. He was able to make it to Lernerville three times during the spring when school was in session.

"There's no way that works without having a crew I can trust to have the car ready to go,"Keegan said. "I left Tiffin (Ohio) at 2:55 p.m. and pulled into the parking lot here at 6:30. There's no margin for error there."

Now that school is out for the summer, his race schedule is easier to maintain.

And Keegan still likes his chances of success better here than back in Fremont.

"Racing is racing and the competition is always good,"he said. "No disrespect to anyone around here, but there are 20 Ed Lynch Jr.'s on the tracks back home.

"Besides, I love it here. I'll keep racing as long as I can."

Lernerville Points StandingsTop 15 through June 15 (unofficial)SprintsEd Lynch Jr. 250, Kevin Schaeffer 240, Rod George 211, Carl Bowser 202, Dan Shetler 188, Scott Priester 179, Gary Rankin 156, Brent Matus 151, Ralp Spithaler 147, Charlie Holben 147, Danny Holtgraver 142, Mike Lutz 132, Scott Bonnell 127, Mike Shearer 110, Davey Jones 91

Late ModelsAlex Ferree 292, Mike Blose 214, Gary Lyle 213, Dutch Davies 185, Lynn Geisler 184, Jared Miley 184, Nick Jones 176, Matt Lux 164, Sam Stile 156, Ken Schaltenbrand 146, John Mollick 140, Greg Satterlee 135, Dan Swartzlander 120, Chuck Sarver 120, John Garvin 102

ModifiedsBrian Swartzlander 251, Del Rougeux Jr. 244, Kevin Bolland 236, Dave Murdick 194, JRMcGinley 174, Tom Winkle 168, Jim Weller Jr. 156, Jeremiah Shingledecker 156, Mike Turner 155, Carl Murdick 139, Steve Feder 117, Skip Moore 116, Phil Evans 97, Andy Priest 91, Shawn Kozar 90

Pure StocksMike Pegher Jr. 272, Bob Egley 252, Jason Fosnaught 243, Joe Kelley 232, Greg Beach 232, Butch Lambert 223, Paul Schreckengost 222, Bob Lipinski 207, Terry Young 176, Jake Ayers 157, Wayne Carbo 157, Jim Fosnaught 153, Pat Hanley 140, Chuck Gebauer 134, Nick Reges 117