BUFFALO TWP — There was a need for speed Friday night at Lernerville Speedway.

Alex Ferree and Carl Bowser provided plenty of it.

Saxonburg resident Ferree survived a marathon Late Model feature that had eight restarts, lasted more than 30 minutes and had only four cars finish on the lead lap.

Sarver resident Bowser cruised to victory in the Sprint feature, reaching the checkered flag nearly a half-lap before runner-up Cole Duncan.

“That track was really fast tonight,” Ferree said. “There was no sun all week, it was cold all week, that all played a part in it. It was a little choppy, but I give the (track) crew credit for making it as good as it was.”

John Garvin Jr. of Sarver started up front and led the race for the first 14 laps before spinning off Turn 2. He fought back through the field, only to go into the wall with Mike Pegher Jr. on the 24th lap while the two battled for fourth place. Neither car could finish.

Russ King was second behind Ferree and was able to line up alongside him for six restarts over the final 11 laps. King and Ferree were two of the five caps turning laps faster than the track record (Rick Eckert’s 15 seconds flat in 2012) during the heat races.

But the restarts did King no favors.

“I needed the race to run a few consecutive laps and try to gain ground that way,” King said. “We were fast, but so was Alex. And he runs the cushion so well here that he’s tough to catch when he’s up front.

“Having to start on the low side on all of those restarts killed me.”

Ferree’s motor did a job on him as well.

“That motor I have just has the power,” Ferree said. “When I want it to go, it goes.”

Lernerville’s defending Late Model points champion, Ferree’s win was his 26th at the Sarver oval. He won six times last year.

Bowser followed up his runner-up finish on opening night by running away from the Sprint field Friday evening.

Brandon Matus had the pole for the feature, but Bowser grabbed the lead on Turn 2 of the 12th lap.

Matus incurred motor problems four laps later and fell out of contention.

“My car was the fastest in the heat races, so we made one small change and that was it,” Bowser said. “Brandon and I were much faster than the lapped cars.

“He was in the lead, so I just waited for him to pull a move and see what would open up.”

Bowser’s win was the 10th of his career at Lernerville.

Rex King Jr. claimed his second career Lernerville victory in the Modified feature, beating his father, Rex King Sr., to the checkered flag.

While King Jr. started in the front row, his father started eighth.

“I wasn’t worried about him. He’s getting too old,” King Jr. joked.

The top two cars in the Modified division — 2013 points champion Mat Williamson and all-time winsleader Brian Swartzlander — were forced to the pits early.

Williamson left the track on the first lap, Swartzlander on the 13th.

Two-time Sportsman Stock champion Corey McPherson made up for a second-place finish on opening night by cruising to victory Friday night.

He overtook pole-sitter Rob Shook early and was never challenged in a feature that had no cautions.

“This was the hardest I’ve had to work,” McPherson said. “I lost my power steering on the first lap of the heat race and I was out there with manual steering the rest of the night.

“It was horrible. I felt like I was at the gym for three hours.”

McPherson’s win was his 15th at Lernerville.

He had seven victories here last year.

Notes: There were 87 cars in the pits. ... Butler’s Garrett Krummert finished third in the Late Model feature after starting 14th. His best finish all of last year was fifth. ... Brandon Matus and his father, Brent, both won Sprint heat races Friday. ... The All-Star Sprints will be at Lernerville next Friday with Fab Four racing returning May 16.