BUFFALO TWP — Brian Ellenberger and Kevin Schaeffer found a pair of special victories in the Sprint division Friday night at Lernerville Speedway.

Butler's Ellenberger drove his No. 20E car to victory lane for the first time this year at the Sarver track. He started third and had the lead by the ninth lap. Kittanning's Schaeffer started 16th, finished sixth and claimed his third consecutive track points championship.

"These last two races, my crew has given me a great race car," Ellenberger said.

Ellenberger won his first Sprint All-Star race last weekend in West Memphis, Ark., and he was headed to Michigan for another race Saturday night.

His previous victory at Lernerville was the final race of last season, when points champion Schaeffer was pushed into victory lane behind him — just like Friday night.

"We had really been struggling on slick tracks," Ellenberger said. "These last two races have helped my confidence. The wings, the shocks — we've changed everything on the set-up and it's paid off.

"We even made some last-minute changes tonight after watching the Late Model race. I think I was the last car to get to the lineup area."

Schaeffer finished the year with 487 points, 15 in front of Bob Felmlee and 22 ahead of Rod George. Felmlee and George comprised the front row of Friday's feature.

The only other Sprint drivers in Lernerville history to win three straight points championships are Lou Blaney and Ed Lynch Jr.

"That makes this pretty special," Schaeffer said. "We did this the hard way because I ran badly in the heat race, but it worked out in the end, I guess."

n After five years of waiting, Keith Barbara ended his victory drought at Lernerville in style.

The South Park driver of the No. 17 Late Model started 11th, grabbed the lead on an 11th-lap restart and cruised to the checkered flag ahead of current two-time track points champion Alex Ferree and former champion Lynn Geisler.

"Really? It's been five years? That's a long time coming," Barbara said. "Our motor is brand new and it was nice and smooth tonight."

While Barbara increased his lead during the final laps, he was never in cruise control.

"No way," he said. "Not when guys like Ferree and Geisler are running right behind you.

"I didn't know which line to take with all these restarts. Alex picked high, so I just followed his instincts."

There were nine restarts in the race and only 11 cars finished the 25-lap event.

Barbara's win was his first at Lernerville since June 20, 2003.

Saxonburg's Ferree wound up second in the race after clinching his second consecutive points title last week. Ferree won three features this year after claiming nine last season.

"Last year was a dream year for me," Ferree said. "This year … it's amazing how much everyone's improved."

Ferree plans to go for the three-peat in 2009.

"I live seven miles from the best dirt track in America," Ferree said. "Being so close to here, traveling any place else wouldn't make sense."

n Kevin Bolland of New Brighton won the Modified feature, passing Mars' Tom Winkle on the 19th lap, but fell 37 points shy of division champion Brian Swartzlander in the track's final standings.

"Brian had a great year, but we would have been right there if we didn't have electronics problems the last two weeks," Bolland said. "It's one of those things. We'll be back gunning for him next year."

Bolland's win was his fifth of the season at Lernerville. The points title is Swartzlander's sixth at the Sarver track.

Winkle started the feature in the first row after nearly scratching because of a bad joint in his drive shaft. He led the race for the first 18 laps.

Winkle had seven top-five finishes, finished fourth in points, but failed to win a feature.

n Bob Egley of Kittanning clinched his first Pure Stocks points title by winning the feature. He passed Bob Lipinski, who was bidding for a third consecutive victory, on the 19th lap.

Wayne Carbo of Saxonburg, who began the night 15 points behind Egley, finished fourth in the feature.

Notes: There were 100 cars in the pits. … Despite suffering burns two weeks ago in a Sprint car accident, Bob Felmlee returned to action Friday and won his eighth heat race of the season.