Lambert happy after switch
BUFFALO TWP — After 32 feature wins, 14 years and three track championships, it was time for a change.
Mars resident Butch Lambert left the Pure Stock division and the comfort of racing every Friday night at Lernerville Speedway, his home track.
"I felt it was time to try the next level," the 37-year-old driver said. "But there was no way I could afford to get into a Late Model."
Instead, he did the next best thing and joined the up-and-coming Crate Late Model Division.
Lambert won Pure Stock points crowns at Lernerville in 2002, 2005 and 2006. Lernerville's weekly Fab Four race program doesn't include Crates, so Lambert left the track in the 2008 season to pursue one of dirt track racing's newest divisions.
"It's only been around for five years or so, but I love it," Lambert said. "The biggest difference between us and regular Late Models is the engine size. That's the biggest difference in cost, too.
"This is the closest I'm ever going to come to a Late Model — and I'm fine with it."
While Lernerville doesn't offer the division on a weekly basis, Crates do run here as part of some special shows. Seneca Valley graduate Mike Pegher Jr. already has won two Crate Late Model features at the track in 2010.
Lambert has one feature win in three years, which came in 2008 in McKean County, but he was the Pittsburgh Circle Track Club Crate Late Model champion last year and the its Crate Late Model Rookie of the Year in 2008.
"We haven't won, but we've been competitive," Lambert said.
Tracks in the region that offer Crate Late Model racing include Mercer, Roaring Knob, Dog Hollow, Raceway 7 and Tri-City. Pittsburgh's Pennsylvania Motor Speedway picked up the division this year.
Lambert said 18 to 24 cars are in the pits on most race nights. Some tracks have had close to 35.
Some big dirt-track racing names, such as David Scott, Mike Blose and Robbie Blair, to name a few, run Crates on a regular basis.
"Because it's relatively new, crews are in the same boat trying to figure the cars out with the setup and everything," Lambert said. "Nobody on my crew, including myself, knew a thing about them when I switched over.
"Guys like Lynn Geisler and John Flinner have been a big help to us in getting us going."
Dave Jackson of Mars is Lambert's crew chief. Joe Cole of Callery, Lambert's father Bob, and an uncle, Bill, also are on his crew.
Jackson has been working with Lambert's cars for five years.
"When he wanted to try a Crate Late Model, I was totally in favor of the move," Jackson said. "It represented a challenge and you want to challenge yourself in any sport.
"The big thing about these cars is you can alter their performance so many different ways. Just changing the shocks, the positioning of the bar, can change the car immensely."
Lambert was involved in an unavoidable wreck during a Memorial Day show that has forced his race team to cut down on the number of times it races each week.
"We still don't have the money, but it's fun going around to different tracks all the time," Lambert said. "I miss coming to Lernerville each Friday, but with my work schedule, it was tough to make it here at times.
"I can see myself staying in this division for quite a while. We're close to the front of the pack, but we've still got a lot of work to do."
