BUFFALO TWP — When it comes to dirt track racing, Terry Young is still a student of the game.

But the Butler driver of the No. 28Y Pure Stock doesn't have a bad teacher.

Young, 41, bought the car that Chicora's Greg Beach, winner of four features this season while standing second in points at Lernerville Speedway, drove last year.

"We've been good friends for years,"Young said. "We're both electricians. We belong to the same union."

Young got into racing two years ago when former Pure Stock driver Mike Gilliland, a co-worker, wanted to get back into the sport. The Portersville resident, Young and others pooled their resources and bought a race car.

And Young was elected the driver.

"I'm not sure how that happened,"Young said. "I had never driven a race car in my life. Mike didn't want to get behind the wheel again. He just wanted to work on the car.

"I remember my first race. I finished last. My friends and family teased me about it ... said they saw that tractor pass me out there."

Young rapidly improved, however. He finished 11th in Pure Stock points last year and had a second-place finish in a feature.

Driving Beach's former car this year, Young enters Friday's final points night in eighth place and has eight top-10 finishes this season.

When Young bought Beach's car, Gilliland got back behind the wheel in Young's former car and is 14th in points.

"Greg's had a major influence on our program,"Young said. "He sets the car up for the track, comes over to the garage a couple of times a week to help work on it.

"When he starts talking about the car, everybody quiets down and wants to hear what he has to say."

Beach said his family gets together with Young's to watch Steelers games during racing's off-season.

"We have them over at our place, we've been to their place; we're just good friends,"Beach said. "When I decided to sell that car toward the end of last season, I was gonna give Terry first crack at it.

"He's doing well. He'll be winning here before too long. It takes time."

So Young's race team has learned.

"It's tough out there,"said Young's crew chief, Bob Wolford. "I was feeling badly because Terry hasn't won until I read in the paper where it took Butch Lambert seven years to win his first face. That made me feel a lot better.

"This is my first year of doing this. We're all learning as we go. It's a great sport. Everybody back here (in the pits) helps each other out," he added.

Beach said the learning curve in dirt track racing is a long one.

"You have to get the know the car, the set-up, how it handles, figure out the tires, how the track changes, how to drive the car on the track — a lot goes into this,"Beach said. "People don't realize how much is involved until they get behind the wheel."

Young regrets not getting involved with racing sooner.

"Most of the winning drivers here got started racing go-karts when they were kids and evolved into this,"he said. "I never did any of that. I have a lot of catching up to do."

Lernerville Speedway Points Standings(top 15 through Aug. 18)SprintsKevin Schaeffer 388, Ed Lynch Jr. 372, Carl Bowser 327, Arnie Kent 287, Gary Rankin 281, Scott Priester 277, Ralph Spithaler 273, Scott Bonnell 270, Brent Matus 266, Rod George 250, Dan Holtgraver 198, Terry Bowser 189, Charlie Holben 178, Mike Shearer 173, Joe Butera 150

Late Models*Lynn Geisler 378, Sam Stile 319, Gary Lyle 307, Matt Lux 296, Alex Ferree 288, Ken Schaltenbrand 272, Mike Blose 265, Bob Wearing Jr. 238, John Flinner 235, Tony Burke 221, Jared Miley 210, John Britsky 204, John Mollick 196, Chuck Kennedy 195, Dutch Davies 193

Modifieds*Kevin Bolland 386, Brian Swartzlander 328, Jim Weller Jr. 326, Tom Winkle 315, Dave Murdick 299, Mark Flick 263, Del Rougeux Jr. 262, J.R.McGinley 261, Carl Murdick 207, Chanda Reitz 194, Joe Crawford 180, Mike Turner 171, Keith Swartzlander 168, Tom Mattocks 159, Tim Doran 136

Pure Stocks*Butch Lambert 448, Greg Beach 390, Wayne Carbo 330, Jason Fosnaught 321, Paul Schrecengost 311, Bob Lipinski 276, Bob Egley 274, Terry Young 260, Nick Reges 253, Jake Ayers 248, Pat Hanley 234, Jim Fosnaught 223, Dave Baker 214, Mike Gilliland 169, Tony Iarrapino 156*-clinched points championship