BUFFALO TWP - His uncle won three points championships at Mercer Raceway. He won 15 points championships in go-karts himself.

But don't try telling Chicora's Greg Beach, driver of the No. 33X Pure Stock car, that he's one point off the points lead at Lernerville Speedway this summer.

Sorry, not interested.

"I couldn't even tell you how many points I have or where I stand," said Beach, 27. "I could care less about that kind of stuff."

"All I want to do is win races. I enjoy running for the checkered," he added.

His entire family enjoys it, actually.

Beach's uncle, Banker Beach, retired from racing as Mercer's all-time feature win leader in Semi-Late Models with nearly 60. His father, Jerry, worked with Banker Beach in the pits during those glory years.

Beach's mother, Janet, helped out as well."I was scraping mud off Banker's car when I was pregnant with Greg," she said. "Now I'm playing around in the mud again."I remember Jerry's words when we started helping Banker - 'Don't worry, we won't be doing this long.' Now I can't imagine not being out here doing it," she said.Jerry and Janet Beach are part of their son's pit crew, as are Beach's wife, Tricia, and neighbor Dick Landgraf. Tom Stodish builds his motors.Beach's racing team is definitely a family affair."This is when we all get together," Jerry Beach said of Friday nights at Lernerville. "Some people go on picnics. We do this."Sometimes you're riding high, sometimes you're riding home wondering why. Racing has more highs and lows than any sport I know," he added.Beach's father describes his role in the pits as "chief cook and bottle washer. I do a little bit of everything."Jerry and Janet Beach have been married for 36 years. When Banker Beach retired, they figured they were out of the racing game."I told my wife we could get back to a normal life," Jerry Beach said.But their son was winning at a phenomenal rate in go-karts - 160 features or more, in fact.Greg Beach gave up go-kart racing at age 20 and moved into a Pure Stock. He was too young to see his Uncle Banker race."I knew of how good he was, but I developed a love for racing on my own," Beach said. "Dad took me to watch go-kart racing one day, and two weeks later we had one."Beach met Tricia, his wife of five years, at the wedding of his brother, Jerry, and her sister, Sheila."I always liked fast cars and Greg was into racing," Tricia Beach said. "We were always on the same page that way."Until I came back to the pits to help out, I never knew about all the stuff that goes on behind the scenes, like changing tires, springs, setting up the car. It's interesting," she added.Tricia Beach joins her mother-in-law in scraping mud off the car, cleaning and maintaining the No. 33X.Greg and Tricia Beach have a 5-year-old son, Dawson. They're on the same page with him as well."We don't bring him to the track because we all work on the car and he's too young to be in the pits," Tricia Beach said. "But he always tells Daddy to win and asks how he did when we get home."We buy tapes of Greg's races here so we can review them and Dawson can watch them," sheThe Sarver track is the only place Beach races at regularly so that he and his wife can spend the rest of the weekend with their son.Will Dawson grow up to continue the Beach racing tradition?"Too early to tell," his mother said. "But if he does, we'll be there working with him. We'll support him in whatever interests he develops."Beach is interested in driving a Late Model one day, but doubts it will be his own."We can't afford one," he said. "But if some car owner is looking for a driver, I'd definitely be interested."I'd probably still drive my Pure Stock, too. If not, I'm sure the family would just slide on over and help out with the Late Model. We'll keep this team together one way or the other," Beach added.Why not? With six trips to victory lane in just over two years of steady racing at Lernerville, it's been a winning one.It may even produce a points championship in a few weeks - whether Beach cares or not.

(top 15 through July 9)<u>Sprints</u>Ed Lynch Jr. 255, Chad Hill 243, Rod George 243, Kevin Schaeffer 231, Arnie Kent 211, Gary Rankin 187, Dan Shetler 171, Mike Shearer 168, Gary Kriess Jr. 163, Charlie Holben 143, Jerry Matus 136, Scott Bonnell 128, Brent Matus 128, Davey Jones 114, Cory Good 113<u>Late Models</u>John Flinner 258, Gary Lyle 227, Chuck Kennedy 213, Nick Jones 206, Lynn Geisler 200, Doug Eck 178, Rob Kosecki 158, Ken Schaltenbrand 157, Bob Wearing Jr. 156, Jeff Henry 154, Tom Kitchen 144, Chris Schneider 124, David Scott 121, Spanky Dougherty 107, Tom Tuite 93<u>Modifieds</u>Dave Murdick 301, Jim Weller Jr. 272, Kevin Bolland 267, Brian Swartzlander 266, Tommy Marshall 225, Gary Risch Jr. 191, Tom Winkle 188, Carl Murdick 187, J.R. McGinley 173, Lonny Riggs 155, Del Rougeux Jr. 136, George Hobaugh 123, Gary Risch Sr. 121, Chanda Reitz 105, Eddie Brown 98<u>Pure Stocks</u>Joe Kelley 268, Greg Beach 267, Rob Shook 249, Butch Lambert 247, Paul Schreckengost 205, Mike Turner 162, Dave Spangler 161, Scott Bochek 160, Bob Lipinski 158, Nick Reges 155, Bob Egley 151, Jason Fosnaught 144, Doug Graham 142, Jeff Bastin 136, Herman Bertolini 128