BUFFALO TWP - So you're complaining about prices at the gasoline pump?

Imagine having to fill up a race car.

Dirt track drivers at Lernerville Speedway have felt the sting of the price hikes twice - filling their cars with racing fuel and filling their vehicles to get to the track.

"I only run (at Lernerville) because of the fuel prices," said Sprint driver Gary Kriess Jr. of Butler. "I can't afford to go anywhere else."

Sprint cars use alcohol fuel, which costs about $3 a gallon. Kriess said he uses 25 to 30 gallons of fuel during an average race night.

"Race fuel was maybe a dollar cheaper per gallon five years ago," Kriess said. "It's gone up like everything else."

Late Model driver John Flinner said he paid $4 per gallon for race fuel five years ago and pays about $4.75 per gallon now.

Flinner says the big cost comes from filling his truck to get to the track.

"A typical Late Model holds 32 gallons and I use maybe nine gallons a night on the track," he said. "I can run a 100-lap race on a full tank of gas.

"On the other hand, it costs me $300 to fill my truck these days. I'm tempted to start putting racing fuel in the thing," he added.

Fellow Late Model driver Nick Jones uses alcohol fuel and pays $2.65 per gallon for it. But he admits he has to use twice as much fuel as most of his competitors on race night.

"I go through the stuff - 35 gallons or so," he said. "I usually have to put more gas in the car at some point in the night."

Jones uses a much smaller truck than Flinner to get his car to the track. He estimates the cost of filling his truck at $75 to $80.

Pure Stock driver Greg Beach of Chicora pays $4.25 for a gallon of racing fuel.

"It jumped from $3.25 a gallon just in the last two or three weeks," Beach said. "It was $2.25 a gallon maybe five years ago."

The escalating price of fuel hasn't fazed Beach, however.

"We don't use up that much fuel, for one thing," he said. "I use only five gallons a race night. Everything is expensive in this sport."

Modified driver Dave Murdick of Slippery Rock agreed.

Murdick pays $3.75 per gallon to fill his 24-gallon tank. He estimates the price to have risen a dollar over the past five years.

"Like anything else, it's the cost of doing business," Murdick said. "No prices ever seem to go down for anything."

Traveling to compete in the Syracuse (N.Y.) Nationals Modified race costs Murdick more than $600 just in fuel: $132 of regular gas to drive there and back, $500 in racing fuel.

Mac Purvis Jr. of Purvis Brothers, which sells race fuel at Lernerville, said racing fuel can range in price from $3 per gallon for alcohol fuel to $20 a gallon.

"There are variations based on the energy level of the gas," Purvis said. "Turbo Blue costs $4.70 a gallon for stock cars whereas a higher caliber of fuel is available for $7 or $8 per gallon. A few guys will spend that there.

"I don't think Lernerville has any restrictions on racing fuel, but some sanctioning race series do have specifications on fuel," he added.

Modified driver Carl Murdick can only smile when he recalled the price of gas when he broke into racing in 1960.

"28 cents a gallon," he said. "But times have changed."

Lernerville Speedway Points Standings

(Top 15 through May 28)

Sprints

Ed Lynch, Jr. 153, Chad Hill 140, Kevin Schaeffer 129, Rod George 117, Gary Rankin 109, Dan Shetler 91, Arnie Kent 83, Scott Bonnell 82, Davey Jones 76, Charlie Holben 65, Mike Dehner 62, William Kiley 62, Brent Matus 60, Jerry Matus 52, Gary Kriess Jr. 51

Late Models

John Flinner 141, Gary Lyle 123, Doug Eck 120, Ken Schaltenbrand 110, Chuck Kennedy 92, Lynn Geisler 88, David Scott 86, Nick Jones 85, Rob Kosecki 80, Ron Davies 76, Jeff Henry 73, Spanky Dougherty 71, Dave Norton 66, Matt Lux 64, Jim Dandy 59

Modifieds

Jim Weller Jr. 140, Dave Murdick 138, Brian Swartzlander 135, Lonny Riggs 121, Tom Winkle 111, Kevin Bolland 104, J.R. McGinley 94, Tommy Marshall 89, Gary Risch, Jr. 86, Carl Murdick 74, Carl Weatherby 71, Eddie Brown 60, Del Rougeux, Jr. 51, John Durci 48, Gary Risch, Sr. 44

Pure Stocks

Greg Beach 140, Joe Kelley 135, Rob Shook 129, Bob Lipinski 128, Butch Lambert 112, Jason Fosnaught 107, Paul Schreckengost 106, Gary Norman 92, Bob Egley 85, Mike Turner 84, Nick Reges 69, Herman Bertolini 66, Lenny Wright 63, Dave Spangler 60, Scott Bochek 57