BUFFALO TWP - Flagging is more than a side job for Michael "Spanky" Hall. It's practically a way of life.

The Youngsville native took over the flagger's post for Kent Michael this season at Lernerville Speedway.

Along with his Friday night duties here, Hall, 42, also flags the Saturday races at Stateline Speedway and the Sunday shows at Eriez Speedway in the Erie area.

"I'm 294 years old in dog years," Hall said. "Sometimes I feel that way."

But he has fun on the flag stand, standing atop two cinder blocks and twirling the flags in unique motions.

"I try to be creative. I like being part of the show," Hall said.

And he loves flagging. His first year of flagging was 1989 in Erie. It was during that season that a car kicked up a rock on the track, striking Hall in the head.

"I had a gash on my head and blood ran over my goggles," he said. "I fell forward when I got hit, and if my assistant hadn't grabbed me by the belt, I probably would have toppled on to the track."

Hall finished flagging the race, repeatedly wiping blood from his forehead and goggles so he could see. The track's medical personnel examined him and recommended he get stitches. He never went to get them.

Struck a few times by flying dirt chunks over the years, Hall continues to use cinder blocks as means of getting a better view of things.

"It's dangerous up there, but that's part of the game," he said. "I like the view I get from standing on those blocks. Cinder blocks work because they're heavy enough that they don't move around and it's easy to scrape mud off my shoes with them."

Hall arranges his flags in the same order every night - green, yellow, white, checkered, passing, red and black.

"I know the proximity I need to grab without looking," he said.

During the week, Hall drives a tractor-trailer for W.H. Fitzgerald Inc. He said the company is good to him on Fridays during racing season, keeping him close to home so he can get to the track on time.

He admits he sacrifices a lot for flagging.

"My summer is shot," Hall said. "I lost a wife and some girlfriends over flagging. I mean, that's not the only reason, but it was a factor.

"The only time I can go out with somebody on a summer weekend is if it's raining. And who wants to go out then?"

During the 1994-95 seasons, Hall lived in New Jersey, yet flagged at a track in Conneaut, Ohio, Friday nights.

He drove 480 miles Thursday nights, slept in his pickup truck, flagged in Conneaut, stayed at his parents' house, flagged at Stateline and Eriez over the weekend, then drove back to New Jersey Sunday nights.

"Looking back … I have no idea how I did that," Hall said.

He has yelled at drivers and had drivers yell at him over the years. He said black-flagging a driver is never fun.

"But it's part of the job," Hall said. "All I am is a glorified umpire. I call them as I see them.

"What's kept me flagging all these years is the camaraderie in racing. It's one big fraternity and I love it. You get into it with a driver and it's forgotten by the end of the night.

"The other thing is the need for flagmen. Not many people want to do this. It's a lot of responsibility. You're in charge, you have to keep the show moving and you have to have eyes in a lot of places," he added.

Hall got into racing as a driver. He raced a spectator stock while in high school from 1978-80. The best he ever did was second in a heat race.

"My racing didn't work out. I stunk, basically," he said.

But he wanted to stay around racing. He began helping out Chub Frank, whose family owned Stateline and Eriez speedways, by "doing whatever needed done."

He helped line up cars in the pits for three years, then lined up cars on the track for two more.

"The whole time, I kept bugging them to let me flag," Hall said.

He got his wish.

"It's a commitment and it can be a grind," he said of flagging. "Last week, I didn't get home from here until 6 a.m., slept until 3 p.m., got up and headed to my next track.

"By the time Sunday comes around, my sense of humor is wilted a little bit. But I'll keep flagging as long as it's fun.

"Honestly, I don't know what else I'd do with the summer," he added.

Lernerville Points Standings

(top 15 through May 21)

Sprints

Ed Lynch Jr. 115, Chad Hill 108, Kevin Schaeffer 91, Rod George 83, Gary Rankin 82, Arnie Kent 81, Dan Shetler 72, Scott Bonnell 57, Brent Matus 54, Scott Barris 48, Mike Dehner 48, Davey Jones 47, William Kiley 41, Mike Shearer 41, Jack Sodeman Jr. 40

Late Models

John Flinner 112, Ken Schaltenbrand 98, Gary Lyle 87, David Scott 86, Doug Eck 85, Ron Davies 76, Chuck Kennedy 66, Dave Norton 66, Matt Lux 64, Rob Kosecki 62, Jim Dandy 59, Scott Gurdak 55, Lynn Geisler 55, Nick Jones 54, Jeff Henry 49

Modifieds

Brian Swartzlander 88, Jim Weller Jr. 78, Dave Murdick 75, Lonny Riggs 73, Gary Risch Jr. 54, Tom Winkle 53, Tommy Marshall 52, Del Rougeux Jr. 51, J.R. McGinley 44, Kevin Bolland 44, Carl Murdick 43, Pete Simpson 39, Joe Crawford 38, Carl Weatherby 31, Eddie Brown 30

Pure Stocks

Joe Kelley 107, Bob Lipinski 103, Greg Beach 103, Rob Shook 91, Butch Lambert 81, Jason Fosnaught 78, Gary Norman 70, Paul Schreckengost 70, Mike Turner 65, Herman Bertolini 63, Bob Egley 60, Dave Spangler 60, Nick Reges 50, Lenny Wright 50, Doug Graham 41, Jeff Bastin 41