The Pittsburgher 100, the premier race at Pittsburgh's Pennsylvania Motor Speedway, will be sanctioned by the UFo and will take place this weekend.

The $12,000-to-win prize for Super Late Models is expected to attract some of the tri-state area's best drivers. The increased purses for the Crate Late Models, E-Mods and Pure Stocks should attract great car counts in both divisions.

Jared Miley took the track's Late Model championship. Miley has four wins this season at the Monster Half-Mile near Imperial.

In the Unified Force Race Championship points battle, Miley is tied with back-to-back Lernerville Late Model champion Alex Ferree going into to the weekend's action.

In other racing news:

• The Lernerville Speedway Pure Stock Pandemonium takes place at 7:30 tonight. An expanded format is scheduled, with hot laps, heat races, B-Main, dash, a special nonwinners race and a 30-lap, $2,000-to-win feature. More than 80 cars are registered for the Enduro 100 that follows.

• For the first time in his career, Brian Swartzlander will compete in the DIRTcar Big-Block Modified Rite Aid 200 at the New York Fairgrounds. The Syracuse Super DIRT Week will take place Oct 7 to 12. Brian is the 2008 Lernerville Modified champion.

• Tom and Fran Chiappelli released Dan Shetler as driver of their No. 98 Sprint Car. Shetler has been the pilot of the Chiappellis' car for the past three seasons. This year, the team won the track championship at Sharon Speedway.

"The decision to release Dan was a difficult one," said Tom Chiappelli. "Fran and I think very highly of Dan. He was and is the type of individual we want as a driver.

"However, we feel that we are not, as a team, achieving the goals that we have set for ourselves," he added

• Racing has lost another great driver. Fran Gower died Sunday. Fran's racing career began in 1961 and spanned 30 years. Gower drove everything except a Sprint car, but is most remembered for his No. 70 Late Model and Modified.

He won several championships and more than 200 races. He once was asked who he most liked to race with and he quickly answered Bob Wearing Sr., Dave Hoffman and the late Pee Wee Flick.

"You could run hard against them, and they wouldn't hit you. You could run side-by-side with them all day," Gower said.

• Rod George of Kittanning is the Mercer Raceway Sprint car champion for the third time in the past four seasons. Frank Guidace won his second Modified championship in the past three seasons.

The Little Guy Nationals will be run next Friday at the track. First place will pay $1,000 for the Stocks, $800 for Mod Lites, $750 for Micro Sprints

• Lernerville Speedway will hold its Automotive Swap Meet in the pit area Saturday. Gates are open at 8 a.m.

• The Motordrome Speedway 2008 track championships won't be decided until Sept. 27. Only two points separate NASCAR Super Late Model drivers Bobby Henry and Richard Mitchell.

• Congratulations to Dale Blaney for winning the All- Star Circuit of Champions points title.

This is the last racing column for 2008. I've enjoyed visiting with you each week. Have a good winter, and I'll see you in the spring.

Carol Gamble is the racing columnist for the Butler Eagle.