Ed Lynch III drove his father's Sprint car for the first time last Friday. After stepping out of the car in the pits, his eyes were sparkling and he was smiling from ear to ear.

The Seton Hill University sophomore hot lapped the No. 2L after the races.

Does this mean that the third generation driver will be getting more seat time in the future? Lynch plays college baseball and that has been his top sport.

In other racing news:

• The rescheduled Firecracker 100 will be held Tuesday at Lernerville Speedway. Excitement is beginning to build for what promises to be the best DIRT Late Model show of the summer. The A-Main, pays $40,000 to win and $3,000 to start.

• Big show cancelations could be a sign of the economic times. Lernerville's NASCAR drivers' race has been canceled. A bus race is now on the scheduled date. Sharon Speedway eliminated its September Outlaws Sprint show and the Mid- Atlantic Late Models event. Challenger will not have a UFO Late Model Show in August. Pittsburgh's Pennsylvania Motor Speedway has eliminated its Penn Nationals Late Model event.

• Dan Swartzlander got the monkey off his back last Friday after winning a heat race at Lernerville. Motor problems have plagued the Late Model pilot. Previously, he had finished only two heat races and two features all season.

• Todd Bachman, who is currently 12th in the Lernerville Late Models points chase, is one of the most improved drivers in 2008.

• It was nostalgia night last Friday at Lernerville, as Dick Swartzlander and Bill Wheeling were looking at the restored Sprint No. 22 that both had driven. They decided to get into the racer one more time. The twosome had a hard time squeezing through the window and into the seat. Wheeling coyly looked at Swartzlander and said, "They must have washed this since we last ran it, and it shrunk!"

• Racing rituals: Late Model driver Chuck Kennedy will use the same route coming to a track as long as he is doing well. When he has bad luck, he drives a different way. "Don't bring peanuts or anything green around my car," said Kennedy. ... Gregg Beach has a cross in his Pure Stock and a picture of the Virgin Mary to the right of his on-off switch for good fortune. ... Beach's uncle, Banker Beach, still carries the lucky stones in his pocket that he used for racing luck.

• The World of Outlaws Late Models will drop in Saturday for their annual visit to Sharon Speedway. In addition to the exciting Late Model action, the Pure Stocks will also be in competition. Fans are reminded that if they are one of the first 250 persons to preorder tickets for Saturday's show they will receive a free pit pass. In addition, those fans who are unable to use their Firecracker 100 rain check at Lernerville Speedway Tuesday can bring them to Saturday's show and receive a $5 discount on the admission price.

• Mercer Raceway Park presents an Open Wheel Shootout Saturday, featuring three divisions: the Bill Emig Memorial Modified Race, the Mod Lites, and the Mini Stocks, with racing beginning at 7 p.m. The Bill Emig Modified event pays $1,500 to win. The 410 Sprint Car victor will take home $1,500.

• Tri-City Speedway is closed this week. It is vacation time for all personnel.

Carol Gamble is the racing columnist for the Butler Eagle.