BUFFALO TWP — Start up front and stay there.

That simple formula worked Friday night for Dave Murdick, as the veteran Slippery Rock driver of the No. 61 car won his 20th career Modified feature at Lernerville Speedway.

“Twenty wins here ... yeah, that means something to me,” Murdick said. “For a long time, I didn't know if I would ever win one.”

Murdick didn't post his first career Lernerville win until his seventh year of competition at the track.

He started on the pole Friday night, hit lapped traffic by the eighth lap, and held off track Modified all-time victory leader Brian Swartzlander for the checkered flag.

Swartzlander, who broke Lou Blaney's Modified win record at Lernerville by recording his 70th triumph two weeks ago, started fourth. He jumped into second on the first lap, but never overtook Murdick.

“There was no racetrack out there tonight,” Swartzlander said. “I was able to pull alongside (Murdick) a couple of times, but I wasn't getting by him.

“I was using up too much car trying to pass him. It got to be too risky. I'll take second place while keeping everything in one piece.”

The race had no caution flags. Murdick maneuvered through lapped traffic while Swartzlander and third-place finisher Kevin Bolland helplessly chased him.

“The lapped traffic just sort of came to me,” Murdick said. “This was definitely a good night to start up front. That track was pretty slick.

“I didn't feel all that confident coming here tonight. We've been struggling a bit, and we did a bunch of stuff to the car this week.”

Murdick won at Lernerville for the first time since July 30 of last season. He won a career-high four features at the Sarver oval in 2010.

In other action:

n Former Butler resident Jack Sodeman Jr. won his fourth career Lernerville Sprint feature, starting seventh and taking the lead from Cap Henry on the 17th lap.

The only caution of the race came out at the 19th lap, when Sarver's Carl Bowser was making a charge for the lead.

“I didn't need that caution,” Bowser said. “If we race on through, I may have gotten him. We'll never know.”

Sodeman, now living in North Jackson, Ohio, said his crew was responsible for this victory.

“A trained monkey could have driven this car,” he said. “It was perfect. I could go up high, down low, anywhere I wanted on the track.

“These cars don't have mirrors, but I could see Carl pull alongside me a couple of times. There was no room to make a mistake.”

Danny Holtgraver of Pittsburgh finished a close third, nearly overtaking Bowser.

n Chub Frank of Bear Lake started sixth, took the lead from Corey Conley on Lap 5 and pulled away from there, easily winning the Late Model feature.

Frank took the checkered flag — his 13th career Lernerville win — a half-lap in front of second-place car Gregg Satterlee.

“This track was like glass tonight,” Frank said. “This is how I think it will be for the (June 25) Firecracker 100. That's what we're looking for.”

n Corey McPherson of Tarentum claimed his first career Lernerville feature win in the Sportsman Stocks. Mike Miller of Chicora had the pole for the race and led the first 13 laps.

McPherson, who started seventh, grabbed the lead during a 14th-lap restart. The race had seven cautions.

Notes: There were 81 cars in the pits, but only 16 Sprints and 14 Modifieds. ... Defending track Late Model champion Dave Hess Jr. is the only driver in any division with two wins at Lernerville so far this season. ... Miller won his third heat race of the season, sliding past defending Stocks points champion Joe Kelley on Turn 4 of the final lap.