BUFFALO TWP — Winning isn't everything for Shawn Kozar.

In fact, winning may never happen for the Harmony resident, Seneca Valley graduate and driver of the No. 3KModified at Lernerville Speedway.

And he's OKwith it.

"Somebody has to finish last out there,"Kozar said. "It might as well be me, having fun while I'm doing it."

Kozar, 31, is only in his second full season of racing. His younger brother, Adam, 23, runs a Modified as well, but he won't hit the track until his classes at Butler County Community College are done for the year.

Another brother, 29-year-old Aaron, helps out in the pits for both cars.

"We pit the cars side-by-side and Aaron slides back and forth,"Adam Kozar said. "We share everything between the three of us, from parts to working on the cars."

Shawn and Adam Kozar are former hockey players. Shawn played high school hockey at Seneca Valley while Adam played for the North Pittsburgh Wildcats. Aaron Kozar played football and wrestled at Seneca Valley.

Their interest in racing dates back to when they were small children and their father brought them to Lernerville.

"We were up in those stands every Friday night since we were 2 years old,"Shawn Kozar said. "I always dreamed about racing a car around this track."

He thought that dream was going to come true in 1997, when his father bought a used Modified car. The family spent a year working on the car, but never raced it.

"We couldn't afford a motor for it back then,"Shawn Kozar said. "We were looking for a motor a few years ago and came across an available car with a motor already in it."

That was in 2003. Kozar raced that season, then took two years off when his wife gave birth to their daughter, Mackenzie.

Early in his racing career, Kozar became part of a memorable racing mishap when Guy Griffin's car flipped and landed right on top of Kosar's.

"He ripped my roof off,"Kozar said. "Ilooked up and could see Guy hanging out of his car, unconscious. My stomach turns every time I go out on the track.

"What am I going to be in for today?I don't want to make anybody mad, so I just go to the back of the pack. ... Somebody usually winds up mad at me anyway."

Kozar was prepared to return for the start of last season when Lernerville announced it was switching to DIRTrules.

"That set us back a bit financially, the change in fuel, transponders and all,"Kozar said. "We finally got the car back on the track toward the end of last season."

Now that he's back on the track for a full season, Kozar has no delusions of grandeur. His car will never be confused with that of Kevin Bolland, Dave Murdick, Brian Swartzlander or Tom Winkle.

Kozar's car is eight years old. All of its parts are used. The back-up parts are used and there is no back-up car.

"My best career finish is 11th,"Kozar said. "That came on opening night this year. Everybody else wrecked and I was one of 12 cars that finished.

"Am I capable of winning here?No. But you can't chase a dream if you leave the car in the garage."

Adam Kozar will be entering his seventh year of racing. His best feature finish is 11th as well.

"This is family night for us," he said of Friday nights. "It's nice that we can all get together here, work on each other's cars and have fun racing."

Lernerville SpeedwayPoints StandingsTop 15 through April 20SprintsEd Lynch Jr. 40, Kevin Schaeffer 38, Bob Felmlee 33, Rod George 33, Carl Bowser 32, Gary Rankin 29, Danny Holtgraver 27, Dan Shetler 26, Arnie Kent 25, Mike Shearer 23, Ralph Spithaler Jr. 22, Cory Good 21, Todd Bauer 19, Charlie Holben 19, Jody Keegan 16

Late ModelsAlex Ferree 38, Dutch Davies 36, Mike Blose 35, Brent Rhebergen 29, Greg Satterlee 28, Gary Lyle 27, Jared Hawkins 26, Doug Ricotta 24, Dane Laraway 24, Lynn Geisler 23, Dan Swartzlander 23, Chuck Sarver 21, John Garvin 20, Clate Copeman 17, Jimmie Pitkavish 16

ModifiedsDave Murdick 38, Jeremiah Shingledecker 35, Kevin Bolland 33, Del Rougeux Jr. 33, Tom Winkle 31, Brian Swartzlander 28, Andy Priest 27, Jim Weller Jr. 22, JRMcGinley 21, Garrett Krummert 20, Carl Murdick 19, Shawn Kozar 18, Mike Miller 18, Dean Pearson 16, Doug Fleeger 15, Steven Feder 15

Pure StocksPaul Schreckengost 37, Joe Kelley 37, Mike Pegher Jr. 36, Bob Egley 30, Jake Ayers 30, Terry Young 29, Jim Fosnaught 28, Greg Beach 27, Stan Riggle 25, Butch Lambert 24, Jason Fosnaught 23, Eric Pietkowski 21, Chuck Gebauer 19, Dave Baker 18, Paul Petrovich 15