Ultimate duel on dirt
BUFFALO TWP — Step One of the Firecracker 100 is already accomplished for John Garvin Jr. and Alex Ferree.
Make the show.
At worst, they will be provisional qualifiers for the Firecracker 100's main event Saturday night at Lernerville Speedway— the 100-lap Late Model race paying $30,000 to the champion.
Garvin, a Sarver resident, leads the Late Model points race at Lernerville this season. Ferree, of Saxonburg, earned the other local provisional by winning the Late Model Mid-Season Championship feature last Friday.
“Now the pros are coming in,” Ferree cautioned. “These guys do this for a living. It's a different ballgame.”
Indeed, Firecracker 100 history has been tough on the local drivers. The seventh annual event has seen only one Lernerville regular — Jared Miley — ever finish in the top 10. Miley placed eighth in last year's race.
There has been no dominant local driver in the Late Model division at Lernerville this year. Seven features have resulted in seven different winners. The top four in the current point standings — Garvin, Ferree, Miley and Sarver resident Michael Norris — have all found victory lane here in 2013.
“It's not really intimidating running against these guys,” Garvin said. “I talk to them and learn from them.
“Some of the (World of Outlaw) guys I know better than others. I've talked to Darrell Lanigan and Josh Richards quite a bit.”
Lanigan has finished second in four of the past five Firecracker 100's. Richards is the WoO Late Model points leader so far this year.
Norris, the defending points champion at Pittsburgh Pa. Motor Speedway, has a different take on the three-day Firecracker event.
“For one, it's exciting to be able to go out there and compete against the best in the world on your own home track,” Norris said. “But when you go out for your heat race and there's Scott Bloomquist on one side, Shane Clanton on another, Jimmy Owens, etc ... I'd be lying if I said that doesn't feel a little bit intimidating.
“You know they're gonna race you hard and they're gonna race you clean. That's the good thing.”
The WoO Late Models have been as balanced as the local series this season. Only 11 drivers have competed in the WoO's first 21 feature events (through June 23). Lanigan has won six of those features, Clanton four, Richards and Tim McCreadie three each.None of those drivers has ever won the Firecracker 100.While Garvin won a feature at Lernerville two weeks ago, he doesn't believe in momentum playing a factor this week.“It's going to be brutal,” he said of the field. “You're talking 60 to 65 cars, with 40 of them having a shot at winning this.”Garvin, 31, admits he is having his best season, however.“I've calmed down as a driver. I'm not so aggressive all of the time now. That's been the biggest difference,” he said. “I appreciate my crew, too.“Kevin Bitner works on this car all of the time. He works full-time and still spends about 60 hours a week helping me. I'd be nowhere without him.”Mishaps on the track have Norris and his race team down to two available motors. But they will be ready to go come Thursday.“We've had bad luck and breakdowns at this event,” Norris, 21, said of the Firecracker. “I've never made the show before, so that's what I want to accomplish.”Fellow Knoch graduate Zach Schwartz serves as crew chief for Norris.“We've been friends since middle school,” Norris said. “Zach knows our equipment and he's got the knowledge to make everything work for us.“I feel like we're coming on as a race team here. This event will help us. Speed rubs off. You race against fast competition, you tend to get faster yourself.”Bloomquist won last year's Firecracker 100. Lanigan finished second with McCreadie, Clanton and Dale McDowell rounding out the top five.Bloomquist has entered only five WoO Late Model events this season, winning once.
ScheduleThursday8 p.m. — Opening ceremonies, followed by 6 heat races30-lap feature, paying $6,000 to winPost-race concert: Justin Fabus BandFriday1 p.m. — Charity kickball game at football field next to pit area8 p.m. — Opening ceremonies, followed by 6 heat races30-lap feature, paying $6,000 to winFireworksPost-race concert: NoMad and Vanessa CampagnaSaturdayNoon — Weenie roast, horseshoe and corn-hole tournaments7:30 p.m. — Opening ceremonies, followed by 6 heat racesUncle Sam 30, paying $3,000 to winFirecracker 100, paying $30,000 to winPrevious Firecracker 100 winners2007-Scott Bloomquist2008-Brian Birkhofer2009-Jimmy Mars2010-Shane Clanton2011-Jimmy Mars2012-Scott Bloomquist
