Two stock cars round a corner during a Test & Tune Rotating Hot Laps event Friday, April 17, 2026, at Lernerville Speedway. Eddie Clancy/Butler Eagle

Eddie Clancy

For nearly six decades, Lernerville Speedway has remained one of the premier dirt racing facilities in the country, continuing the vision established by founder Don Martin.

Today, that tradition continues to thrive under the leadership of the Tomson family and track manager Greg Geibel.

The Action Track once again stands alone in presenting three top-paying weekly divisions — Sprint Cars, Super Late Models and Big Block Modifieds — while also showcasing some of the region’s finest Pro Stock competition.

“To me, this is not a job,” Geibel said. “It’s something I truly love to do. When you enjoy coming to Lernerville every day, it never feels like work.”

Several improvements were completed during the offseason to enhance the fan experience and facility operations. Electrical lines were buried, several telephone poles were removed, and new asphalt was added in front of the ticket booths and handicap-accessible areas. Premier parking was expanded, existing bleachers are being converted to aluminum seating, and the Freeport side of the speedway is now connected to public sewage service.

Now entering his third season as track manager, Geibel has continued to expand the facility’s marquee event, the annual Firecracker 100 weekend, transforming it from a two-day show into a five-day racing festival June 22-27, designed to appeal to the entire family.

This year’s Firecracker schedule includes:

Geibel also announced the addition of the inaugural “Yinzer 100,” scheduled for Sept. 1. The Super Late Model event will pay $15,000 to win and $1,500 to start, with support from DIRT.TV.

“With the continued support of John Tomson and his family, Lernerville continues to grow and thrive,” Geibel said.

Despite challenging weather conditions affecting many regional tracks this season, Lernerville successfully completed one early season program in April that drew an impressive crowd.

Alex Ferree captured the Super Late Model feature in the Geisler-owned Cochran No. 1 machine. Although he tested his Rocket chassis earlier in the week, Ferree opted to debut a new Longhorn chassis on race night and drove it to victory.

Nine-time Sprint Car champion A.J. Flick earned the Sprint Car feature victory, adding to his impressive Lernerville résumé, which now includes 44 Sprint Car wins and six Pro Stock victories. Flick also unveiled a new fire suit and updated race car colors for the 2026 season.

Brett Hutera secured his first career Lernerville Pro Stock feature victory. Meanwhile, New York invader Eric Rudolph collected his 10th career Big Block Modified main event win at the speedway.

Veteran Sprint Car driver Davey Jones is celebrating his 51st season in racing. Competing for much of his career on a modest budget, Jones recorded one Sprint Car feature victory at Lernerville in 1995.

Longtime car owner Joe Corrado, now entering his 49th season in racing, will field two Super Late Models this year. Returning veteran driver Jared Miley will compete alongside rising talent Levi Yetter in entries numbered 10 and 10 Star, respectively.

Yetter, currently a freshman business major at Slippery Rock, is expected to maintain a demanding race schedule.

Corrado, a former standout quarterback at Deer Lakes High School, said the number 10 reflects his football days. What a lot of people don’t know is in 1973 Corrado was drafted as a pitcher by the Pittsburgh Pirates, playing three seasons in their farm system. He then played semi-pro softball with the Pittsburgh Hard Hats.

Another standout, Logan Zarin, will not compete weekly at Lernerville this year. He will pursue the “Rookie of the Year” title on the World of Outlaws Late Model Series circuit.

Carol Gamble is a racing columnist for the Butler Eagle