BUFFALO TWP — He goes by the name of Dr. Bob.

Not that he's a real doctor, mind you. Robert Lipinski, 68, of Valencia claims that he can "fix your car and fix your heart."

He works on the former through his automobile repair business, known as Dr. Bob's Garage. He works on the latter through spreading the word of the God— even if he has to get behind the wheel of a race car to do it.

Lipinski is the father of Sportsman Stock driver Bob Lipinski, who started racing in 1994 and it looking for his first points championship at Lernerville Speedway. He has a 24-point lead over Joe Kelley with three points nights remaining.

"Dad knows cars, that's for sure," the younger Lipinski said. "He's been working on mine back here in the pits for years and he repairs cars for a living.

"For 11 years, he's been telling me I'm doing this wrong or that wrong. Finally, I told him if (racing) is so easy, there's a car sitting right over there. Fix it up and get it on the track.

"He took me up on it. I'm glad he's having fun," Lipinski added.

The car he referred to was his old No. 55L Pure Stock, which Lipinski raced for 11 years and which had been sitting on blocks for four years.

"The engine in that thing dated back to 1966," Robert Lipinski said. "I'm a car doctor. I put a different motor in to be a little more competitive, but winning races isn't why I'm out here."

That's a good thing because he hasn't come close to victory lane.

The elder Lipinski has no top 10 finishes. He's accumulated only 59 points — 24th on Lernerville's points list — and has managed to finish only two races.

But next to his car in the pits is a card table with all types of religious literature on it, along with a sign saying the books are free.

"I'm a man of God," Robert Lipinski said. "A few people have strolled by and taken some books. If only one does so, it's worth it to me.

"Spread the word any way you can — nothing wrong with that."

The name "Jesus" is spelled out across the hood of the car. The license plate on the back reads "JESUS" and the expiration sticker on the left corner of the plate reads "never expires."

Before resurrecting his son's old car, Robert Lipinski had been on a racetrack only once before: at Heidelberg back in the 1970s.

"I have no idea how I did," he said. "I don't remember. I'm sure it wasn't good."

His wife of nine years, Sue Lipinski, used to drag-race by the Zelienople airport — and took the Bible with her there.

"I have no fear with him being out here," she said. "We trust the Lord. And Bob knows how a car handles. He's not going to put himself in harm's way."

"What's the worst that can happen?," Robert Lipinski reasoned with a smile. "Worst-case scenario, I get called home. Of course, I don't expect that to happen. This is just a fun way to be part of Friday nights with my son."

Bob Lipinski isn't surprised his father brought back his old car.

"Just the fact he has the thing out here is impressive," he said. "I've always been into driving fast things — motorcycles, dirt bikes, snowmobiles — I used to race mud-bog trucks in West Sunbury and Meridian.

"I had to get that feeling from somewhere."