BUFFALO TWP — Amid the distractions, Chub Frank simply concentrated on racing — and even that took a lot of concentration.

With NASCAR drivers Tony Stewart and Ken Schrader taking part in Thursday's 35-lap Late Model race at Lernerville Speedway, Frank stayed in the top five throughout the entire event.

With five laps remaining, Frank, of Bear Lake, finally breezed past Robbie Blair and went on to win the race as well as the $3,000 first-place prize.

"The track was tough. The high side was so much faster, so handling it was not easy," said Frank. "Robbie got by David Scott (on lap 24 for the lead) and I didn't think I'd get Robbie.

"I had to run up there. It was so rough ... When I jumped the hill, you just didn't know. You have to drive hard every lap,"Frank added.

Schrader borrowed one of Frank's cars and wound up winning a B-Main race — while Stewart won a heat race in his own Late Model car — — and finished fifth.

Schrader started eighth and maintained a solid race throughout.

Stewart started 11th and got as high as seventh, but a flat tire on lap 21 forced him to leave. He was able to return before the restart.

Two laps later, Stewart and John Britsky banged into each other on turn four, which knocked both from the race.

Of the 23 cars that started the race, only 10 were able to cross the finish line.

Scott, who was involved in an accident with three other cars on the first turn of lap 29, drove his way back up to a 14th-place finish.

The Garland resident was using a new car for the race, one he'll use the rest of the season.

"The cushion was getting more treacherous with each lap," said Scott, who took the lead from Blair on the first lap and kept that lead until lap 24, which included seven cautions during that span. "The restarts just got harder and harder.

"That car was awesome. I just have to learn and drive it. I just have to change it and make it better," he added.

"Sometimes he runs a little hard," said Frank on Scott. "I haven't talked to him yet, but he was OK and got that cushion."

Frank would go on to pull away from Blair in the final five laps and opened up a nice lead in the process.

Knowing he was not going to race this weekend made this Thursday night event a little more enjoyable.

"It was fun," said Frank. "Kenny came up to run the car and the crowd came out."

The full house had a lot to do with Stewart and Schrader, who addressed the crowd during a radio interview between heats of the E-Modifieds.

Both expressed the joys of getting back to the roots of racing.

"There's like a thousand tracks like this that run every week," said Schrader. "This is the backbone of American auto racing. People who come out every week and support the races, this is America's races.

"Thanks for having us and enjoy a heckuva bit of yourselves tonight," Schrader added.

Stewart joked about the real reason why they find time to race during the week during NASCARseason.

"We're just too scared to work real jobs," Stewart quipped.

n In the 15-lap E-Modified feature, three cautions before the first lap was completed helped Dave Hess Jr. of Waterford take the lead, one he would never surrender.

Hess built such a good lead, the only time he was remotely challenged was when Jason Brookover was right on his rear bumper on the front straightaway of laps 10 and 11, but Hess regrouped and was able to pull away.

"It's a great track tonight," said Hess, who also placed 15th in the Late Models feature. "I love racing here. It's a good grooves track. The car was working good on top.

"I saw the No. 28 car (Brookover). I didn't want to take anyone's line but I had to go down and get it."

Evan Taylor of Saltsburg finished second, Richard Michael Jr. of Ischua, N.Y. was third and Brookover was fourth.

Notes: There will be a Fab Four show this evening as well as next Friday, the latter bringing a close to the points chase. There were 39 Late Models in the pits and 25 E-Modifieds.