BUFFALO TWP— The Late Models are coming to Lernerville Speedway like never before.

This weekend's Firecracker 100 — a first-ever two-day race program at the Sarver track — is shaping up to be a two-day party as well.

"It's a landmark deal for Lernerville, no question,"track general manager Gary Risch Jr. said. "This is the type of race show we've envisioned bringing to this track.

"Lernerville has always been a premier racing facility. This is its time to shine."

Friday's portion of the show begins with hot laps at 6:30 p.m., followed by time trials at 7:15 p.m. Heat races will follow the time trials.

Following the heat races, a country rock band will perform a concert and fireworks will conclude the evening. Admission to the pits Friday will be free to fans buying a two-day ticket.

The first-ever Lernerville weenie roast will be held in the pavilion area at noon Saturday for all campers. A drivers' meeting is at 4 p.m., autograph session at 4:30 p.m. and racing begins at 7 p.m.

Saturday's race program features all consolation races, the Uncle Sam 30 (a 30-lap feature for the top 24 cars failing to qualify for the Firecracker 100) and the Firecracker 100-lap race itself.

Risch said that 150 campers have already pre-registered. More than 1,500 tickets were sold in advance as well.

One-day tickets are now available for $32 reserved and $29 general admission.

"We're anticipating a sellout and standing room tickets will be sold,"Risch said.

What's hard to anticipate is the car count. More than 50 cars have pre-registered for the event.

The DIRT Late Model Dream, a 100-lap Late Model feature held June 8-9 at Eldora Speedway in New Weston, Ohio, drew 146 cars and ran six heats, followed by a C-Main and B-Main.

"I can't see this race approaching those numbers,"veteran Late Model driver Lynn Geisler of Cranberry Township said. "To get the really big numbers, you need a reputation and this event is just starting out.

"I can see 85 to 90 cars. That's still pretty good. And there will be a lot of good cars."

Saxonburg's Alex Ferree, who won six of the first seven Fab Four Late Model features at Lernerville this season, also figures on between 80 to 100 cars.

"I've run well in 100-lappers, but have had bad luck,"Ferree said. "I was running second once and blew an engine. I was running third another time and broke a bar ... Dumb stuff like that.

"Patience is the key to running races like this. My biggest problem is I don't keep patience for very long."

Veteran driver David Scott of Garland, who won the Sprint points title at Lernerville in 2000 and nearly won the Late Model crown the same year, has won a handful of 100-lap features in the Limited Late Model division.

"The key is to ride the first 50 laps and race the last 50,"Scott said. "You want to be hanging around for the final 25 laps so you can treat it like a regular feature.

"I know how to be patient on the race track. But I don't know how to do it as well as the guys who race for a living."

That would be the World of Outlaws Late Models and they will be here in full force. Clint Smith, Shannon Babb, Steve Francis, Chub Frank and Josh Richards are the top five in WoO Late Model points.

But they won't be here alone.

"We're looking at a mixed bag,"Risch said of the racing field. "Every points champion of every Late Model series in the region — Lucas series, MACS, you name it — will be here.

"I can see anywhere from 70 to 120 cars. I'm figuring on close to 100."

Gary Lyle, Lernerville Late Model points champion in 1998, said local drivers have the disadvantage of inexperience in 100-lap events.

"There aren't very many of these around,"he said of the 100-lap races. "Tires are the big thing. That's the toughest adjustment to figure out."

Quality of race track is another factor.

"I hope they make it racy,"Scott said. "The track is going to slick up and it's going to be hard to maintain a cushion.

"Ouch (Albert Roenigk) is one of the best at getting a track ready, but I don't know how much time he's gonna have with a two-day show."

Winner of the Firecracker 100 receives $30,000. Overall purse for the weekend is $140,000.