With the racing world paused amid the COVID-19 outbreak, SPEED SPORT is highlighting race tracks around the United States. This is part of that ongoing series.
Track of the Day: Lernerville Speedway
Address: 313 N. Pike Road, Sarver, PA 16055
Website:Â www.lernerville.com
History: Originally owned by the foursome of Earl Bauman, Dale Hafer, Bucky Fleming and Don Martin, Lernerville Speedway was built at the location of Lernerville Park, which was once a popular amusement park in Sarver, Pa.
The initial goal was to open the dirt track for business in early 1968, but a local ordinance that would have shut the track down led to officials hosting a pair of races in October of 1967 in order to beat the ordnance and allow the track to operate as planned in 1968.
The first race was a 100-lap feature for modifieds, with Johnny Axe driving a 1934 Chevrolet coupe to victory lane. Soon the ownership group of four was down to two, as Martin bought out Hafer and Fleming. He eventually became the sole owner of the track, acquiring the shares owned by Bauman in 1981.
Martin remained owner and promoter of the four-tenths-mile oval until his death in 1993. Several other promoters took the reins of the track in the following years until DIRT Motorsports and the World Racing Group acquired the track in 2005. World Racing Group maintained ownership of the track until 2015, when the local Tomson family purchased the facility.
The track hosts weekly racing every Friday night featuring big-block modifieds, 410 sprint cars, dirt late models and stock cars, with national touring divisions such as the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series, World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series and Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions visiting the track annually.
A number of major events highlight Lernerville’s schedule, including the Firecracker 100 for the aforementioned World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series, the Silver Cup and Commonwealth Clash for the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series and the Steel City Stampede.
