5/11/2007 Sarver,PA (Lernerville) ED LYNCH Jr 2L

by Eric Westendorf

Another Lernerville icon who often has to start from the middle of the pack and carve his way through the competition, not to mention lapped cars, is All-Time Commercial Truck & Trailers Sprint Car Feature Winner Ed Lynch Jr.

By virtue of last week's feature win, "The Apollo Rocket" started 12th on a track that was becoming increasingly more difficult to pass on. By lap 11 Lynch had only advanced to eighth, but all of the sudden the car seemed to hookup with the track. By lap 17 he was all over the back of leader Scott Bonnell.

Bonnell started on the outside of the front row and led the first 22 laps of the feature. Lynch made a bold move between Bonnell and a lapped car entering turn three, slid up the track in front of Bonnell in turn four, and nearly knocked down the wall below the flagstand. A caution wiped out the lead change, but not for long.

On lap 23, Lynch blew past Bonnell to take the lead and cruised on to victory lane for his third win of the season and 86th all-time (85 in a sprint car). Bonnell held on to a rock solid second. Three cars did battle for the third spot for most of the race. Reigning track champion Kevin Schaeffer finished in third but not without a fierce battle from both Rod George and Dan Shetler.

Up next is the first invasion of the reformed World of Outlaws Sprint Cars. The drivers who split off and raced the NST series last year, the likes of 20-time Outlaw Champion Steve Kinser and "The Dude" Danny Lasoski, are back on the Outlaw trail in 2007.

In all 27 cars are traveling with the Outlaws leading into this weekend. 2006 Champion Donny Schatz and Kasey Kahne's driver Joey Saldana are in a furious battle for the points lead. Heading into tonight's action, Schatz had a 9-point lead with four wins and 12 top-fives. Saldana has 5 wins and 11 top-fives.

And don't count out Ed Lynch Jr. He's been tuning and testing these past 2 weeks on his way to Victory Lane and would love nothing more than to back up his 2002 Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup XI win with another upset of the best Sprint Car drivers in the world! Factor in 10-15 locals, a few PA Posse drivers from Central PA, a handful of All-Stars looking to shake down for the fast-approaching June 5 All Star Circuit of Champions race, and Tuesday could be one of the best Sprint Car fields and some of the best racing action in years!

Commercial Truck & Trailer Heat 1) Gary Rankin

Commercial Truck & Trailer Heat 2) Ralph Spithaler

Commercial Truck & Trailer Heat 3) Ed Lynch Jr.

A-main (25 laps) 1 Ed Lynch Jr 2L, Apollo; 2 Scott Bonnell 3, Fairview; 3 Kevin Schaeffer 9, Kittanning; 4 Rod George 4, Kittanning; 5 Dan Shetler 98, Johnstown; 6 Scott Priester 11x, Rimersburg; 7 Ralph Spithaler 56, Evans City; 8 Carl Bowser 10, Sarver; 9 Charlie Holben 42g, Cabot; 10 Gary Rankin 16, Renfrew; 11 Brent Matus 33, Wampum; 12 Dan Kuriger 08, Freedom; 13 Davey Jones 76, Warrendale; 14 Danny Holtgraver D4, Pittsburgh; 15 Terry Bowser 59, Sarver; 16 Sheila Rankin 6, Renfrew; 17 Arnie Kent 15, Wampum; 18 William Kiley 4k, Cabot; 19 J.C Sodeman 23, Butler; 20 Mike Shearer 25, Freeport; 21 Rick Reinhart 7, Freedom; 22 Joe Butera 33, Wampum; 23 Lindsey Enscore 96, North Washington. 410w