Drivers excited for return of racing at Lernerville Speedway

At last, the drivers can start their engines.

Friday night will be an exciting time in Sarver because for the first time in 2020, race car drivers will take to the track at Lernerville Speedway.

“Absolutely through the roof,” Lernerville track announcer Eric Westendorf said about the excitement level heading into Friday. “The offseason is long anyway because being in Pennsylvania, we typically get to race about five or six months then we wait for six or seven months. To have to wait another two months on top of that has been agonizing for everybody. Everyone is thrilled to get back out onto the track.”

When the coronavirus pandemic began in the middle of March, sports leagues across the country were either delayed, canceled or forced to find other ways to operate. But over the past few weeks, leagues around the country have started to implement plans to restart seasons.

NASCAR started in the past few weeks with extra safety measures in place. The NBA will return July 31 in a “bubble” in Orlando, and soccer leagues around the world have returned, as well.

Lernerville drivers are ready to get back on the track after a long delay to start the season. Some drivers have traveled to other tracks to compete, but others have been waiting for Lernerville to open.

Eight-time Modified Track Champion Brian Swartzlander, the 2019 winner, is one of those drivers. He had the opportunity to race in Florida in February, but ever since he’s been itching to get back on the track.

“I’m anxious to get going again. It’s been awhile, you know,” Swartzlander said. “We’re definitely excited to get back out there. I’m still concerned about the virus. I just don’t want to see any of our friends or family get sick. But I think as long as everybody takes the social distancing thing seriously, I think we’ll be OK.”

To ease the nervousness of its fans, drivers and staff, Lernerville has followed CDC guidelines and has implemented proper precautions to make sure everyone will be safe when they attend races Friday.

“We have a covid-19 waiver on our website, and we are having drivers and our staff do the temporal scanning,” Westendorf said. “Logistically, I don’t think we are going to be able to do that with all of the fans because that could be two, three, four thousand people depending on the weather.

“We are requiring people to bring masks and wear them on the way in, and if they go into a common area like the concession stand or the bathroom, we are asking them to wear it in there. But we are not going to ask them to wear them in the grandstands. We are encouraging fans to spread out.”

Westendorf said they have spray-painted lines at all of the common areas, including the concession stands, restrooms and ticketing booths, so fans have an idea of how far to stay away from each other.

“We are asking fans to stay patient and stand in line like you do it at Sheetz or GetGo,” Westendorf said.

AJ Flick is one of the drivers who have traveled to keep racing.

Flick said he’s been to Port Royal, Tri-City Speedway in Franklin, Roaring Knob in Markleysburg, and Lincoln Speedway in Abottstown.

“I’ve been fortunate that we’ve been able to run elsewhere over the past month or so as this quarantine has been in effect,” Flick said. “But to be back at Lernerville, knowing I can go somewhere on a Friday, and I don’t have to worry about falling asleep driving home at two in the morning, that’s pretty exciting for me.”

Cars taking the track isn’t the only reason for excitement Friday. Lernerville Speedway will be launching its Lernerville TV streaming platform. Fans can find the live stream at lernerville.tv. This platform allows fans to watch from home if they don’t feel comfortable coming to the races or they are too far away to attend.

Westendorf said the platform was something he’s been working on for quite some time and was hoping to have it implemented before the start of the 2020 season. When the coronavirus hit, it allowed him to take his time to make sure everything was set up and running smoothly.

“This is kind of the way our industry is going,” Westendorf said. “The national touring series have been doing it the last few years, and it’s just gaining in popularity. The technology is there, and the bandwidth is there, so it’s just becoming more and more viable. We just thought it was a good marketing opportunity and a good business opportunity.”

This season was expected to be a big year for the speedway. Westendorf said they are adding bonus and purse increases and now are planning on running races through the middle of October. Lernerville also is planning to add a few special events to the schedule throughout the season.

Friday is just the beginning as Fab4 racing kicks off the season. Pit gates open at 4 p.m., grandstands open at 5 p.m. and racing starts at 7:30. Adult general admission is $15, $12 for seniors and $10 for students ages 11-17. Children ages 10 and under are admitted free of charge.