By Aaron Fry
It has become an annual pilgrimage. For the last few years, the MPD Racing Buckeye Outlaw Sprint Series has made only one visit to the state of Pennsylvania. It has become the start of the second half of every season, where championship moves are made. The 2022 season is no different as once again, the host tracks will be the historic Lernerville Speedway on Friday night and the very wide and racy Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway on Saturday.
A year ago, both events featured fantastic story lines. Current 2022 tour point leader, Isaac Chapple from Willow Branch, Indiana, scored his record setting fifth consecutive tour victory at Lernerville defeating Matt Westfall and Carmen Perigo. The next night, California’s Ricky Lewis put on a show at Pittsburgh Motor Speedway. After flipping in his heat race, the crew worked hard to make repairs during some lengthy track prep work. Starting last in the main event, Lewis made an incredible run to the lead, only to have the final pass negated by a late red flag. On the restart, with 2 laps to go, Lewis got into the turn one wall again, flipping violently while racing for the win. Matt Westfall went on to score the win and eventually the 2021 tour championship.
This weekend, Chapple brings the tour into Pennsylvania with the lead in the standings. Like the Pittsburgh restart a year ago, Lewis sets poised in the runner-up spot, looking for the momentum to carry him to the tour title. However, he has very little breathing room as the pleasant surprise in 2022 has been the great runs of Greencastle, Indiana’s Jesse Vermillion. Coming off his career BOSS best third place at Atomic Speedway, Vermillion looks to regain his point lead he held early in the year and more importantly, wants that first career tour win.
Rounding out the top 5 in BOSS points in Saban Bibent from Cincinnati, Ohio who was so close to his first tour win a month ago at Lawrenceburg Speedway and Lee Underwood of Troy, Ohio. Blake Vermillion and Steve Little sit in the 6th and 7th spots respectively. Former tour regular Justin Owen will make the trek to Pennsylvania as a 2-time BOSS winner at Lernerville Speedway. However, the Lernerville locals have always been tough to beat as drivers like Jack Sodeman and A.J. Flick have upset the tour regulars in the past.
Friday at Lernerville, pit gates will open at 4 with spectator gates at 5. Racing action will get underway at 7:30. Adult general admission is just $15 with kids 10 and under free. Pit passes are $35. At Pittsburgh on Saturday, pit gates will be open all day. Main gates will open at 5 pm with hot laps at 6 and racing at 7. Adult general admission is $20 with seniors $19. Teens age 13-16 are just $15 and kids 6-12 only $5. Under 6 years old is free. Pit passes will be $40.
For racers, we will be using the red AMB transponders. Mufflers are not required. The BOSS tour will have a limited amount of Hoosier tires for sale along with a few bumpers and nerf bars courtesy of S&H Nerfs. All cars are required to run all 4 Hoosier tires and the right rear must be an H15, Medium or Racesaver spec tire. You do NOT have to run the same right rear all night. There are ZERO membership or registration fees to race with the BOSS tour.
The standard 2022 payout is in place for both weekend events as follows: 2000, 1000, 750, 650, 550, 500, 450, 425, 400, 375, 350, 340, 330, 320, 310, 300, 300, 300, 300, 300. All cars failing to start the main event are guaranteed $100 tow money. BOSS also pays heat race cash of 40, 30, 20, 10 to the top 4 thanks to TCB Speed, Brave Breed Rescue Inc, TheCushion.com and Outsider’s Merchandise and Apparel. The feature winner each night will get a Hoosier Tire certificate for a free tire and five other $50 bonus awards will be presented by Accu-Force Shock Dyno, Cowen Truck Line, J&F Construction, All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads and Elizabeth Gardner Photography.
A special hotel deal is in place at the Comfort Inn of Pittsburgh, located at 180 Gamma Drive, just off the highway along the route between the tracks. A special racer’s rate of $99 plus tax is in place, which is a BIG discount from the standard rate since the tour has used this same hotel for nearly 10 straight years! Be sure to ask for the “BOSS Racer’s Rate” when you phone in at 412-963-0600.
The second half of the season kicks off now! Major championship drama begins to unfold every year in Pennsylvania. Will YOU be there?