Hall of Fame racer Brian Swartzlander, known for his remarkable record of 15 track championships in the Big Block Modified class, including eight titles at Lernerville Speedway, decided not to pursue a ninth championship at the famed “Action Track.”

The cost for his race car team was becoming prohibitive, but his love for the racing never stopped. After a competitive season at Lernerville in 2023, Swartzlander made the tough decision to step back and sold his equipment over the winter.

However, the racing world had other plans for him.

World of Outlaws Sprint driver Bill Rose purchased a Big Block Modified in May; he planned to race at tracks nearby when competing with his WoO Sprint car or had an off night. But Rose suffered a fractured sternum in a Sprint car crash.

Although Rose doesn’t have a crew to help him, he still wants to get the car ready to race.

Hailing from Plainfield, Indiana, Rose reached out to Swartzlander, who tops the all-time modified win list with 101 at Lernerville, asking him to come out of retirement to drive the car until Rose is ready to come back to the track.

Swartzlander agreed to help his friend and took the car to Lernerville for a Tuesday practice session. Swartzlander didn’t look like he hadn’t raced in more than six months despite dealing with some fuel pump issues that limited him to one practice run.

“It was interesting, we learned a lot,” he said. “It looked good. But once you start racing with guys in traffic, it just wouldn’t take off. I think Rose knows that it is under-powered, but we got it a little better than when it got here. It was pretty rough when we first got it. It was a Sportsman car in New York and we sent it to TEO Chassis for a little bit.”

Fans were eager to see the popular champion back behind the wheel on a regular race night, even if just for a temporary stint. The BRP Modified Tour was the main attraction that Friday night at Lernerville.

The lineup was determined by the draw of pills. Swartzlander was hoping to draw pill 11 or 12 to race because he knew this car was older and didn’t have enough power to run in the front. Much to his surprise, he drew No. 1.

Swartzlander drove an excellent race, showcasing his enduring and outstanding driving skills. The nonstop 35-lap feature was one of the best Modified races at the track. He led a few laps before Ayden Cipriano got by him.

“I felt like me and the car weren’t getting along very well,” Swartzlander said. “I didn’t want to get run over. If we had started in the back at least we could go forward a little bit.”

Swartzlander’s race car started to fade as Eric Rudolph eventually passed Cipriano on Lap 15 to go on to victory. Swartzlander dropped back to 12th and went to the pits on Lap 21.

“I felt like I disappointed everyone,” Swartzlander said. “We knew the car was older and the motor and chassis not very good. I knew I was not going to be super competitive. Everyone says come and have fun, but for me to have fun I have to run out front. So it wasn’t that much fun for me.”

Swartzlander is going to run the car again next week. The schedule depends on when Rose can make it and how his injury is healing.

“We are taking it one day at a time. I am trying to prepare the car for him. If I was going to drive it, I would want a little better stuff. I don’t want to have less than what I had before. I just want to make it so he can go out and have some fun with it. That’s the bottom line.”

There was a first-time husband and wife team in the Lernerville Big Block Modifieds last Friday. Darin and Chelsie Gallagher were among the competitors. Darin competed in a 410 Sprint last season for Peluso Racing, and this year he joins wife Chelsie in the Big Block Modified division with a Rush Crate motor.

Mike Norris won his 45th Late Model feature last Friday. He passed John Flinner for third on the Lernerville all-time Late Model win list.

John Garvin, of Sarver, and Joe Corrado have parted ways. Garvin is back in his own Longhorn Late Model. Jared Miley is now in the Corrado No. 10 Rocket Late Model. Garvin said the split was amicable.

Knoch High School 2024 graduate Levi Yetter checkered his third Super Late Model feature win at Marion Center last Saturday. He started eighth and quickly worked his way through the pack.

Saxonburg’s Alex Ferree finally rid himself of the dark cloud that had plagued him this season. He was the class of the field at the Latrobe Speedway, winning the Dave Kittey Memorial ULMS Late Models feature event Saturday in the Cochran No. 1. Jared Miley and Gregg Satterlee were in his “wake” the majority of the race waiting for a mistake that never came.

Carol Gamble is a racing columnist for the Butler Eagle