08/22/2025
Carol Gamble’s Race Column, Aug 21, 2025
Championship Night a Historic Sweep at Lernerville
The annual Championship Night at Lernerville Speedway proved to be a barnburner, with all four division titles on the line. In a rare twist of fate, each champion punctuated their season by winning their division’s feature race—an unprecedented sweep that rewrote the history books.
The spotlight shined brightly on A.J. Flick, who claimed his ninth Sprint Car championship in just 11 years. His victory on Saturday marked his 43rd career Sprint feature at Lernerville, setting a new standard of excellence. No other driver has ever earned nine titles in a single division at the track.
For perspective, the late Lou Blaney won six Sprint championships and three Big Block Modified crowns, Bob Wearing Sr. tallied five Late Model and three Modified titles, and Brian Swartzlander has eight Modified championships. Flick now stands alone at the top of the record books.
Racing runs deep in the Flick family. His grandfather, P*e Wee Flick, won the 1973 Super Late Model title, and his father, Mark Flick, captured the 1994 Modified crown. A.J. got his start in Pro Stocks before switching to Sprint Cars in 2014, and by the following year, he had already secured his first Sprint title.
Off the track, Flick’s resume is just as impressive. He earned an engineering degree from Penn State while racing full-time, and his statistician mother, Lura, often describes him as a “thrill seeker” with a love for roller coasters. An animal lover as well, Flick currently shares his home with a cat named Piston. With nine championships to his credit, it wouldn’t be surprising if a professional opportunity came his way soon.
In the Late Models, Mike Norris collected his fifth track championship, adding to titles won in 2017, 2018, 2023, and 2024. His 2025 campaign included two wins and five podium finishes in just five races.
Standing in victory lane, Norris credited the special moment as being even sweeter by having his wife, Jessie, and their 18-month-old son, Jack, by his side. He now sits third on the all-time Lernerville win list with 51 victories.
Garrett Krummert celebrated his third Big Block Modified championship, joining his 2020 and 2024 titles. This season, Krummert collected two victories and eight top five finishes, bringing his career total to 15 wins—good for 15th on the track’s All-Time list.
Rounding out the night, Cody Koteles captured his first Pro Stock championship in storybook fashion. Determined from the start of the season, Koteles even cut a family vacation short to avoid losing crucial points.
Koteles has consistently had the best car week in and week out in Pro Stock action this season and found himself with a 14-digit point lead heading into the final feature of the season His crew’s thoroughness paid off with three feature wins, seven top five finishes, and a commanding 14-point lead heading into the finale. The jubilant Koteles called the title a dream come true!
It was a night to remember at Lernerville Speedway—one for the record books, and one that fans will be talking about for years to come.
Sixteen-year-old Cameron Miller has been around race tracks his entire life, following in the tire tracks of his father, Modified driver Jeff Miller. This fall, the poised Knoch High School sophomore will enter 10th grade, fresh off an impressive rookie season in Lernerville Speedway’s Fab Four Big Block Modified division, where he finished a remarkable 11th in points.
Cameron’s racing journey began in 2020 after baseball season ended, when a Junior Sprint car popped up for sale on Facebook. At the time, Jeff’s engine had blown during Lernerville’s year-end “Stampede” race, so the family bought the Sprint and began racing weekly at Blanket Hill Speedway in 2021. An attempt to sell the car after that season fell through, and in 2022, then a seventh-grader, Cameron ran three races, winning his third start—before selling the car and putting the proceeds toward an engine for his dad’s car.
On July 11, 2023, at age 13, Cameron got his first seat time in his Dad’s Modified, running hot laps. The jump from a Junior Sprint to 750 horsepower was a thrill. “It was so much fun, but totally different,” he recalled. In 2024, Jeff raced the full season, but on the last night Cameron competed in the car for the first time. This year, Jeff sat out to serve as crew chief and mentor for his son’s rookie campaign—saving a little money along the way.
The Millers’ car numbers tell their story: Jeff runs No. 75 for his birth year, 1975; Cameron’s No. 9 marks his birth year, 2009. His crew includes Chad and Garrett Richter, Alex Ott, and Rick Regalski—whom Cameron calls “a real friend” after lending them a motor when theirs blew. Sponsors include Iron Works Local Union 3 and Rock House Bar and Grill, with his mom Shari leading the cheer squad.
Away from the track, Cameron enjoys fishing, works at PRS Transit washing trucks and helping mechanics, and helped pay for 80% of his race car minus engine. He studies drivers like Jeremiah Shingledecker and his dad for racing tips. He said, “My favorite food would be Filet mignon. You couldn’t go wrong with eating that every race day!
Next year, both Millers plan to run Modifieds, and Cameron hopes to someday drive a Late Model—or even go pro, while acknowledging how rare that is.
Saturday, August 23, Sprint Car Spectacular: 410 Sprints, Allegheny Sprint Tour 305’s, Rush Wingless Sprints.
Friday, August 29, Night 1 ‘Hill Billy’ featuring the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series- $10,000 to Win.
Saturday, August 30, Night 2 Hill Billy 100 featuring the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series - $30,000 to win.
