Knoch junior among Lernerville regulars gearing up for Firecracker 100

Levi Yetter is still on his learner’s permit for over-the-road driving, but he’s shown he has a license for speed on a racetrack.

A 16-year-old incoming junior at Knoch, Yetter is in his second season of racing super late models at Lernerville Speedway in Buffalo Township and has scored four top-10 finishes this season to put him seventh in the point standings.

He and the rest of the Lernerville regulars will battle some of the top national teams when the Lucas Oil Dirt Late Model Series comes to town for the 16th annual Firecracker 100 weekend Thursday through Saturday for the highest-paying weekend in track history.

Saturday’s 100-lap finale pays $50,000 to win, up from $30,000 last year. Thursday and Friday’s 25-lap preliminary races each pay $6,000 to win. The RUSH crate late models are also on the card for the Bill Emig Memorial. Saturday’s Rush main event pays $20,000 to win.

“It’s been a dream to race in the Firecracker 100 ever since I was a little kid,” Yetter said. “I came to the Firecracker every single year. It’s special to me because I’ve been around it my whole life.”

Yetter grew up in a racing family. His uncle, Kenny Schaltenbrand, is a two-time Lernerville track champion. His racing career started in go-karts at age 5. The jump from there to late models has been a big adjustment, but he’s getting to a point where it feels natural.

“When I first started, it took some time to get used to how much power the car had compared to its weight,” Yetter said. “It feels so light that when you are coming into a corner and you hit a bump, it feels like you’re going to flip over even though you’re not going to. It’s a crazy feeling that you don’t feel anywhere else. It’s just different.”

Yetter credited his parents, Shawn and Tammy, his crew chief Matt Hughes as well as his sponsors CRS Contracting, Thrower Concrete, Rosebrook and Mr. Waterheater for helping him get his career going. Naturally his uncle Kenny Schaltenbrand has been a big influence as well. Schaltenbrand helped Yetter find his first car, which was purchased from Davey Johnson last year.

Yetter also has been impressed by how welcoming the other racers have been toward him.

“Mike Norris really helped me out when I first started, and he gave me a lot of advice,” Yetter said. “Matt Lux is a really nice guy. He’s been really cool to me, and I appreciate his help. Same with Colton Flinner. We’ve parked beside Colton ever since we started last year, and he’s been awesome to me. We’ve become pretty good friends. It’s totally different from any other sport. Your fellow competition is always willing to help you get started, which is really cool.”

The local drivers will be up against some stiff competition this weekend. The Lucas series will make its debut after the race was sanctioned by the World of Outlaws the first 15 years.

Defending World of Outlaws champion Brandon Sheppard moved to Lucas this season and is the current points leader. He’ll be seeking his first Firecracker 100 win. Tim McCreadie, the 2019 Firecracker winner, is second in Lucas points. Tyler Erb, Ricky Thronton, Jr. and Earl Pearson, Jr. round out the top five. Outside of the Lucas regulars, several other heavy-hitting national drivers have the Firecracker on their schedule.

That list is led by Jonathan Davenport, who recently won the $1 million-to-win race at Eldora (Ohio). Jimmy Owens and Chris Ferguson are also expected to be in attendance, as well as regional aces Mason Zeigler, Rick Eckert and Gregg Satterlee.

For Yetter, this weekend will be another learning experience, and if he can race his way into a prelim feature or the 100-lapper Saturday, it would be a major highlight in his young career.

“Last year I put too high of expectations on myself and stressed myself out too much throughout the weekend,” Yetter said. “This time, I want to have more fun and really enjoy the experience.”