Andrew Buff Hopes to Repeat Winning Performance at Lake View

The second South of the Border Showdown for DIRTcar Sportsman Modifieds already has a stellar cast set to take on Lake View Motor Speedway this week. More than 30 Northeast racers will make the trip to South Carolina, with a majority making a return journey from 2021.

For Latham, New York driver Andrew Buff, he is looking to repeat a winning performance that he put in on the second of two nights one year ago. With three nights of racing slated for 2022 this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday; Buff is confident he take another trophy back north.

“I’m really excited to go back, time sure does fly. Last year was awesome, especially with my brother Justin running too, and both of us getting on the podium both nights. Then me winning on Saturday night, it was quite an accomplishment,” Buff told Racing America.

Once again, the Buff family has both Andrew and Justin Buff entered for the 2022 South of the Border Showdown. However, they will have a third car and pilot this time around, as yet another brother will join the family lineup, recent Limited Sportsman graduate Zachary Buff.

“This is a big family deal, this year Justin and I going, and my other brother Zachary is also going. He started racing last year up here and did a great job. He won nine Limited Sportsman races, at the end of the year he moved up to the regular Sportsman and did decent. So, we’ll see what he can do, and there’ll be three of us this year.”

For Andrew, his early success at Lake View in 2021 was a preview of what was to come for the rest of the year back home in New York State. He would finish the year with 10 wins in total at four tracks. He won the Sportsman title at Glen Ridge Motorsports Park, while finishing third in points at Albany-Saratoga Speedway. He also secured titles in the DIRTcar Sportsman Modified Track and Hoosier Tire Points and the DIRTcar Sportsman Modified Eastern Region Series.

“That win, the whole weekend really got the ball rolling for us. Even though it was a couple of months before the season really got started back up here in New York, it was a great source of motivation heading into the regular season.”

Be under no illusions, the high-banked, red clay Lake View Motor Speedway is a far different animal than anything other dirt track in the Northeast.

“Lake View is a little different from anything we got up here. I know a lot of guys last year were saying it was a little like Weedsport or this track and this track. But, I really thought it was nothing like anything up here. Different surface, which is important tire-wise. It’s just different, with the red clay it acted different, and you just can’t compare it.”

The South of the Border Showdown is more than just a unique track for the DIRTcar Sportsman competitors, it is an event that they can call their own. It's an opportunity to stand center stage in the winter, just like their Big-Block colleagues that make the annual trek to Volusia Speedway Park for the DIRTcar Nationals in Florida for the past few decades.

“It’s awesome. Every year the Big-Blocks go down to Volusia and get to make headlines. It’s nice to have the Sportsman class get a chance to be the main division. We already got 32 cars signed up to go this year and that’s about the same as we had last year, and it’s a great field of cars too. Three nights this year is cool too.”

With the addition of a 25-lap Thursday night event, before Friday’s 35-lap and Saturday’s 50-lap features; there is an additional chance at victory for Buff. But, he believes that it will be a much tougher task this time around.

“We’re going for it, every night. Last year was a new experience, now we know what we need to bring down there to be competitive. Of course, now you got a bunch of guys who went last year who know the same things, and they are capable of winning. The Sportsman class, there’s so many guys capable of winning on any given night. It all starts with time trials to get you into a redraw spot for the heat race.”

Plus, Andrew is already feeling the heat from his own brothers, especially Justin, who like Andrew finished on the podium for both of the 2021 races at Lake View.

“It’ll be interesting, especially with Justin being in one of the cars I raced last year. I know what it’s capable of doing and he’s going to be one of the top guys down there.”