Haers Holds Off Series Stars For First Canandaigua Checkers Of Season
Rotz finally repeats as Comfort, Guererri, Minutolo & Wetherbee make victory lane stops
Canandaigua, NY – July 11, 2026 – Tom Skibinski, Land of Legends Raceway PR
Land Of Legends Raceway provided another ‘Saturday Spectacular’ with four of the six feature winners making their first trips of the season to victory lane at the historic Ontario County Fairgrounds oval.
Tradition Automotive Group and Regional Truck & Trailer presented Family Autograph Night at the speedway and those fans fortunate enough to collect signatures from Justin Haers, Matt Rotz, C.J. Guererri and Sydney Wetherbee had some of the happiest rides home. Haers (Pepsi Big-Block Modified), Rotz (DisBatch Brewing Company 305 Sprint Car), Guererri (Proctor Enterprises Street Stock) and Wetherbee (MighTea Boba New Legends Sportsman) each made their way back to the winner’s circle while open-wheel veteran Karl Comfort (Stirling Lubricants Sportsman) and full-fender favorite Marc Minutolo (Smith Brothers Drywall Hobby Stock) once again added to their legacies at the Land of Legends.
One of the most popular events held annually at LOLR continued on Saturday as hundreds of fans were afforded the rare opportunity to meet up with their favorite drivers. With racers stationed alongside their cars parked 3-wide in the fairgrounds midway outside turn four behind the main grandstands, many provided signed hero cards while posing for pictures during this unique meet and greet. LOLR pit reporter Adam DelGrosso conducted televised one-on-one interviews with many of the participating racers in all classes before qualifiers began.
On this night Honor Flight Veterans was recognized as the beneficiary of the speedway’s charitable 50/50 drawing.
A three-time season points champion at LOLR, Haers still needed to fend off some of the best chauffeurs in the Northeast to register his 28th career Big-Block feature win at the fairgrounds steering the familiar red #3 Honeoye Auto Parts-Phelps Cement Products-CX Electric-FLX Home Solutions/Bicknell entry.
“We were really fast the first week and (Mat) Williamson got by me so we were doing stuff to try and catch him and we were making ourselves slower. So that’s kinda what happens sometimes,” figured Haers, 46, noting the significance of trying to regain the track crown from two-time reigning points king and current leader Williamson. “We were really good here at the end of last year and we started off this season really well, then we petered off. Went back to our notebook, gave my input on what I thought the car needed and here we are back in victory lane.”
Filing in fourth on the 18-car starting grid, Haers watched as front row partners Kasey Coffey and Marcus Dinkins swapped the early lead to open the headline 30-lapper. Pole-sitter Dinkins ducked under Coffey rounding turn four to move ahead on lap three before Haers forged the last lead change exiting the fourth corner with eight circuits reading on the scoreboard.
After Zach Payne suddenly dropped off the pace on the first lap to force a complete restart, the 15-mile distance went non-stop providing Haers with little room for error as his top challengers were some of the best in the business. With a dozen circuits down, Matt Sheppard grabbed second and was followed in his tire tracks by Williamson. And with 20 to go, Alex Payne and Jimmy Phelps sped past Dinkins into the front-five while Mike Trautschold, last-place starter Peter Britten, Nick Root and July 2 Super DIRTcar Series winner Tim Fuller advanced into the top-10, with that order remaining intact when the final checkered flag flew in the 10-minute main.
“I think I called my shot,” remarked Haers, after making a pre-race prediction that he would triumph on Saturday. The Phelps driver now stands third in track points, sandwiched behind Williamson and Payne and ahead of Sheppard and Phelps, with five drivers scoring wins in the six events stage this season. “Just kinda felt that tonight. We worked really hard this week at the shop, just kinda crossed our T’s and dotted our I’s. Can’t thank everybody enough for all their support.”
Through eight events on the premier SDS traveling tour, Williamson (2nd-1 win), Sheppard (3rd), Alex Payne (4th) and Phelps (6th-1 win) remain among the frontrunners whileTrautschold (14th), Dinkins (17th) and Britten (20th) rank further back, again showcasing the calibre of competition week in and week out at LOLR.
Matching his season-opening result the last weekend in May, Comfort held off a late-race bid by second-generation driver Tyler Guzzardi to secure the dramatic 25-lap DIRTcar Sportsman victory.
“I knew Tyler would be there somewhere, then he really got up on me and thought I better just go for it,” remarked Comfort, who lost the lead briefly to Guzzardi heading into turn three on the final circuit then clung low through turn four to score a thrilling car-length win. “I knew he was probably gonna have to run the middle because he came down low and there’s no bite coming off so I just stuck to the bottom. I was more worried about the lapped car killing my momentum but it worked out.”
While Comfort led just the final three in the May 30 event, the Penn Yan pilot charged from fifth to first in eight laps, overtaking outside front row starter Guzzardi aboard his potent No. 10 Steve General Contractor-Millco Woodworking-Honeoye Auto Parts/Bicknell ride. The pair pulled away out front of the 27-car starting field with caution flags dropped on lap 14 for the stopped car (frontstretch) of Canadian invader Austin Seburn then looped mount (back straightaway) of Brad Sawyer the lone slowdowns.
The battle for supremacy resumed back under green, lap after lap Comfort sticking to his preferred low line while Guzzardi searched for a faster way gripping another groove up top. As chief starter Scott Hixson unfurled the white flag signaling just a half-mile to go, Guzzardi pulled alongside Comfort where he remained circling turns one and two. Guzzardi then nosed ahead down the back chute and into turn three yet drifted up one more time entering the final corner to open the door for Comfort.
2025 top rookie Chase Spoor crossed the line third in his best career performance followed by experienced wheelmen Tim Baker, Frank Guererri Jr. and division points leader Richard Murtaugh III.
“I didn’t expect the water (turns 1 & 2), twice I came around that puddle and went across the track,” noted Comfort, following his 28th career Sportsman triumph in Canandaigua. “The car spun and the first time I almost spun out.”
Rotz also recorded his last win in May, yet that was in 2024 at the ripe young age of 19 years for the personable driver from neighboring Hopewell.
“Oh my God, it’s been awhile,” beamed Rotz, whose return to victory lane marked the 200th event run since the 305 sprint class was introduced to wine country fans in 2012 with 40 drivers cracking Marine Blue winner’s circle in 15 seasons. “Been working on this (car) for a very long time and we’ve put so much good stuff in the car this year. Doing this (305) and the 360 (sprint) thing and it’s finally paying off.”
A solid field of 22 winged warriors darted under the initial green flag and pole-sitter Rotz wasted little time showing the way. Early chasers Scott Wagner and Steve Glover were no match for the black #77 Pickering Farms Quality Beef-Prouty's Bar-Fratto Curbing sprinter as Rotz was on rails reaching traffic after only seven times around in the 20-lap A-Main that eventually ran caution-free.
By the midway mark the lead ballooned to a half straightaway with eighth starting Cameron Moss moving into second ahead of Glover, Dalton Martin and Kyle Drum. With the 10-mile affair needing only six and a half minutes to complete, the lead order fluctuated very little although Rotz lengthened his advantage to nearly a half track while Glover faded in the closing stages to finish fifth under the checkers.
“We were having some issues early in the night there in hot laps,” Rotz divulged post-race. “Kept hearing (car) backfire. Turned out we had a spark plug down so we got that swapped out and ran as hard as we could in the heat and feature. Great to come away with a win, thanks to everybody for all the support and finally being able to show them something.”
With just six cars entered in the Street Stock class, the heat race qualifier was scrapped while the feature distance was lengthened to 25 laps. The flag-to-flag run was still just as gratifying as C.J. dedicated the 20th career Canandaigua triumph to his father Dave Guererri who passed away last October.
“Been the plan all year long … dad we did it,” said an emotional Guererri, the defending division points champ now with nine Street Stock wins, with 11 others posted in pure stock competition at the fairgrounds since 2007. “Means everything, trying to keep myself together but it’s hard … but he’s here.”
The feature race romp was anything but hard for the Geneva driver as Guererri bolted from third to first as soon as the first green flag flew, rolling past front row starter Rick Crego for a lead he would never relinquish. He put his red no. CJ1 Springer Maintenance Consulting-Heart of Gold Veterinary Care Chevrolet Camaro on cruise control, building up nearly a half-track advantage over Crego in another caution-free finale, this one worth an additional $100 for earning the Prouty’s Bar Bonus for ending Marc Minutolo’s win streak at two.
Guererri crept to within two markers of third-place finisher and current points leader Jimmy Grant while all-time LOLR stock car winner Mike Welch, John Burritt and Minutolo completed the finishing order.
“Have to thank my brother (Dave Jr.) first and foremost, he’s the one that put the fire under my ass to get me back going,” Guererri added. “Then there’s Marcus Springer, he’s always been there whenever something is needed. And of course my wife, Sarah, for putting up with all this racing stuff and with the babies. My mom and sister too. And Moose’s racing engines, do I need to say anything more!?!”
While forced to take the green flag with his Hobby ride to start the Street Stock feature, Minutolo ran the same full-fender car with a far different outcome in the 15-lap Hobby Stock portion; from placing last to finishing first to be exact. The second-generation standout from Newark dove under weekly rival Frank ‘Bubba’ Burnell Jr. with four to go then survived a lap 14 caution en route to the rousing victory on his sponsor’s night in the VIP Tower.
“I didn’t even know there were two (laps) to go, looked up and saw the popsicle sticks and said ‘oh s–t,’ here we go, glad we got the lead now,” exclaimed Minutolo, now with an all-time track second-best 81 wins total, so far this season with two taken in both Street and Hobby divisions. “Didn’t know we were there (lead), didn’t realize it was that deep in the race. But when you’re slicing and dicing and mixing it up with these guys … man, have to commend the hell out of my class, they did a great job tonight, everybody kept their crap together.”
Minutolo certainly had his act together on this night, biding his time as pole winner Jack Terrell, fourth-place starter Blane Smith and eighth starting Burnell traded the top spot for three-quarters of the race. As the division points leader, Minutolo was handicapped to begin 10th on the grid of the 18 cars entered yet stormed into fourth after four laps making his patented low lane maneuvers.
Smith grabbed the lead from Terrell on lap three before Burnell took over on lap seven and by the midway point Minutolo had put his black and blue #25B Big Mike's Auto Repair-Real Estate By Jenn-Tradition Automotive Chevrolet Monte Carlo in Burnell’s shadow for yet another chase to the checkers. Minutolo crossed the stripe to lead Burnell by a yard with a dozen complete but a turn three/four spin by Kevin Schrader gave Burnell a chance to redeem.
Minutolo was even quicker on the lap 14 restart however, out-distancing Burnell by six car-lengths with Nate Peckham, Smith and Jimmy Grant coming home next.
The 12-lap Legends nightcap was another caution-free race, affording plenty of time for Dansville’s Wetherbee to author an insurmountable lead and snap the four-race win streak of Preston Trautschold.
“Felt like I was very good in the beginning then (car) got tighter at the end,” stated Wetherbee, driver of the black and pink numbered 33Z Unlimited Metalwork-Next Level Autoworks-Expressway Auto Auction-Phelps Cement/Bicknell entry, who copped her first Legends win last June to kick off summer. “Saw (Trautschold) in second and knew I better get going and keep driving hard, he’s coming.”
Wetherbee outdueled pole-sitter Benny Wagner from the outset, establishing a comfortable margin over Shaun Toland, Mitchell Hyde, Doug Rohr and Trautschold with a handful of laps complete. Looking to remain undefeated on the season, Trautschold throttled into second on lap seven yet with two to go was still scored more than three seconds behind the leader.
Wetherbee easily held on for the decisive win nearly a half straightaway ahead of Trautschold with Brianna Murtaugh, Hyde and Toland taking top-five tallies.
LEGEND LEDGER
Temperatures continue to heat up at LOLR when Ryan Phelps Auto Sales headlines another action-packed six-division 'Saturday Spectacular' on July 18. Pepsi Big-Block Modified, Stirling Lubricants Sportsman, DisBatch Brewing Company 305 Sprint Car, Proctor Enterprises Street Stock, Smith Brothers Drywall Hobby Stock and MighTea Boba New Legends Sportsman classes highlight the mid-month program with the first qualifier going green at 6:30pm. Pit gates open at 3:30pm, spectators gain entrance at 5 o'clock and hot laps start at 5:30 as summer swings into full gear at the fairgrounds.
SKIDMARKS
Guided by award-winning executive producer Art Rorick, the talented LOLR TV broadcast team boasting production assistant Teara LeGrett, graphics coordinator Mark Rose, camera operators Mike Yawney, Jim & Michelle Mullen, and veteran voice Steven Ovens (PA announcer) and Adam DelGrosso (pit reporter) is once again on-site to provide LIVE video coverage of every event through Land of Legends TV, with LIVE streaming continuing to be offered FREE in 2026. On-line registration at https://landoflegendstv.com for a free account is the only step to take.
Also available for download is the LOLR mobile app found at Google Play
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.goodbarber.landoflegends or
App Store
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/land-of-legends/id1508128970?uo=4 to secure your raceday pass today.
In addition to LOLR's weekly racing being simulcast on Land of Legends Raceway TV, each show will also be broadcast live on DIRTVision and highlighted by the mighty DIRTcar Big-Block Modifieds. To watch, sign up for an annual Platinum FAST PASS with DIRTVision and experience every event either online or through the DIRTVision App.
LOWER PRICES PROVIDED WITH SPECIAL 2026 TICKET & PASS PACKAGES
General Admission Ticket and Pit Pass bundles continue to be offered to LOLR fans and race teams while providing a great opportunity to save money in the process. G.A. packs of 20 ($220) or 50 ($475) and Pit bundles of 20 ($700) or 50 ($1700) must be pre-ordered to be used during the upcoming season.
Regular weekly ticket prices remain set at $15 Adults, $13 Seniors, Kids 16 yrs. and under FREE. Pit passes are $40. For those youngsters needing pit access, Child Season Pit Passes are $50 for 2 yrs. & under and $150 for kids 3-13. Camping is FREE at all race events.
To purchase ticket and pit pass bundles, review marketing opportunities still available at the track in 2026 or make media credential inquiries and vendor requests, please e-mail manager@landoflegendsraceway.com. Be sure to check out www.landoflegendsraceway.com often as the latest news and season schedule information will be posted right up to raceday.
Land of Legends Raceway is located on County Road 10 at the Ontario County Fairgrounds, just 1-1/2-miles north of Routes 5&20, and is easily accessible from the NYS Thruway (I-90), taking Exit 43 (Manchester, Route 21 South) traveling from the east or Exit 44 (Farmington, Route 332 South) coming from the west.
Land of Legends Raceway Event Summary – July 11, 2026
Tradition Automotive Group and Regional Truck & Trailer present
‘Saturday Spectacular’ on Family Autograph Night
Pepsi Big-Block Modified
*Feature (30 laps): 1. 3-Justin Haers ($2,000), 2. 9s-Matt Sheppard, 3. 6-Mat Williamson, 4. 70a-Alex Payne, 5. 98h-Jimmy Phelps, 6. 17-Marcus Dinkins, 7. 28-Mike Trautschold, 8. 21a-Peter Britten, 9. 30-Nick Root, 10. 19-Tim Fuller, 11. 19w-Justin Wright, 12. 23c-Kasey Coffey, 13. 27z-Dylan Zacharias, 14. 22g-Gil Tegg Jr., 15. 57-Pat Kelly, 16. 1-Billy Paine, 17. 9g-Doug Gavette, 18. 7z-Zach Payne.
Heats (8 laps)
#1: Sheppard, A.Payne, Dinkins, Williamson, Z.Payne, Wright, Tegg, Kelly, Zacharias.
#2: Phelps, Haers, Coffey, Trautschold, Fuller, Root, Paine, Gavette, Britten.
Stirling Lubricants Sportsman Modified
*Feature (25 laps): 1. 10-Karl Comfort ($750), 2. 7g-Tyler Guzzardi, 3. 41s-Chase Spoor, 4. 9-Tim Baker, 5. 113jr.-Frank Guererri Jr., 6. 33-Richard Murtaugh III, 7. 12g-Matt Guererri, 8. 78jr.-Nigel Pendykoski, 9. 714-Chris Darling, 10. 64-Tyler Corcoran, 11. 45-Michael Lupold, 12. 25n-Evan Nugent, 13. 711-Nick Ventura, 14. 21j-Justin Liechti, 15. 10g-Austin Germinio, 16. 35-Nick Cooper, 17. 63-Dylan Woodworth, 18. 69v-Tony Velez, 19. 20k-Kyle Ridley, 20. 18r-Madyson Rouse, 21. 23b-Timmy Borden Jr., 22. 23r-Jim Rushman, 23. 20-Nick Galusha, 24. 87-Brad Sawyer, 25. 24-Austin Seburn, 26. 33b-Trevor Houghton, 28-Mark Potter(DNS).
Heats (8 laps)
#1: Lupold, Potter, Murtaugh, Baker, Ventura, Germinio, Woodworth, Rouse, Rushman.
#2: Galusha, Guzzardi, Nugent, M.Guererri, F.Guererri, Darling, Cooper, Seburn, Borden.
#3: Comfort, Spoor, Corcoran, Liechti, Pendykoski, Houghton, Velez, Sawyer, Ridley.
DisBatch Brewing Company 305 Sprint
*Feature (20 laps): 1. 77-Matt Rotz ($600), 2. 25-Cameron Moss, 3. 81k-Dalton Martin, 4. 47-Kyle Drum, 5. 121-Steve Glover, 6. 80-Bobby Parrow, 7. 18c-Dan Craun, 8. 48jr.-Darryl Ruggles, 9. 23-John Smith, 10. 36-Mike Stelter, 11. 48a-Alysha Bay, 12. 3v-Denny Peebles, 13. 27g-Dillon Paddock, 14. 15b-Spencer Burley, 15. 17e-Ethan Gray, 16. 99-Adam DePuy, 17. 10p-Nathan Pierce, 18. 21w-Scott Wagner, 19. 2-Randy Years, 20. X-Dan Bennett, 21. 7h-Nicole Hoag, 22. 14x-Lance Dusett
Heats (8 laps)
#1: Rotz, Parrow, Drum, Craun, Ruggles, Years, DePuy, Hoag.
#2: Martin, Glover, Gray, Stelter, Burley, Paddock, Dusett.
#3: Smith, Bay, Pierce, Moss, Wagner, Peebles, Bennett.
Proctor Enterprises Street Stock
*Feature (25 laps): 1. cj1-CJ Guererri ($500), 2. 5c-Rick Crego, 3. 36-Jimmy Grant, 4. 00-Mike Welch, 5. 12-John Burritt, 6. 25b-Marc Minutolo.
Smith Brothers Drywall Hobby Stock
*Feature (15 laps): 1. 25b-Marc Minutolo, 2. 57b-Frank 'Bubba' Burnell Jr., 3. 90-Nathan Peckham, 4. 55b-Blane Smith, 5. 36-Jimmy Grant, 6. 57jr.-Tyler Burnell, 7. 25j-Justin Eldredge, 8. 9r-Roger Bush, 9. 98t-Jack Terrell, 10. 29i-Isaiah Murphy, 11. 97-Kevin Schrader, 12. 24k-Kevin Lloyd, 13. 22c-Craig Dingy, 14. 22j-Jon Johnson, 15. 67-James Werner, 16. 4m-Austin Mangiarelli, 17. 8j-Jeff Rex, 88-Justin Jacoby(DNS).
Heats (6 laps)
#1: Minutolo, Peckham, F.Burnell, Grant, Schrader, Dingy, Rex, Johnson, Jacoby.
#2: Smith, Eldredge, T.Burnell, Bush, Terrell, Murphy, Lloyd, Mangiarelli, Werner.
MighTea Boba New Legends Sportsman
*Feature (12 laps): 1. 33z-Sydney Wetherbee, 2. 20-Preston Trautschold, 3. 33b-Brianna Murtaugh, 4. 26-MItchell Hyde, 5. 57-Shaun Toland, 6. 18-Doug Rohr, 7. 3-Stephen Bushey, 8. 25n-Elizabeth Nugent, 9. 19-Benny Wagner, 10. 17r-Trent Reagan, 11. 11-Parker Ridley.
Heat (6 laps)
#1: Trautschold, Rohr, Wagner, Regan, Hyde, Ridley.
#2: Wetherbee, Murtaugh, Toland, Bushey, Nugent.
NEXT EVENT: Saturday Spectacular, July 18 @ 6:30pm; Ryan Phelps Auto Sales presents Big-Block Modified/Sportsman/305 Sprint/Street Stock/Hobby Stock plus New Legends Sportsman with Sodus Microd Club Benefit.
Track Instant Info
Website: www.LandOfLegendsRaceway.com
E-Mail: info@LandOfLegendsRaceway.com
Twitter: @LandofLegendsNY
Facebook: @LandofLegendsNY
Instagram: @LandofLegendsNY
Live Stream: https://landoflegendstv.com/
Along with recognizing select 50/50 raffle fund beneficiaries, Land of Legends Raceway is proud to salute several sponsors and corporate partners that continue to help bring its fans the best Saturday night racing show in the Northeast. Listed alphabetically are 2026 division sponsors
DisBatch Brewing Company (305), MighTea Boba (Leg), Pepsi Geneva Club Beverage (Mod), Proctor Enterprises (Sts), Smith Brothers Drywall (Hob), Stirling Lubricants (Spt); event sponsors Admar Construction Rentals, A-Verdi Storage Containers, Lake Beverage, Copart, *DisBatch Brewing Company, DC Rauscher Contractor, Ferris Mowers, Fulldraw Hunting Equipment, Honeoye Auto Parts, LSI Solutions, Marine Blue, *Pepsi/Geneva Club Beverage, Phelps Cement Products, *Proctor Enterprises, Prouty's Bar & Grill, Regional Truck & Trailer, Rose City Drive In, Ryan Phelps Auto Sales, Seneca Meadows Landfill, *Smith Brothers Drywall, Superior Plus Propane, Tradition Automotive Group, Wilbert's U-Pull It; promotional partners Baker's Exterminating, Champion Power Equipment, Close Racing Supply(CRS), Comfort Windows, Elab Smokers Boutique, Emerson Oil Company, Fast Lane Rod & Customs, Hoosier Racing Tire, Mac's Dairy Bar & Mini Golf, Marine Blue, Meyer's Finger Lakes RV, *MighTea Boba, Mike Emhof Motorsports, NG Promotions, Ontario County Fairboard, Phelps Cement Products, Prouty's Bar & Grill, PumperJack Septic Services, The "Original" Red Osier Landmark Restaurant, Schultz Heating & Cooling, *Stirling Lubricants, Turn 5 Media, VP Racing Fuels, Weedsport Hall of Fame, Wicked Tees.