Alex Payne Scores Dream Series Win On Land Of Legends Home Soil
Matt Guererri dominates Canandaigua clay in mid-week Sportsman special
Canandaigua, NY – August 18, 2026 – Tom Skibinski, Land of Legends Raceway PR
Local favorite Alex Payne finally met up with destiny Tuesday night as the Hopewell hotshoe thrilled his hometown fans with victory in the Super DIRTcar Series shootout presented by Honeoye Auto Parts and DC Rauscher Contractor.
Seven top-5 feature finishes in 12 tour events and four runner-up tallies in seven Modified mains at Land of Legends coming into the midweek showdown, Payne put an abrupt halt to the frustration in his ‘26 short-track campaign by authoring a late race rally to collect the $6,000 ‘SummerFAST 60 winner’s share.
“I don’t care what anybody’s got to say, man … I wear my heart on my sleeve,” beamed an emotional Payne in Marine Blue Victory Lane after charging past fellow young gun Alex Yankowski with seven laps to go enroute to the timely triumph. His fifth SDS win was the sixth trophy in his budding Big-Block Canandaigua career.
“I work for this every day, every day of the week, all week, all year, every year, man. This is all I want to do. My grandpa’s here, my mom’s here, my dad, grandma, my sister, my family. This is all I want, man,” exclaimed Payne, who chased across the line winner Tim Fuller in the Independence Day show held just last month at the Ontario Co. Fairgrounds oval to leave only one spot open for improvement.
“Normally I’d be a nervous wreck and not really know what to do. But I just told myself I’ve been doing this here for geez, almost 10 years now. This is every Saturday night, this is all I’ve been doing. And I just don’t know with 10 laps to go, it’s like man I’m going to win this race. I just had a feeling but I screwed up down in (turns) three and four. And when I collected it, (Yankowski) didn’t really get that far away. I got a really good race car and I just started to use it. This is awesome, we all wanted this really bad. We were second to Fuller and I learned a lot of things from him. And just to do this with these guys, man, and I’m only 20. I just love it, this is all I want to do,” Payne declared.
On the other end of the spectrum in Tuesday’s DIRTcar doubleheader, two-time LOLR season champion Matt Guererri dominated nearly from start to finish, leading all but the initial half-dozen circuits to capture the 25-lap Stirling Lubricants Sportsman finale worth a cool $1,000 for the Waterloo warrior.
On the heels of rounds #1 & #2 of the 2026 SummerFAST edition staged at Central New York ovals Weedsport Speedway (Sun.) and Brewerton Speedway (Mon.), 37 Big-Block stars converged on the historic Canandaigua half-miler with only 26 qualifying through four heats and a pair of consolation races. After leading feature laps at both Weedsport and Brewerton, Payne was relegated to the seventh slot after the top-2 from heats re-drew for starting position.
Current LOLR points leader Mat Williamson posted the best overall time of 18.829 sec. (95.597 mph) in the two group time trial sessions while Williamson, Payne, Jimmy Phelps and Frenchman Felix Roy copped 8-lap heat races. Larry Wight and Nick Root split 10-lap consis with series stalwarts Matt Stangle from New Jersey and Vermont traveler Justin Stone awarded provisionals to fill the 13th and final row.
Followed by a frontstretch Le Mans-style standing start and fireworks fanfare on the pace laps, luck of the draw put first-year Canandaigua regular Mike Trautschold on the pole alongside front row partner Phelps. Right behind in their rear-view were row two titans ‘Money Mat’ Williamson and ‘Kid Rocket’ Alex Yankowski, points leader in both the Super DIRTcar Series and SummerFAST ‘26 mini-series.
Trautschold out-dueled Phelps at the drop of series starter Dave Farney’s opening green flag as dry slick track conditions had drivers guessing throughout the 30-mile main. The Roscoe, NY racer built a comfortable advantage in the early stages with Yankowski grabbing second on lap 15 as the leaders maneuvered through traffic.
Garden State invader Stangle brought his smoking mount to a halt to incur the first caution period on lap 21, lining up Trautschold, Yankowski, Phelps, Williamson and Payne for the lap 25 restart. Trautschold fell victim to the slippery surface back under green, losing traction and the lead to the high flying Yankowski exiting turn four.
At the halfway mark Yankowski and Trautschold pulled away up front followed by hard-charging Payne, Williamson and Phelps, with ‘26 Canandaigua winners Peter Britten and Justin Haers close behind searching for a faster way around. Eyeing his fifth series win of the season, Yankowski suddenly slid high out of the groove rounding turns one and two to return Trautschold to the point on lap 37. Yet that lead was short-lived as Yankowski returned the favor on lap 40, with sparks showing as Trautschold’s car came to a stop in turn two suffering from a broken driveshaft.
While Trautschold’s misfortune ended any chance of a first-ever series victory, the second caution period tightened the pack putting Payne alongside three-time SummerFAST race winner Yankowski and in position for his first tour triumph of the season. When green lights reappeared it was race on for ‘Kid Rocket’ and the ‘Slidejob Express’ with neither holding back.
With both drivers on the verge of a fourth straight top-5 finish in series competition at Canandaigua, Payne never let off the throttle keeping Yankowski close in sight. As the final laps clicked off, Yankowski began to slide high in turns one and two, finally opening the door for Payne to drive underneath navigating the second corner.
Payne wasted no time pouncing on the opportunity, forging the fourth and final lead change on lap 53 as Yankowski failed to retaliate over the last half-dozen circuits. Steering the potent Billy The Kid-powered #70A Honeoye Auto Parts-Speed Connection-Big Creek Concrete-Jenik-Bilstein Shocks/Bicknell mount, Payne pulled away for a convincing ¾-straightaway victory margin with Yankowski hanging for second ahead of the trio of Canandaigua kingpins Williamson, Phelps and Haers.
“Doug Dulen, that’s all I can say. Honeoye Auto Parts Night. Honeoye Auto Parts on that quarter-panel,” remarked Payne, cherishing the dramatic victory on his car owner’s night surrounded by family, friends and his vocal fans crowding the winner’s circle. Company owner Doug Dulen Jr. also posted additional awards for the top-three finishers with his main man Payne pocketing a $600 bonus while Yankowski ($500) and Williamson ($400) each shared in the receipt of gas cards provided by the prominent HAP proprietor.
“Billy The Kid under the hood. And Bruce Batzel, he’s been with me my whole career. It’s just a big team effort, so many people to thank, they know who they are. I’m just living in a dream, man This is all for the old man, Doug Dulen Sr. did a lot of this, it’s a throwback car to one of their old cars and racing with Gary (Tomkins, former HAP-sponsored driver) was pretty cool. This (LOLR series win) was the top of the list. This was the very top. This is my home. I grew up two minutes from here and watched my dad race here his whole life and just doing it with my family. It’s just … I don’t want this to end. We’re living in a dream.”
For the reluctant runner-up Yankowski, it was more of a nightmare finish for the Covington Township, Pa. pilot as the talented 22 year-old looked to repeat his winning ways from the previous night at Brewerton.
“I just started skating the right front up the hill on the brakes,” noted Yaknowski, who still padded his Super DIRTcar Series points lead to 90 over Williamson, as well as extending his SummerFAST margin to 18 markers over Phelps with just the fourth and final race remaining. “I’m just bummed, had a race car that could’ve won. The driver just kind of goofed a little bit.”
“Alex can rip around here as good as anyone else ever has and I know it’s his home turf so hats off to him. When you lead and you get second, it really hurts. But at the end of the day, top 3s are good, we just have to keep digging,” added Yankowski, who leads Phelps, 452-434, in the SummerFAST point standings followed by Jack Lehner (424), Payne (419) and Roy (418).
Another top-notch field featuring 23 of the top-30 series point chasers signed in entering round 13 of the premier series. All-time Canandaigua SDS win leader Matt Sheppard was one of them. Yet fresh off his Aug. 1 win at the fairgrounds, ‘Super Matt’ was never a factor as the 8-time LOLR tour winner and nine-time Series titlist with 103 tour triumphs settled for 12th-place. Weekly fairgrounds regulars Zach Payne (16th) and Nick Root (18th) finished further back while Trautschold was scored 22nd with the first 40 laps complete.
‘SummerFAST ‘26’ closes out the four-race mini-tour tomorrow at Utica-Rome Speedway in Vernon with a points champion crowned. 2024 SummerFAST champ Yankowski (1,906) tops the updated overall Super DIRTcar Series standings through 13 points paying events followed by Williamson (1,816), Payne (1,800), Sheppard (1,787) and Phelps (1,763).
Contending in just his fourth event of the season at LOLR, Guererri had his no. 12G Tradition Automotive Group-Mojos Tavern-Sunset Bowl-Mohawk NE-Fratto Curbing-Sunset Bowl/Bicknell entry dialed in from the start.
“The car was great tonight,” stated Guererri, after the 2020 and ‘21 LOLR champion scored his 21st career Sportsman win at the fairgrounds. “The track was dry and slick, a little dusty, but I love it when it’s like that. You can race all over it, so glad we (ran) after the Modifieds.”
Guererri matched Tyler Guzzardi and current LOLR points leader Richard Murtaugh III with heat race wins and after the top-3 from each qualifier re-drew he pulled “6” to start the feature outside row three. Pole-sitter Evan Nugent paced the 24-car starting field yet after Sam Groom and Jim Rushman tangled outside turn three to force caution the second time around, Frank Guererri Jr. moved ahead on the restart.
New Legends Sportsman campaigner Sydney Wetherbee spun to the infield exiting turn two to require another brief slowdown on lap three with Matt pulling into second behind Frank for the lap four restart. Back under green Matt shadowed Frank before forging the final lead change on the high side rounding turn four to complete lap seven.
Making her first start of the season Tuesday, Kennedy Payne stopped high in turn two with a reported broken driveshaft as lap 11 provided the final double-file restart. Guererri put it on cruise control the remainder of the way, stretching the lead to more than five seconds over Murtaugh under the checkers. Reigning Canandaigua points king Karl Comfort crafted a last lap pass to fill the podium ahead of Frank Guererri while veteran Kevin Ridley completed the front-five in a rare appearance.
“The harder I drove (car) the better it was but you never want to let up too much,” added Guererri, a weekly contender at Utica-Rome this season with three feature wins. “Try to run hard every lap you can and thankfully we were able to finish it off.”
Once again adding to the feature race pot, Honeoye Auto Parts mainstay Doug Dulen Jr. rewarded the top-three finishers with gas cards, providing Guererri with $300 in product, $200 for Murtaugh and $100 for Comfort.
LEGEND LEDGER
Another hot August night of short track action at Land Of Legends Raceway continues on 8/22 with Seneca Meadows Landfill and the Ontario County Fairboard presenting a six-star card of 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 racing. Pit gates open at 3:30pm and spectators admitted at 5 o'clock with hot laps starting at 5:30 followed by heat race qualifiers at 6:30.
With the start of a new school year rapidly approaching, Land of Legends Raceway continues its proud partnership with the Mac's Dairy Bar Kids Club in support of the annual ‘Backpack Giveaway’ on Aug. 22. The goal remains to provide every child in attendance with a brand-new backpack when they return home. Backpack donations can be brought to the speedway on race day before hot laps begin with a designated collection area set up behind the Turn 4 grandstand area for easy drop-off. Signs will be posted.
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 Steve 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 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 – August 18, 2026
Honeoye Auto Parts and DC Rauscher Contractor present ‘Super Spectacular’
Super DIRTcar Series Race #13 Pepsi Big-Block Modified “SummerFAST 60”
*Feature (60 laps): 1. 70a-ALEX PAYNE ($6,000), 2. 84y-Alex Yankowski, 3. 88-Mat Williamson, 4. 98h-Jimmy Phelps, 5. 3-Justin Haers, 6. 21a-Peter Britten, 7. 99L-Larry Wight, 8. 91-Felix Roy, 9. 2-Jack Lehner, 10. 19-Tim Fuller, 11. 4-Anthony Perrego, 12. 9s-Matt Sheppard, 13. 83x-Tim Sears Jr., 14. 35-Mike Mahaney, 15. 12-Darren Smith, 16. 7z-Zach Payne, 17. 25-Erick Rudolph, 18. 30-Nick Root, 19. 11-Matt Caprara, 20. 15x-Justin Stone, 21. 48too-Gary Tomkins, 22. 28-Mike Trautschold, 23. 27-Tanner VanDoren, 24. 4m-Logan Watt, 25. 6s-Matt Stangle, 26. 14b-Brendan Darrah.
Honeoye Auto Parts Gas Cards: A.Payne($600), Yankowski($500), Williamson($400).
Heats (8 laps / 5 qualify / top-2 redraw)
#1 Bicknell Racing Products: Williamson, Haers, Mahaney, Fuller, Lehner, Stone, Godown, Dippel, McGannon, J.Roy.
#2 DIG Race Products: A.Payne, Yankowski, Sheppard, Smith, Rudolph, Wight, Watt, Krachun, Stangle.
#3 WIX Filters: Phelps, Trautschold, Sears, VanDoren, Caprara, Root, Pauch, Coffey, Mancini.
#4 Greatest Shop On DIRT: F.Roy, P.Britten, Z.Payne, Tomkins, Perrego, Darrah, Behrent, Morseman, K.Britten.
Last Chance Showdowns (10 laps / 2 qualify)
#1: Wight, Watt, Godown, Stone, Krachun, Dippel, J.Roy, McGannon, Stangle.
#2: Root, Darrah, Pauch, Coffey, Behrent, Mancini, K.Britten, Morseman.
Provisionals: Stangle, Stone.
Group Time Trials (2 laps / 37 cars)
#1: Williamson 18.829 sec. (95.597 mph), Rudolph 18.845, Haers 18.861, A.Payne 18.886, Fuller 18.895, Yankowski 18.954, Stone 19.039, Sheppard 19.076, Mahaney 19.148, Smith 19.265, Godown 19.305, Krachun 19.312, Lehner 19.339, Stangle 19.382, McGannon 19.457, Wight 19.573, Dippel 19.786, Watt 19.820, J.Roy 19.870.
#2: Phelps 19.443 sec. (92.578 mph), F.Roy 19.474, Trautschold 19.517, P.Britten 19.521, VanDoren 19.567, Z.Payne 19.596, Sears 19.620, Darrah 19.627, Root 19.661, Tomkins 19.670, Coffey 19.682, Perrego 19.840, Caprara 19.957, Behrent 20.092, Mancini 20.107, Morseman 20.149, Pauch 20.284, K.Britten 20.348.
DNQ: 1-Tyler Dippel, 3b-Ryan Behrent, 7m-Paul Mancini, 8-Kevin Britten, 21m-Bob McGannon, 23c-Kasey Coffey, 26-Ryan Godown, 29-Ryan Krachun, 91jr-Jeremy Roy, 176-Billy Pauch Jr., 444-Russell Morseman IV.
Stirling Lubricants Sportsman Modified
*Feature (25 laps): 1. 12g-MATT GUERERRI ($1,000), 2. 33-Richard Murtaugh III, 3. 10-Karl Comfort, 4. 113jr.-Frank Guererri Jr., 5. 20x-Kevin Ridley, 6. 9-Tim Baker, 7. 25n-Evan Nugent, 8. 714-Chris Darling, 9. 35-Nick Cooper, 10. 53-Tyler Foster, 11. 41s-Chase Spoor, 12. 10g-Austin Germinio, 13. 21j-Justin Liechti, 14. 7g-Tyler Guzzardi, 15. 10j-Jacob Gurecki, 16. 11-Dan Ferguson, 17. 00b-T.J. Frost, 18. 23b-Timmy Borden Jr., 19. 63-Dylan Woodworth, 20. 33z-Sydney Wetherbee, 21. 31k-Kennedy Payne, 22. 23r-Jim Rushman, 23. 10h-Trevor Houghton, 24. 14-Sam Groom, 20k-Kyle Ridley(DNS).
Honeoye Auto Parts Gas Cards: M.Guererri($300), Murtaugh($200), Comfort($100).
Heats (8 laps / top-3 redraw)
#1: Guzzardi, F.Guererri, Cooper, Ke.Ridley, Spoor, Darling, Frost, Houghton, Ky.Ridley
#2: M.Guererri, Nugent, Payne, Foster, Ferguson, Gurecki, Groom, Liechti.
#3: Murtaugh, Wetherbee, Comfort, Baker, Borden, Germinio, Woodworth, Rushman.
NEXT EVENT: Saturday Spectacular, August 22 @ 6:30pm; Seneca Meadows Landfill and Ontario County Fairboard present Big-Block Modified/Sportsman/305 Sprint/Street Stock/Hobby Stock plus New Legends Sportsman with Mac's Dairy Bar Kids Club ‘Backpack Giveaway.’
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.