Glover, Nugent & Crego Capture Career Firsts On Canandaigua Card
Sheppard, Minutolo & Ridley each reach victory lane for third time in their ‘25 campaign
*Steve Glover victory lane photo attachment by Nick Meka
Canandaigua, NY – August 2, 2025 – Tom Skibinski, Land of Legends Raceway PR
The first ‘Saturday Spectacular’ of the month at Land Of Legends Raceway brought out more of the old and ushered in some of the new during the six-star program presented by Hoselton Auto Mall.
Former Big-Block Modified driver turned MighTea Boba 305 Sprint Car chauffeur Steve Glover scored his first feature win at the Ontario Co. Fairgrounds in 38 years while the second top-five finish of ‘25 for third-year Stirling Lubricants Sportsman pilot Evan Nugent was an unexpected trip to the elusive winner’s circle. Full-fender wheelman Rick Crego went from first to second and back to first all on the last lap to finally post a long-awaited win in the Auto Value Parts Stores Street Stock class.
Not to be outdone, Canandaigua kingpin Matt Sheppard grabbed the lead with less than a mile to go in the Pepsi Big-Block Modified main, reigning division points champion Marc Minutolo regained his winning ways in the Lloyd’s Contracting Hobby Stock feature and Kyle Ridley showed off his superiority in the Hutchinson Property Preservation New Legends Sportsman finale.
The mid-summer show was even more special for a dozen youngsters entered in the annual Kids Power Wheels races as well as the evening’s 50/50 beneficiary Empire State Scholastic Esports Federation. During intermission the frontstretch was filled by some future stars of tomorrow and their parents serving among crews. A pair of 5-lap events were staged with round one featuring seven of the youngest competitors in the 5 years-old and under bracket while five more contenders in the 5-12 year-olds group provided a memorable trackside performance.
Following a lengthy delay to remedy the heavy cushion that had built up in turns one and two, eight cars took to the track to begin the Street Stock feature that was shortened from 20 to 15 laps due to the resulting high attrition. Crego started third then chased outside pole-sitter Marc Minutolo more than half the race before points leader C.J. Guererri grabbed second on a lap nine restart.
Minutolo slid high on the first of two lap 10 restarts to relinquish the point to Guererri yet on the second try Guererri was forced pitside to replace a flat tire before leading a single lap. Crego appeared a sure winner but entering turn four on the final circuit a bold bid down low by Guererri spun out Crego’s #5C Corby’s Collision-Bears Playgrounds-Angelo Planning Group Ford Mustang.
With only three cars remaining trackside, Hannah Guererri-Searle inherited the top spot for a final one lap dash to the checkers, but like her brother C.J. was never scored the leader as the fireman from Lima made the winning move over the last half-mile to take down the dramatic victory.
“Every night’s the night because that’s what everybody’s always been saying lately,” remarked Crego, 50, following his landmark victory that had escaped him on so many previous nights at the fairgrounds, including five straight runner-up finishes tallied this season alone. “Think I beat three cars but hey I’m in victory lane. Perfect fitting for me, had to beat three cars but I got here. We all race hard and put our nuts into this. Every racer out here we all know what it’s like, it’s not easy for sure. Monkey’s off the back now so hopefully can get some more out of this.”
Crego, a 30-year technician at Cortese Ford in Rochester as well as the Assistant Fire Chief for the Lima Volunteer Fire Dept., scored a far bigger triumph off the track. Nominated for his actions on March 3, 2024, he recently joined five fellow firefighters at the Western NY Volunteer Fireman’s Association Convention in Dansville on July 26 in recognition of their heroism; the same group honored earlier this year for their heroism by the Livingston County Volunteer Fireman’s Association.
On 3/3/24 Crego’s crew was dispatched to a 2-story, single family dwelling for an “Automatic Fire Alarm Activation,” a call that quickly escalated to a reported house fire with two occupants in the driveway in need of medical attention while another occupant remained entrapped. The interior firefighters rapidly located the entrapped occupant and dragged him to the front door, unconscious but breathing. Crego moved to the front door and completed the extrication of the victim, soonafter aided by other arriving firefighters that carried the victim to the Ambulance where his care was transferred to Lima Ambulance Chief.
A Pure Stock winner at LOLR in 2016 when the division ran features combined with Street Stocks, Crego claimed the wild win after posting top-5 finishes in the previous 10 races run. C.J. Guererri was ultimately credited with second as Hannah was dropped to last-place when her car turned up light on the scales in the customary post-race inspection.
On the heels of a harrowing crash at Canandaigua last season, Glover not only returned to steer his #121 Elab Smokers Boutique-103.5 Big Dog Country-AB Insulation-backed sprinter, the Ontario NY ace rejoined the DAV winner’s circle in a fitting flag-to-flag triumph in his seventh start of the season.
“Got rough (track), just sent me over there in the dingleberries and we saved it, thank God,” noted a relieved Glover, 68, recalling his brief lap 11 ride around the top of turns one and two that allowed his nearest chaser to cut the once comfortable gap. “Saw (Blake Warner get under), but wasn’t thinking about it, just go.”
A year ago June, Glover hopped a wheel in his qualifying heat then slammed the turn four outside cement retaining wall. Scoring his only other win at LOLR behind the wheel of a Big-Block Modified in 1987, ‘Grumpy’ sustained a severe concussion, two fractures in his neck, a fracture in his lower back, a broken rib and numerous bruises. No surgery was needed so he was released from Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester the next day outfitted with a collar to wear at home for weeks.
Once out front on Saturday in the 20-lap A-Main, Glover never looked back despite a second half scare in the caution-free affair that carried runner-up Warner to within two car-lengths under the checkers; the second front-five finish of the season for both drivers. John Smith finished third while Spencer Burley, aboard Glover’s back-up no. 121x machine, stole fourth from upstart Cameron Moss on the final lap.
Filing in ninth on the 21-car Sportsman starting grid, Nugent carved his way through the pack to emerge as the third straight driver to log his first win at the fairgrounds. Justin Liechti blasted from fourth to first on a lap 10 restart to overtake early leader Timmy Borden Jr. before rookie Chase Spoor edged ahead for his first lead on lap 15 with Nugent advancing to third 10 laps from the end.
Liechti suddenly dropped off the pace with a broken rear-end and flat tire, putting Nugent on the back bumper of Spoor when the green flag unfurled once more. The Fillmore racer wasted little time charging low through turns one and two, putting the pedal down in his #25 JRM Equipment-Bugman & Sons-Blue Diamond Racing Products-Walker Insurance/Bicknell mount to forge the final lead change on lap 20.
“The track, you guys made it good tonight,” beamed a jubilant Nugent, 26, after etching his name in the LOLR recordbook. “We’ve been struggling in the heavy stuff really, been working with Phil Vigneri at Blue Diamond and he got us right. Our car was hooked up, never had one that hooked up like this … just crazy.”
“Coming down through (turns) three and four thought I had (Spoor) then I saw him on the outside and I just buried it in (turn) one. I drove it as hard as I could and it stuck and came out the other side. Last time here I was a mid to back of the pack car two years ago and we built this car, man it was a rocket tonight,” added Nugent,
Nugent cruised home for a comfortable eight car-length victory ahead of Spoor with Richard Murtaugh III and Matt Guererri dropping Karl Comfort to fifth in the closing stages.
The mighty Big-Block Modifieds reported trackside a dozen strong and it was Dylan Zacharias out-dragging front row partner Justin Wright at the drop of head flagman Scott Hixson’s initial green flag. Wright wrestled away the lead on lap eight yet could only stay ahead for a handful as Alex Payne pulled ahead the 12th time around the ultra-tacky half-miler looking for his second straight win.
Starting ninth, Waterloo native Sheppard had his no. 9S Hurlock Auto & Speed-Westmoreland Golf Club/Bicknell entry in high gear as he shadowed Payne into second on lap 13. From there the Super DIRTcar Series stars dueled until the end, separating themselves from the field until Zacharias stopped in turn four to incur the third and final caution on lap 26.
Payne appeared just as strong back under green with Sheppard clinging to second and searching for any way around as the laps counted down. That door suddenly opened when Payne drifted high rounding turn one and Sheppard pounced on the opportunity, exiting turn two to steal away the lead with one lap to go.
“(Alex) just got up high and over the cushion, kinda opened the door up for me,” said Sheppard, after streaking to his 96th career Big-Block win at LOLR. Thought we had something for him early until he moved down off of (turn) four. After that we were just kinda trading laps, all depending on how hard you hit the holes and which way you bounced through them. We were just kinda holding on, fortunate to win tonight.”
At the wire it was ‘Super Matt’ by four car-lengths over Payne followed by Justin Haers and Peter Britten with points leader Mat Williamson settling for fifth-place; ‘Money Mat’s’ first finish of the season outside the top-two as he gears up for a second straight division title.
“I messed up,” shrugged an obviously disappointed Payne in the post-race wrap-up. “Led the whole race, no idea of what kind of lead I had. Just drove into (turn) one and missed it. Feel bad for letting down all my guys.”
Matching the non-stop sprint car feature staged earlier, the Hobby Stockers used up less than six minutes to put their 15-lap feature in the books and it was third-place starter Minutolo needing nine circuits to displace the father-son tandem of Frank ‘Bubba’ Burnell and offspring Tyler. The Burnells battled out front for household bragging rights before Minutolo became an unwanted guest halfway through.
“It was a-holes and elbows that’s for sure,” summed up Minutolo, after parking his dinged up mount in DAV Victory Lane to review the latest accomplishment. “We were (racing) three-wide by ourselves at one point, pretty cool and it was just nice to be able to slice it through the middle.”
“Felt we were better, just a matter of making the move at the right time. Just glad we were there to make that move. We’re pretty good on a rougher track, it’s just experience I guess and the car takes it,” added Minutolo, who continued to credit BAP Engines and his Potter chassis for ‘elevating our game’ in the final outcome.
Recent Ontario Co. Fair race winner Nate Peckham moved into second a dozen laps down yet runner-up laurels were the lone reward as points leader Minutolo bolstered the margin to 10 car-lengths at the line, pulling his no. 25B Big Mike’s Auto Repair & Sales-Real Estate By Jenn-Honeoye Auto Parts Chevrolet into victory lane for the 77th (65th Hobby win) time at the fairgrounds. Tyler and father Frank sandwiched Jared Hill in fourth to complete the front-five running order in record time.
Each looking for their first-ever wins in the 12-lap Legends Sportsman nightcap, race leaders Shaun Toland and Mitchell Hyde fell victim to the no. 20K Howie’s Auto-Fratto Curbing-Safety Awareness Solutions/Bicknell car at the midway mark as Ridley rolled on for a decisive straightaway victory.
“Really found a nice run, huge shout-out to Chase (Spoor, Spt runner-up), watched his race and just noticed he was getting a good line so I might as well use it.” Ridley revealed. “Don’t know if we had the same set-up or not, and it ended up working. Uncle Kevin (Ridley) said either run the top or hit all the bumps on the bottom.”
Hyde jumped out front of Toland on a lap six restart yet could only hold back seventh-place starter Ridley for one lap before settling for second at the stripe. A.J. Mitchell crossed the line third followed by Doug Rohr, Brianna Murtaugh and Toland.
LEGEND LEDGER
There will be no racing at the Land of Legends on Aug. 9 with the next ‘Saturday Spectacular’ slated for Aug. 16 at the fairgrounds. Geneva Club Beverage and Seneca Meadows Landfill present a ‘big six’ show of DIRTcar Modifieds alongside Stirling Lubricants Sportsman, MighTea Boba 305 Sprints, Auto Value Parts Stores Street Stocks, Lloyd’s Contracting Hobby Stocks and Hutchinson Property Preservation New Legends Sportsman.
The 3rd induction of 2025 to the LOLR Wall of Fame leads off the program as multi-time Modified and Sprint Car winner Chuck Hebing will be honored following warm-ups. Heat race qualifiers go off the line at 6:30pm with practice sessions starting at 5:30pm. The pit area opens for race teams at 3:30pm and spectators are welcome through the front gates at 5 o’clock. It’s also Kids Day with bounce houses, face painting, ice cream and a car show in the fairgrounds’ general admission parking area highlighting the pre-race activity, 3:30-5:30pm.
HEBING ADDS NAME TO LOLR WALL OF FAME IN AUGUST 16 CEREMONY
The third addition to the Land Of Legends Wall of Fame this season will be made in two more weeks when on Saturday, Aug. 16 Chuck Hebing joins Greg Hixson and Mike Button in Canandaigua’s Class of ’25. Previous selections are 2018 LOLR WoF charter members Donald ‘Dutch’ Hoag, Alan Johnson, ‘Barefoot’ Bob McCreadie and DIRT Motorsports founder Glenn Donnelly, Class of ’19 inductees Steve Pesarek, Milt Johnson, Gary Montgomery and Gary & Donna Spaid, ’21 honorees Steve Paine, Paul Guererri, Mike Welch and Fred Taney, ‘22 winners Danny Johnson, Gary Tomkins, Tom & Kim Ewing and Brad Ovens, ‘23 drivers Charlie Rudolph, Vic Coffey, Joe Plazek and Darryl Ruggles and last year’s group including Adam DePuy, full-fender drivers Jipp Ortiz and Mike Minutolo Sr., as well as the Haers Family, with each individual recognized in a timely tribute held behind the main grandstands following pre-race practice.
SKIDMARKS
Once more commanded by award-winning executive producer Art Rorick, the talent-laden LOLR TV broadcast team boasting production assistants Makenna Hansen & C.J. Miller, graphics coordinator Mark Rore, camera operators Mike Yawney, Jim & Michelle Mullen, and veteran voices Steve Ovens (PA announcer) and Doug Elkins (pit reporter) maintains its presence on-site to provide LIVE video coverage of every event through Land of Legends TV, with LIVE streaming continuing to be offered FREE in 2025. 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.
SPECIAL DISCOUNTS STILL OFFERED WITH ‘25 TIX BUNDLES & PIT PASSES
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 ($1,700) must be pre-ordered to be used during the upcoming season.
Regular weekly G.A. ticket prices continue at $15 Adults and $13 Seniors (65 yrs. and older) while Kids 16 yrs. and under (must be accompanied by an adult) remain FREE. Pit passes are $40. For those youngsters needing pit access, a Child Season Pit Pass is $50 for tykes under 2 yrs. and $150 each for kids 2-13. All children must be accompanied by a legal guardian while competitors are not eligible for kids season passes.
Camping is FREE in outer parking areas and for inside parking, modest charges of $15 for cars and $25 for motorhomes/campers are standard fairground fares.
*Individual tickets carry a $15 value and are valid for any regular Saturday Spectacular event. For special events, ticket holders may use one bundle ticket (worth $15) towards the price of admission and pay the difference at the gate
To purchase ticket and pit pass bundles or discuss marketing opportunities available at the track in 2025, please contact LOLR Director of Marketing & Operations Tana Robinson via e-mail tana@landoflegendsraceway.com or cell 716-799-5669.
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 at the Ontario County Fairgrounds, east of the city on Town Line Road (County Road 10), with easy access off either Exit 43 (Manchester, Route 21 South) or Exit 44 (Farmington, Route 332 South) of the New York State Thruway, just ½-hour southeast of Rochester.
Land of Legends Raceway Event Summary – August 2, 2025
Hoselton Auto Mall presents ‘Saturday Spectacular’
Pepsi Big-Block Modified
*Feature (30 laps): 1. 9s-Matt Sheppard ($2,000), 2. 70a-Alex Payne, 3. 3-Justin Haers, 4. 21a-Peter Britten, 5. 6-Mat Williamson, 6. 32c-Kasey Coffey, 7. 30-Nick Root, 8. 19w-Justin Wright, 9. 11j-James Sweeting, 10. 14b-Brendan Darrah, 11. 27z-Dylan Zacharias, 12. 7z-Zach Payne.
Stirling Lubricants Sportsman Modified
*Feature (25 laps): 1. 25n-Evan Nugent ($750), 2. 41s-Chase Spoor, 3. 33-Richard Murtaugh III, 4. 12g-Matt Guererri, 5. 10-Karl Comfort, 6. 7g-Tyler Guzzardi, 7. 64-Tyler Corcoran, 8. 711-Nick Ventura, 9. 113jr.-Frank Guererri Jr, 10. 714-Chris Darling, 11. 23b-Timmy Borden Jr, 12. 9-Tim Baker, 13. 35-Nick Cooper, 14. 31k-Kennedy Payne, 15. 41L-Loren Lincoln, 16. 51-Tim Lafler, 17. 63-Dylan Woodworth, 18. 20-Nick Galusha, 19. 20x-Kevin Ridley, 20. 21j-Justin Liechti, 21. 28-Mark Potter.
Heats (8 laps)
#1: Woodworth, Borden, Ventura, Murtaugh, Cooper, Potter, Galusha.
#2: Baker, M.Guererri, Liechti, Spoor, Comfort, Guzzardi, Lincoln.
#3: Lafler, Corcoran, Ridley, Nugent, Payne, F.Guererri, Darling.
MighTea Boba 305 Sprint
*Feature (20 laps): 1. 121-Steve Glover ($500), 2. 21b-Blake Warner, 3. 23-John Smith, 4. 121x-Spencer Burley, 5. 25-Cameron Moss, 6. 17e-Ethan Gray, 7. 47-Kyle Drum, 8. 2-Randy Years, 9. 80-Bobby Parrow, 10. 14x-Lance Dusett, 11. 18c-Dan Craun, 12. X-Dan Bennett, 13. 81k-Dalton Martin, 14. d9-Dustin Sehn.
Heats (8 laps)
#1: Years, Warner, Gray, Moss, Dusett, Sehn, Bennett.
#2: Glover, Smith, Parrow, Burley, Martin, Craun, Drum.
Auto Value Parts Stores Street Stock
*Feature (15 laps): 1. 5c-Rick Crego, 2. cj1-CJ Guererri, 3. 3-Patrick Hobbs , 4. 25b-Marc Minutolo, 5. 36-Jimmy Grant, 6. 122-Chris Beyea, 7. 00-Mike Welch, 1rx-Hannah Guererri-Searle(DSQ).
Heat (6 laps)
#1: Minutolo, Crego, Grant, CJ Gurererri, Beyea, Hobbs, H.Guererri, Welch.
Lloyd’s Contracting Hobby Stock
*Feature (15 laps): 1. 25b-Marc Minutolo, 2. 90-Nathan Peckham, 3. 57jr.-Tyler Burnell, 4. 93-Jared Hill, 5. 57b-Frank ‘Bubba’ Burnell Jr., 6. 25j-Justin Eldredge, 7. 55b-Blane Smith, 8. 22c-Craig Dingy, 9. 98t-Jack Terrell, 10.97-Kevin Schrader , 11. 24k-Kevin Lloyd, 12. 67-James Werner, 13. 21b-William Bradley.
Heats (6 laps)
#1: Peckham, Minutolo, Hill, Dingy, Schrader, Lloyd, Werner.
#2: Eldredge, T.Burnell, F.Burnell, Terrell, Smith, Bradley.
Hutchinson Property Preservation New Legends Sportsman
*Feature (12 laps): 1. 20k-Kyle Ridley, 2. 26-MItchell Hyde, 3. 28-AJ Mitchell, 4.18-Doug Rohr, 5. 33b-Brianna Murtaugh, 6. 57-Shaun Toland, 7. 33z-Sydney Wetherbee, 8. 21b-Jim Rushman, 9. 94-Mark Sundt, 10. 29g-Evan Gray, 4-Ethan Olmstead(DNS).
Heat (6 laps)
#1: Hyde, Toland, Wetherbee, Gray, Sundt, Olmstead.
#2: Mitchell, Ridley, Rohr, Murtaugh, Rushman.
NEXT EVENT: Saturday Spectacular, August 16 @ 6:30pm; Geneva Club Beverage and Seneca Meadows Landfill present Big-Block Modified/Sportsman/305 Sprint/Street Stock/Hobby Stock plus New Legends Sportsman with Yates County Humane Society Benefit and Legends Inductee Night #3: Chuck Hebing. Kid’s Day activities on the fairgrounds, 3:30-5:30pm.
*No Racing Sat., August 9.
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 its weekly 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 2025 division sponsors Auto Value Parts Stores, Hutchinson Property Preservation, Lloyd’s Contracting, MighTea Boba, Pepsi Geneva Club Beverage, Stirling Lubricants; event sponsors AMS Enterprises, Auto Value Parts Stores, A-Verdi Storage Containers, Busch Light/Lake Beverage, Disabled American Veterans, Disbatch Brewing Company, Ferris Mowers, Honeoye Auto Parts, Hoselton Auto Mall, iFreeze Storage & Distribution Center, LSI Solutions, Pace Electronics, Pepsi/Geneva Club Beverage, Phelps Cement Products, Prouty’s Bar & Grill, Regional Truck & Trailer, Ryan Phelps Auto Sales, Seneca Meadows Landfill, Smith Bros. Drywall, Tradition Automotive Group, VP Racing Fuels, Wilbert’s U-Pull It; promotional partners Always Locked Self Storage, American Woman Designs, Auto Wash Car Wash, Baker’s Exterminating, Casella Waste Systems, Champion Power Equipment, Close Racing Supply(CRS), Comfort Windows, Elab Smokers Boutique, Emerson Oil Company, Fox Pest Control, Hoosier Racing Tire, Legott’s Club 86, Mac’s Dairy Bar & Mini Golf, Meyer’s Finger Lakes RV, Mike Emhof Motorsports, Northeast Dirt Modified Hall of Fame, Ontario County Fairboard, On The Rocks Bar & Grill, The “Original” Red Osier Landmark Restaurant, Rose City Drive-In, Ruggles World of Auto Body, Schultz Heating & Cooling, Stop DWI NYS, Superior Plumbing, Turn 5 Media, United Rentals, Voodoo Ranger Hard Tea, Wicked Tees.