SHEPPARD FIRST IN LINE FOR 9TH TITLE AS 2019 BIG-BLOCK MODIFIED CHAMPION CROWNED NEXT WEEK
The 2019 racing season has been a rainy season as track officials were forced to cancel the ‘Saturday Spectacular’ at Land Of Legends Raceway after an overnight deluge and multiple morning cloudbursts soaked the Ontario Co. Fairgrounds oval.The Aug. 17 setback marked the eighth occasion when wet weather has curtailed the Canandaigua card, although the first time in three tries the SuperGen Products with Champion Power Equipment CRSA Sprint Car Series show was rained out.
Touring CRSA sprinters make their last appearance of the season in Canandaigua during the inaugural New York Nationals, Sept. 6-7. Round three of the 2nd Annual Land of Legends 305 CRSA Crown Series will be contested Friday 9/6 with $750 on line for the 20-lap feature winner while the fourth and final series segment on Saturday 9/7 pays $1,000 to the 25-lap winner.
Just four races remain in the SuperGen/Champion CRSA series with three-time ’19 race and season-opening Canandaigua winner Jeff Trombley continuing to hold a tight grip on a third successive tour title. More impressive for Trombley (1480 pts) is his eight top-5 finishes in nine events, maintaining a comfortable margin over Justin Mills (1381) and LOLR weekly runners Darryl Ruggles (1371/1 win) and Alysha Bay (1243). Current Mike Emhof Motorsports 305 track points leader Johnny Kolosek stands sixth with 1200.
LEGEND LEDGER
August 24 is Championship Night for the Pepsi Big-Block Modifieds at Land Of Legends Raceway along with a full program for Canandaigua Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram Sportsman Modified, Mike Emhof Motorsports 305 Sprint Car (double features) and Smith Bros. Drywall Street Stock divisions plus the fourth LOLR Wall of Fame Induction on tap.
Double points are on the line for Big-Block title contenders in their final ‘Saturday Spectacular’ of the month when the 2019 champion is officially crowned. In quest of a ninth season championship since 2009, Matt Sheppard leads reigning points king Erick Rudolph, 693-643, followed by all-time fairgrounds feature winner Alan Johnson (589), still in search of his first checkered flag of the year.
The second-generation standout from Waterloo will take nothing for granted heading into the regular-season finale, leading Rudolph by 22 markers just a year ago before finishing seventh as ‘Erick The Great’ secured second to wrap up the championship by a single point. This time around ‘Super Matt’ needs to finish 10th or better in the 35-lap feature go to recapture the coveted Canandaigua crown.
Leading up to the main events, long-time track officials Gary & Donna Spaid will join 2019 inductees Milt Johnson, Gary Montgomery and Steve Pesarek as they headline a special Land of Legends Wall of Fame ceremony recognizing their five decades of contributions in Canandaigua and around the entire Northeastern DIRTcar circuit. Dutch Hoag, Glenn Donnelly, Bob McCreadie and Alan Johnson were honored in the charter member class last season.
Four more big shows close out the season of oval track activity at the Ontario County Fairgrounds with Kevin Root (Sportsman), Kolosek (305) and Adam DePuy (Street Stock) perched atop their respective point charts.
Double points will be awarded to Sportsman, 305 Sprint and Street Stock drivers in the ‘Saturday Spectacular’ season-finale on Aug. 31 when three more division champions are determined. A $2,000-to-winnon-point “open motor” Modified Challenge (must run on Hoosier tires, no sail panels) completes the four-star program with qualifying action getting underway at 7 p.m. Pit gates swing open at 4 o’clock and grandstand entry is at 5.
The first-ever $35,000 New York Nationals for 360 Sprints highlights the return to the Land of Legends on Sept. 6&7, with the first full weekend of the month including DIRTcar Sportsman, Street Stock and CRSA 305 Sprint Car action.
Bringing down the curtain in 2019, the Phelps Cement Products-backed Gerald Haers Memorial $45,000 DIRTcar ‘Build Your Bank’ Challenge for both DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds and DIRTcar 358 Modifieds is set for Sat., Sept. 28. A DIRTcar Sportsman Series fall event adds another $10,000-plus to the record single-day payout in Canandaigua, with $2,000 collected by the winner of the 40-lap feature that guarantees $125 to start.
As the 56th season winds down, be sure to follow the point standings and breaking news online by visiting www.LandOfLegendsRaceway.com. Advance sale tickets remain available for purchase online throughout the final weeks. Log into the website (LandOfLegendsRaceway.com), hit the red “Buy Tickets” button on the homepage, then make a selection from the list of dates & events highlighted.
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.
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 current division sponsors Canandaigua Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram, Mike Emhof Motorsports, Pepsi Geneva Club Beverage, Smith Bros. Drywall; event sponsors Admar Construction Equipment & Supply Company, American Equipment, A-Verdi Storage Containers, Geneva Club Beverage, Honeoye Auto Parts/Auto Value, Pepsi/Mountain Dew/Lipton Lake Beverage, L&L Transmission & Towing, Main Energy, Red Osier Restaurant, Sherwin-Williams Paint, Tradition Automotive Group;promotional partners Champion Power Equipment, Dig Safely New York 811, Dobbers Sports Bar, Elab Smokers Boutique, Hoosier Racing Tire, Hoselton Chevrolet, Ontario County Fairboard, Radio 95.1 Rochester, Star Headlight & Lantern Co., VP Racing Fuels, Weedsport Hall of Fame, Wright Beverage, Young Real Estate Agency.