CJ Guererri & Burnell win stock car wars, Darling dominates in Land of Legends lead-off event
Matt Guererri victory lane photo attachment by Nick Meka
Canandaigua, NY – May 10, 2025 – Tom Skibinski, Land of Legends Raceway PR
Weather finally cooperated in time to welcome racers and fans back to the Ontario County Fairgrounds and it was open-wheel veterans Mat Williamson, Matt Guererri and Bobby Parrow getting off to triumphant starts to help launch the 62nd season of motorsports at Land Of Legends Raceway.
Reigning Pepsi Big-Block Modified points king Williamson led the distance to capture the shortened 27-lap feature and pocket the $2,000 winner’s share while former track champion Guererri led only two circuits in the 25-lap Stirling Lubricants Sportsman headliner in pursuit of a third title at the fairgrounds.
2024 MighTea Boba 305 Sprint Car high-point man Parrow never led a single time around the fast half-miler yet was credited with the 20-lap A-Main victory after apparent winner Ethan Gray’s winged machine turned up light on the scales.
Full-fender veterans C.J. Guererri and Frank ‘Bubba’ Burnell headed home garnering top prizes in the Land of Legends lid-lifter presented by A-Verdi Storage Containers. Guererri scorched the Auto Value Parts Stores Street Stock field while Burnell added a convincing win in the Lloyd’s Contracting Hobby Stock finale.
Aspiring teenage wheelman Chris Darling led all 12 laps to claim the Hutchinson Property Preservation New Legends Sportsman finale to close out the program.
The lead-off six-star card of open-wheel and full-fender action also opened the eighth season for track promoter Paul Cole with 94 teams signing in for the springtime ‘Saturday Spectacular.’ On this night the Ontario County 4-H Horse Program was the Beneficiary of the customary 50/50 drawing, with monetary donations collected throughout the evening.
With the ’25 opener originally scheduled for the weekend prior before rain dashed the show, the extra week off did little to faze Williamson as the Canadian standout had his no. 6 S&W Service Centre-Marin Drywall/Bicknell entry dialed in from the start. Despite finishing third in the first of three Big-Block qualifying heats, ‘Money’ Mat drew #1 to earn the pole over a star-studded 22-car line-up and the race for second seemed the only consolation.
Yet starting right behind Williamson in the scheduled 30-lap Modified main, local favorite Alex Payne never let the St. Catharines, Ont. star out of sight. Dropping back as far as fourth by lap 10, Payne had his own no. 70A Bicknell mount on rails soonafter, advancing past Matt Sheppard and Justin Haers by the midway mark.
With Williamson clinging to the low lane and Payne charging around the high side, the leaders diced through traffic as the race wound down. A bold move between Justin Wright and Brendan Darrah through turn one on lap 26 provided a needed cushion before a red flag suddenly halted the action with just three to go.
A lengthy delay ensued after the battered car of Gil Tegg Jr. sat upside down high off the track in turn three, his #22 Modified moments earlier slamming into the outside cement retaining wall which launched it into the air only to land abruptly on the roof. Extricated by the track safety crew, Tegg was transported to Strong Memorial hospital where he was found to have at least two broken vertebrae and punctured lung, with possible surgery preceding a projected long road to recovery.
In a quick vote trackside, the remaining drivers elected to end the race as the scoreboard read only 27 laps complete. With his four previous wins all earned last season, Williamson posted his fifth career Canandaigua victory, this one over Payne, Haers, ninth-starting Erick Rudolph and Sheppard.
While the Big-Block feature provided a flag-to-flag performance from the ‘24 champ, Guererri forced the final lead change with starter Scott Hixson’s white flag in hand to help author another dramatic fairgrounds finish.
“The top (lane) had a ton of moisture and the guys in front of me weren’t running it,” noted Guererri, who dedicated the win to his wife who was laid up after back surgery and watched from home on LOLR TV. “And the top is where I wanted to be. Just got stuck low on those restarts and didn’t know if I had enough to get by at the end.”
A healthy grid of 25 DIRTcar Sportsman entries lined up trackside with Justin Liechti out-dragging front row partner A.J. Lloyd when the first green flag flew. Sixth-place starter Guererri stayed within striking distance, swapping third with Tyler Corcoran while Tim Lafler moved to the point past Liechti on lap 16.
Guererri charged into the runner-up spot on lap 18, leaving Liechti to battle with Corcoran for the show position while Karl Comfort cracked the top-five for the first time. Shadowing Lafler for a handful of circuits, Guererri finally rocketed high out turn two to pull alongside Lafler for a paint-trading sprint down the back chute that ultimately carried him out front as the leaders rounded turn four.
Aboard his patented no. 12G Tradition Automotive-Young Agency/Bicknell, Guererri forged ahead to register his 19th career Sportsman win in Canandaigua while Liechti mirrored the high line to edge Lafler for second at the stripe. Corcoran and Comfort setted into front-five slots in the later stages.
“(Lafler) moved up for that last restart, thought if I was gonna get around him I might have to try the bottom,” Guererri figured. “It was good down there but the top was just so fast. But after that he went a half lane lower, down further than what he was running. That was the opening I needed and proved to be the difference but he still ran a great race til the end.”
Gray looked like a sure winner holding a 1.5-sec. advantage with five laps left in the 10-mile 305 A-Main. And even after contact with the lapped car of Cameron Moss exiting the fourth and final turn the Manchester speedster still held off Parrow by a car-length at the line to seemingly salvage his third career win at LOLR.
Yet after the customary post-race weight inspection, Gray’s sprinter came up six pounds light and the disqualification vaulted Parrow into the winner’s circle to collect the $750 top prize.
“Really feel bad for Ethan, he ran a helluva race,” said Parrow, following his second straight opening day checkered flag that gives him 13 wins in 305 competition at LOLR. “I don’t know what I was doing in the heat as I found out in the feature it was me and not the car.”
Pitside repair for a broken torsion bar and front torsion tube along with a bent front axle and wheel ended his qualifying attempt early and put him in the last row for the feature. A small eight-car field was assembled on opening day as almost a dozen weekly drivers were competing in a CRSA Series race the same night in the Southern Tier.
Past Canandaigua winners Gray and Parrow stayed closer to home. Following a pair of lap one cautions it only took the third try under green for Parrow to bolt into third. A red flag resulted after James Layton bounced off Parrow’s right tire in turn one and rolled three times on a lap four restart, knocking out Lance Dusett in the process.
Aboard his trademark orange no. 80 Seneca Meadows-Proctor Enterprises-Young Agency-Waterloo sprinter, Parrow bolted into second back under green and by the halfway point ran second ahead of Randy Years and Moss. Gray maintained a seemingly insurmountable advantage until the last turn, last lap jingle, with his race-long effort unceremoniously wiped out after the untimely infraction.
After seizing the top spot from early leader Mike Welch on lap eight piloting his familiar red #CJ1 Heart of Gold Veterinary Care-Springer Maintenance Consulting-Ontario Concrete & Paving machine, Guererri matched Gray’s success out front en route to a commanding victory margin of nearly a dozen car-lengths in the 20-lap Street Stock feature.
“Racing with Welchy anything can happen,” smiled Guererri, on the heels of his 16th career stock car win at Canandaigua, now giving him a handful in the Street Stock ranks. “Had a real good run up top, wasn’t sure if I was gonna make it work but our car was flawless up there. On the restart I saw (Welch) down there and said ‘c’mon girl, just a few more laps’ and we were able to pull it off.”
All-time track stock car win leader Welch stayed around to hold off sixth-starting Rick Crego and secure runner-up laurels while Jared Hill and Joey Giardina completed the top-5 ahead of Hannah Guererri.
Filing in eighth on the 19-car Hobby Stock grid, Burnell tracked down Justin Eldredge on lap six of the 15-lap headliner and rolled on to a convincing five car-length triumph to post career win #36 at his favorite Saturday night hangout.
“Never expected the car to be as good as it is right now,” beamed Burnell, as he posed alongside his black & white no. 57B Mullen Southern Truck Parts/BRD car in DAV Victory Lane. “Last year in the first race at Outlaw (Speedway) rolled it four or five times so we put a lot of time into this one over the winter. This Johnny Unamann motor is insane! It’s just amazing to come out on opening night to be as fast as we are and the track as good as it is … just don’t know what to say.”
Action speaks louder than words and 2022 LOLR points champion Burnell let his experience guide him to his latest victory. Eldredge, hard-charging Nate Peckham, ‘24 track titlist Marc Minutolo and Tyler Burnell —winner of the last two season-openers— rounded out the front-five.
Nearly a dozen entry-level New Legends signed in on Saturday and it was second-generation driver Darling showing prowess beyond his years in his maiden voyage around the legendary Finger Lakes layout.
“A lot of thoughts right now, at a loss for words,” understated microd graduate Darling, whose father Dale was a five-time Sportsman winner at LOLR in the late 1990s and notched his lone street stock win in a 1989 rookie race. “A lot of thoughts came through my head with two laps to go, said ‘I can’t do this,’ just overwhelming.”
“Gotta thank Eldon Payne (Speed Connection sponsorship) and mom and dad. Was told from day one to keep my nose clean, don’t get in any wrecks and be smooth,” added Darling, who at age 13 is 60 years older than fifth-place finisher Mark Sundt, who at age 73 has been racing for 50 years.
An opening lap cross-up by Doug Rohr and turn four spin from Sydney Wetherbee on lap four were all that could slow down Darling’s dominant run in the #714 ride. Leading every lap from the pole, more than a half-track separated him from runner-up Kyle Ridley under the checkers while Angel Sperring and late arriving Evan Gray placed ahead of Sundt in the final rundown.
OFF-SEASON SADNESS
Prior to kicking off the evening race program, public address announcer Steve Ovens acknowledged the passing of former Canandaigua competitors Will Cagle, Eric Martin and Jason Quigley, along with life-long fan and LOLR track worker Tom Decker and contributing photographer Brian Walsh, each playing a prominent role in helping to continue the LOLR legacy for generations to come.
Cagle of Lutz, Fla., passed away in February at the age of 86. One of the first professional race car drivers to travel north and make his mark in the CNY region, the “Tampa Terror” logged over 800 feature race wins in a storied career spanning the 1950’s and 1980’s, with 53 checkered flags taken in Canandaigua. Steering his signature #24 Big-Block Modified throughout, “Wiley Will” was inducted into eight Hall of Fames, including the Northeast Dirt Modified HoF in Weedsport NY in 1992.
Both a full-fender and open-wheelman at the fairgrounds, Martin reached victory lane at the fairgrounds scoring his lone win in a 1993 Expert Street Stock main.
Known by many as “Rick,” his passion in life for racing quickly spread to son Dalton, himself a Sportsman and Enduro stock car winner at LOLR and more recently a Big-Block Modified contender now entering the 305 Sprint car ranks. Hailing from Henrietta, Eric passed away in January at the age of 58.
Popular in the fairgrounds pit area, Quigley was also recognized in the Street Stock division, spending time behind the wheel as well as serving as car owner and crewman during his tenure at the Ontario County oval. The Macedon motorman passed away in January at the young age of 49.
An avid race fan for the past 48 years, Decker could be found at LOLR every Saturday night, always talking about the great people he knew there including those he sat with and those he worked with while welcoming drivers through the pit gate operating the lap counter. He purchased his own modified race car, affectionately known as “The 20,” working to make it street legal and proudly driving it to many car shows. A native Rochesterian, Decker passed away in early March at age 75.
Long-time motorsports photographer Walsh held close ties with the Mike Payne Racing Team and will be remembered for his incredible work behind the camera as well as his infectious smile roaming the pit area. The Honeoye native lost his valiant battle with cancer on New Year’s Day at age 51.
SCHEDULE UPDATE
With early season weather conditions once again delaying annual racing activity at the fairgrounds, LOLR promoter Paul Cole made quick revisions to the five-month agenda as spring tries to settle in.
The result is the rescheduling of both the 13th Les Whyte Top Gun Shootout Championship for Auto Value Parts Stores Street Stocks and Lloyd’s Contracting Hobby Stock “Hoedown.” Each will now headline the 182nd Ontario Co. Fair Championships on Wed. July 23 with the mid-week full-fender affair presented by Smith Bros. Drywall.
The Butler Excavation & Concrete Empire Street Stock Series summer showdown presented by Neff Landscaping and powered by Cummings Trucking Race is currently ear-marked as the fourth event on the six-race mini-series with Auto Value Parts Stores Street Stocks also closing out year #3 of the tour at LOLR on Sept. 27.
LEGEND LEDGER
The second ‘Saturday Spectacular’ of the month at Land of Legends is now slated for May 17 with Pace Electronics and Busch Light/Lake Beverage presenting another speedy six-star card highlighted by the premier Pepsi Big-Block Modifieds chasing a $2,000 top prize in their 30-lap Scoppo Special.
Stirling Lubricants Sportsman, MighTea Boba 305 Sprint Car, Auto Value Parts Stores Street Stock, Lloyd’s Contracting Hobby Stock and Hutchinson Property Preservation New Legends Sportsman classes join the action 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 on the fast fairgrounds half-miler.
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.
2025 TICKET BUNDLES & PIT PASS SPECIALS ALWAYS AVAILABLE
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 – May 10, 2025
A-Verdi Storage Containers presents 62nd Season-Opener
Pepsi Big-Block Modified
*Feature (27 laps): 1. 6-Mat Williamson ($2,000), 2. 70a-Alex Payne, 3. 3-Justin Haers, 4. 25-Erick Rudolph, 5. 9s-Matt Sheppard, 6. 21a-Peter Britten, 7. 3rs-Dalton Slack, 8. 23-Kyle Coffey, 9. 30-Nick Root, 10. 7z-Zach Payne, 11. 11j-James Sweeting, 12. 32c-Kasey Coffey, 13. 27jr-Daniel Johnson Jr., 14. 19w-Justin Wright, 15. 22g-Gil Tegg Jr., 16. 14b-Brendan Darrah, 17. 21-Derrick Podsiadlo, 18. 63-Adam Roberts, 19. 17-Marcus Dinkins, 20. 6x-Tommy Paine, 21. 19-Tim Fuller, 22. 56a-Troy Sperring.
Heats (8 laps)
#1: Rudolph, A.Payne, Williamson, Johnson, Darrah, Root, Wright, Tegg.
#2: Haers, K.Coffey, Sheppard, Britten, Roberts, Sweeting, Dinkins.
#3: Slack, Fuller, Paine, Z.Payne, Podsiadlo, K.Coffey, Sperring(DNS).
Stirling Lubricants Sportsman Modified
*Feature (25 laps): 1. 12g-Matt Guererri ($750), 2. 21j-Justin Liechti, 3. 51-Tim Lafler, 4. 64-Tyler Corcoran, 5. 10-Karl Comfort, 6. 33-Richard Murtaugh III, 7. 25n-Evan Nugent, 8. 9-Tim Baker, 9. 41s-Chase Spoor, 10. 113jr.-Frank Guererri Jr., 11. 31k-Kennedy Payne, 12. 7g-Tyler Guzzardi, 13. 44-Ryan Barrett, 14. 23b-Timmy Borden Jr., 15. 5-Brent Ayers, 16. 63-Dylan Woodworth, 17. 23-Kyle Quigley, 18. 21b-Jim Rushman, 19. 1f-AJ Lloyd, 20. 20x-Kevin Ridley, 21. 711-Nick Ventura, 22. 99-Brett Martin, 23. 20-Nick Galusha, 24. 7s-Torrey Stoughtenger, 25. 23e-Ely Mangiarelli.
Heats (8 laps)
#1: M.Guererri, Comfort, Baker, Ayers, Mangiarelli, Ridley, Ventura, Stoughtenger, Galusha
#2: Lloyd, Murtaugh, Borden, Spoor, Barrett, Payne, Woodworth, Rushman(DNS).
#3: Liechti, Lafler, Corcoran, F.Guererri, Quigley, Nugent, Martin, Guzzardi.
MighTea Boba 305 Sprint
*Feature (20 laps): 1. 80-Bobby Parrow ($500), 2. 2-Randy Years, 3. 25-Cameron Moss, 4. 18c-Dan Craun, 5. 14-James Layton, 6. 14x-Lance Dusett, 7. 81k-Dalton Martin, 17e-Ethan Gray(DSQ).
Heat (8 laps)
#1: Dusett, Craun, Martin, Gray, Moss, Years, Parrow, Layton(DNS).
Auto Value Parts Stores Street Stock
*Feature (20 laps): 1. cj1-CJ Guererri, 2. 00-Mike Welch, 3. 5c-Rick Crego, 4. 93-Jared Hill, 5. 25j-Joey Giardina, 6. 1rx-Hannah Guererri, 7. 25b-Marc Minutolo, 8. 3-Patrick Hobbs, 9. 28-Willy Easling(DNS).
Heat (6 laps)
#1: CJ Guererri, Hill, Welch, Minutolo, Crego, Hobbs, Giardina, H.Guererri, Easling.
Lloyd’s Contracting Hobby Stock
*Feature (15 laps): 1. 57b-Frank ‘Bubba’ Burnell Jr., 2. 25j-Justin Eldredge, 3. 90-Nathan Peckham, 4. 25b-Marc Minutolo, 5. 57jr.-Tyler Burnell, 6. 22c-Craig Dingy, 7. 22j-Randy Johnson, 8. 88-Justin Jacoby, 9. 67-James Werner, 10. 29i-Isaiah Murphy, 11. 69j-Heather Auble-Gray, 12. 412-Preston Hennigan, 13. 56-Eddie Stevens, 14. 24k-Kevin Lloyd, 15. 93-Jared Hill, 16. 8j-Jeff Rex, 11-Dan Korpanty(DNS), 21b-William Bradley(DNS), 55b-Blane Smith(DNS).
Heats (6 laps)
#1: Hill, Minutolo, T.Burnell, Dingy, Lloyd, Rex, Smith.
#2: F.Burnell, Jacoby, Johnson, Auble-Gray, Hennigan,Bradley.
#3: Peckham, Eldredge, Murphy, Werner, Stevens, Korpanty.
Hutchinson Property Preservation New Legends Sportsman
*Feature (12 laps): 1. 714-Chris Darling, 2. 20k-Kyle Ridley, 3. 56a-Angel Sperring, 4. 29g-Evan Gray, 5. 94-Mark Sundt, 6. 57-Shaun Toland, 7. 33z-Sydney Wetherbee, 8. 18-Doug Rohr, 28-AJ Mitchell(DNS), 7j-Bruce Batzel(DNS), 4-Ethan Olmstead(DNS).
Heats (6 laps)
#1: Darling, Ridley, Rohr, Batzel(DNS), Olmstead(DNS).
#2: Wetherbee, Sperring, Sundt, Toland, Mitchell, Gray(DNS).
NEXT EVENT: Saturday Spectacular, May 17 @ 6:30pm; Pace Electronics & Busch Light/Lake Beverage present Scoppo Special Big-Block Modified/Sportsman/305 Sprint/Street Stock/Hobby Stock plus New Legends Sportsman with Newark Bowling 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 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,, 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.