Fuller Flawless In Flag-To-Flag 'Stars & Stripes' Series Strut In Canandaigua
Sportsman star Buff ends DIRT doubleheader with a bang in postponed 'Fourth of July' event
Canandaigua, NY – July 19, 2023 – Tom Skibinski, Land of Legends Raceway PR
The battle for bragging rights Wednesday night came down to a pair of former track regulars showing the way. North country veteran Tim Fuller proved flawless in the end, staving off every challenge from area all-star Matt Sheppard to capture the Super DIRTcar Series 'Stars & Stripes 70' presented by Honeoye Auto Parts & iFreeze Storage & Distribution Center at Land Of Legends Raceway.
“You got the baddest guy on the planet drives Modifieds,” declared Fuller, 55, following a flag-to-flag triumph worth $7,500 for the Watertown wheelman. “Anytime (Sheppard) is on you and right beside you, gotta be right on the mark. He ran me in there pretty hard but we never touched. He really did a good job.”
Wrapping up the 'Wednesday Spectacular' ---originally scheduled over the 'Fourth of July' holiday--- in front of a full house of race fans, Capital District invader Andrew Buff also led every circuit to claim the companion 30-lap DIRTcar Northeast Series Central/West Region headliner for Stirling Lubricants Sportsman worth $1,000.
Another banner night of racing at the hallowed Ontario County oval closed with Fuller emerging as the seventh different Big-Block winner in nine races staged this season while Buff continued the streak of no repeat victors in nine Sportsman outings. 2023 has so far included three first-time winners in both open-wheel divisions with Buff as the 127th Sportsman racer to grace victory lane since 1987.
Fresh off his induction into Weedsport's Northeast Dirt Modified Hall of Fame on July 13, Fuller showed no signs of slowing down in just his fourth series start of the season. The 2005 tour titlist won his qualifying heat, drew the pole, then held off Sheppard the entire distance to capture his 33rd career SDS victory (8th all-time), the first since May '21 at Bridgeport (NJ) Speedway.
Among the stellar field of 42 Big-Block teams signed in for Canandaigua's 70th Anniversary special, 24th-ranked Fuller had to fend off 21 of the top-25 in points entering round eight of the premier series. After nine-time and defending SDS champion Sheppard set fast time (18.456sec., 97.529mph), won his own heat and lined up third on the 26-car starting grid, the final outcome appeared unlikely.
Yet Fuller put any doubt to rest in 35 miles of constant combat, weaving high and low through traffic while keeping 'Super Matt' in check on three restarts. Veterans Pat Ward (lap 21) and Alan Johnson (lap 41) slowed to incur caution before tour traveler Darren Smith suffered a broken front-end to force him pitside for the remainder with 49 laps complete.
Fuller was up for the challenge every time, never flinching in the final run to the checkers despite Sheppard pressing for win number 17 on another sensational season. Sheppard was able to close the gap in traffic on occasion as the laps clicked off, before ultimately falling 10 car-lengths shy of Fuller in his potent black #19 St.Lawrence Radiology-G&R Auto Parts-Integra Shocks/Bicknell entry. Top-5 finishers Peter Britten, 17th-starting Max McLaughlin and his HBR teammate Jimmy Phelps crossed the stripe well back.
Second-generation driver Jordan McCreadie was score sixth ahead of Jack Lehner, Erick Rudolph, Canadian standout Mat Williamson and Larry Wight while two-time reigning LOLR points king Justin Haers finished 11th chased by last Saturday's LOLR Pepsi Big-Block Modified winner Alex Payne.
“Very fortunate to get through this whole deal,” remarked Fuller, now with three (2009, 2016) of his 11 victories at the fairgrounds coming in series competition. “Starting on the pole you've only got one way to go and that's backwards. Just gotta be consistent and tonight had to concentrate so hard. Don’t think I looked at the lap counter twice, just because you had to focus on hitting your marks every time. If not, Sheppard was by you and gone.”
“But this is all really because of the support from Mike and Barb Maresca (car owners), gotta remember a lot of these people have been with me for a long time, very fortunate. Came down here alone today, picked up a guy from another crew and a friend from home drove down to help out then flies back to Wisconsin tomorrow. But we did it,” added Fuller, who won his first race at LOLR in 2001.
In search of his seventh tour triumph at LOLR, nine-time track champion Sheppard secured second aboard the familiar #9S Hurlock Auto&Speed-Westmoreland Golf Club/Bicknell ride.
“Tim was awesome tonight, there's a reason why he's in the DIRT Hall of Fame, that's it right there,” stated Sheppard after extending his series points lead now with six front-five feature finishes in the eight tour stops. “He was definitely the class of the field. Could see in the heat he was really good, man he really wooped on us.”
“We had a few shots, thought if I could beat him into turn one I could beat him to the top and that is what it would take to win the race. And I think I beat him to one three times and still didn't beat him off the top of two. Feel like I was maybe a little better than he was in turns three and four but he was a bunch better than I was in one and two. Maybe if we could've restarted out of two and raced into three I could've won this thing.”
“But its another really good night for us, solid night. Been knocking on the door every night, got a few wins and now three seconds in a row. Just really proud of this whole team, been a long week and a long grind and we keep rolling through it,” added Sheppard, who remains two wins (88 Big-Block, 10 Sportsman) shy of the century mark at Canandaigua.
Third-place Britten was the highest finisher of all LOLR regulars, advancing from sixth to join Fuller and Sheppard on the podium.
“Last year's series races here we kinda stubbed our toe, we're our own worst enemy sometimes,” noted Britten, who is also third in the SDS point standings with a handful of Top-5 finishes in the eight extra-distance events. “Thanks for all the hometown support tonight, all the fans have been great.”
“Congrats to old has-been Fuller, awesome job for him, he's in the Hall of Fame now but obviously he's still got it and ain't done yet,” joked Australian ace Britten. “We've been pretty consistent on the series this year, hopefully we can keep it going and come back Saturday night and try to get this Pepsi car to victory lane again.”
Super DIRTcar Series '23 returns to action at Autodrome Drummond for a back-to-back “King of the North” doubleheader on Mon. July 31 & Tue. Aug. 1 followed Wed. Aug. 2 by the “Canadian Classic' at Brockville Ontario Speedway. The premier Big-Block tour returns to LOLR on Wed. Aug. 16 as the third and final leg of the Super DIRTcar Series SummerFAST, with another $7,500 on top for the 60-lap victor.
Heading into Canada, Sheppard leads Williamson by 63 points, 1205-1142, followed by Britten (1112), Chris Hile (1057) and Phelps (1053).
Buff matched Fuller's performance in the 30-lap Sportsman nightcap, leading every lap after setting fast time among 40 qualifiers and copping his heat to reveal what was to come. And just like Fuller was slowed three times in the Big-Block main, a trio of yellow flags was the only pause in Buff's feature race dominance that kept more eyes on the battle for second as top-prize seemed all but decide by lap one.
“Car was really good, shout out to Joe Matthews back down in North Carolina for taking all my texts and phone calls tonight,” said Buff, 25, following his fourth career series victory logged since 2021. His success should come as no surprise as he also has taken four checkered flags this season while topping the points charts at all three weekend haunts; Albany-Saratoga (Fri), Fulton (Sat) and Glen Ridge (Sun). “We came together with something, me, my father and Joe, and we put on a show.”
Act One started with Buff turning the fastest lap of 92.578mph (19.443sec.) and the Latham driver proceeded to carry his speed through the upcoming heat and feature race action. From the outset of the 15-mile main, Buff turned back his closest challengers buckled into the #92 West End Towing & Repairs-JAM Performance-Elmo's Speed & Supply/Bicknell mount, beginning with front-row partner Ryan Dolbear and ending with eventual runner-up Cameron Tuttle.
“I got a really good jump out of the middle of turn four on the restarts and was able to rotate through the middle,” Buff pointed out. “And that's where I was running all night in turns one and two. Just felt really good there.”
LOLR local Kasey Coffey got out of shape rounding turn three to bring out the first caution on lap three then forced another yellow flag on lap 10 after losing a right-front wheel following a scrape with the front stretch outside cement retaining wall. Buff pulled out to commanding lead on both restarts while Tuttle grabbed the runner-up spot from Dobear under green with seven laps scored. At the halfway mark Buff was well on his way although Canandaigua regulars Matt Guererri and Kane Bristol shadowed Tuttle in their bid for hometrack supremacy.
Despite Emmett Waldron pulling off a 360-degree spin between turns three and four and continuing on pace, the third slowdown resulted on lap 20 as the field scattered in the aftermath. The brief break only delayed the inevitable as Buff cruised home for a comfortable near straightaway victory out-distancing LOLR season-opening winner Tuttle by 2-1/2 seconds at the line. Guererri held off hard-charging Gavin Eisele for third while three-time mini-series winner Cody McPherson from St. Catharines, Ont. clinched the Western Region points title with a fifth-place tally.
“Have to thank Ray from West End, without him I wouldn't even be here,” added Buff, who now leads the Central Region points chase with 288 followed by Tyler Corcoran (278), Kyle Devendorf (264), opening round Can-Am Speedway winner Tyler Stevenson (264) and defending LOLR season champion Zach Sobotka (262). “All the stuff that he does for me and my family and brother is great. And have to thank my father as well for all the hours he puts in. We travel and race a lot.”
An unexpected visit by Tuttle produced a second-place nod for the Western New York racer, in the Wilson driver's first track appearance since winning on May 6.
“Didn't even think we were coming here until yesterday around lunch time,” divulged Tuttle, who ranks fourth in points at Ransomville Speedway where he contends every Friday night. “We had some problems in the past, wanted to come here to see if we could resolve them and I think we did just that.”
“We had a good car for a few laps then kinda fell off. I messed up with the tires but hats off to the #92, he had his stuff figured out tonight and was really fast. I was running the top the whole time, obviously had to run the bottom on the restarts (leader chose top) so I kinda slid it going into turn one to get back to the top. Everything worked out, the car was good and like I said we weren't even planning on coming here. Also thanks to Honeoye Auto for the $200 gas card, a nice bonus.”
Guererri mirrored Britten with his third-place finish the best among LOLR regulars in the mid-week Sportsman shootout.
“We were about average, how we've been all year kinda. Haven't been good enough to win races but at the same time we've been top-five,” figured Guererri, a two-time track champion and 17-time feature winner in Canandaigua with his lone series trophy coming in the 2021 Gerald Haers Memorial. “Andrew and Cameron ran good, they're always fast wherever they go so I knew they would be tough.”
“We were good, trying some new stuff tonight that we usually don't try on a points night. So we learned some stuff and hopefully we can get better for Saturday,” added Guererri, who thanked his team sponsors including Tradition Automotive Group, Mohawk Northeast, Sunset Bowl, Mojo's Tavern and Rock Solid Services.
The series returns to the Ontario Co. Fairgrounds in Canandaigua alongside the Big-Blocks once again when LOLR stages its second stop for both tours on Aug. 16. Sister tracks Fulton (July 29) and Brewerton (Aug. 18) speedways host the final two Central Region races before the DIRTcar NE Fall Championship tour for Sportsman gets underway in mid-August.
LEGEND LEDGER
The winged warriors are once again ready to bring the heat as the A-Verdi Storage Containers CRSA Sprint Car Series powered by SuperGen Products returns to Canandaigua in a July 22 special (postponed due to rain on July 3) presented by Seneca Meadows and Auction Direct. Topping both the CRSA and LOLR points charts through the middle of the month, 4-time Canandaigua winner Jordan Hutton looks to match his tour-opening triumph taken at the fairgrounds on May 13 over Dalton Herrick, Thomas Radivoy, Bobby Parrow and Kyle Pierce.
Along with the MighTea Boba 305 Sprint Cars in round #2 of the DisBatch Brewing Company Challenge mini-series, a full five-division display of Big-Block Modified, Sportsman, Street Stock, Hobby Stock plus New Legends Sportsman action highlights the show with AutismUP the weekly 50/50 drawing beneficiary. Pit gates open at 3:30pm, spectators are admitted at 5 o'clock and hot laps start at 5:30 followed by the first qualifier going green at 6:30pm.
JOE PLAZEK READY TO RETURN FOR RARE RACEWAY VISIT
Big-Block favorite Joe Plazek will be the next Land Of Legends Wall of Fame honoree during special pre-race ceremonies slated for July 22 at 6:15pm. Fans planning to attend the Saturday Spectacular are encouraged to arrive early as 'Canada Joe' will be signing autographs on his custom-made hero card while supplies last during a special meet-n-greet at the Wall of Fame beginning at 5:00. With Vic Coffey's enshrinement now slated for Aug. 12, Plazek joins Charlie Rudolph in Canandaigua's Class of '23, marking the fifth year LOLR Promoter Paul Cole has cited individuals that have helped carry on the fairgrounds lasting legacy.
SKIDMARKS
Led by award-winning executive producer Art Rorick, and Chris Marquart in his absence, the LOLR TV broadcast team embodied by production assistant Makenna Hansen, graphics coordinator C.J. Miller, chief camera operators Mike Yawney, Jim & Michelle Mullen, and veteran voices Steve Ovens (PA announcer) and Doug Elkins (pit reporter) are 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 2023. On-line registration at https://landoflegendstv.com/orders/customer_info 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.
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF TICKET BUNDLES & PIT PASS PACKAGES IN 2023
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 ($200) or 50 ($450) 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 or discuss marketing opportunities available at the track in 2023, 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 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 19, 2023
70th Anniversary Season Celebration
Honeoye Auto Parts & iFreeze Storage & Distribution Center present
Wednesday Super Spectacular - Super DIRTcar Series Race #8
Pepsi Big-Block Modified “Stars & Stripes 70”
*Feature (70 laps): 1. 19-Tim Fuller ($7,500), 2. 9s-Matt Sheppard, 3. 21a-Peter Britten, 4. 8h-Max McLaughlin, 5. 98h-Jimmy Phelps, 6. 28-Jordan McCreadie, 7. 2L-Jack Lehner, 8. 25-Erick Rudolph, 9. 88-Mat Williamson, 10. 99L-Larry Wight, 11. 3-Justin Haers , 12. 70a-Alex Payne, 13. 4*-Anthony Perrego, 14. 39-Kyle Coffey, 15. 35-Mike Mahaney, 16. 5h-Chris Hile, 17. 27j-Danny Johnson, 18. 54-Steve Bernard, 19. 7z-Zach Payne, 20. 83x-Tim Sears Jr., 21. 91-Felix Roy, 22. 37m-Mathieu Desjardins, 23. 213-Adam Pierson, 24. 42p-Pat Ward, 25. 12-Darren Smith, 26. 14j-Alan Johnson.
Heats (8 laps / 5 qualify / top-2 redraw)
#1: Sheppard, Haers, A.Johnson, Perrego, McLaughlin, Mahaney, D.Johnson Jr., T.Root, K.Root, Martin, Reif(DNS).
#2: Britten, Phelps, Rudolph, Hile, Williamson, Wright, D.Johnson, Davis, Morey, Stone.
#3: Fuller, A.Payne, Lehner, Z.Payne, Bernard, Caprara, Roy, Slack, Sweeting, Sears, Swarthout.
#4: McCreadie, Coffey, Wight, Desjardins, Smith, Ward, Pierson, Dinkins, Podsiadlo, Lawrence(DNS).
HYTORC of NY Last Chance Showdowns (10 laps/ 2 qualify)
#1: Mahaney, D.Johnson, T.Root, D.Johnson Jr, K.Root, Wright, Martin, Morey, Stone, Davis, Reif(DNS).
#2: Ward, Sears, Roy, Caprara, Pierson, Slack, Dinkins, Podsiadlo, Lawrence, Swarthout, Sweeting(DNS).
Provisionals: Pierson, Roy.
Low E Insulation Group Time Trials (3 laps / 42 cars)
#1: Sheppard 18.456sec. (97.529 mph), Britten 18.637, Haers 18.653, Phelps 18.779, McLaughlin 18.792, Rudolph 18.800, A.Johnson 18.841, Hile 18.853, Perrego 18.857, Williamson 18.919, Mahaney 18.950, D.Johnson 18.993, D.Johnson Jr. 19.023, Wright 19.122, T.Root 19.146, Stone 19.174, K.Root 19.229, Davis 19.241, Martin 19.406, Morey 19.434, Reif(-NT-).
#2: Jack Lehner 18.676sec. (96.380 mph), Wight 18.726, Fuller 18.775, Smith 18.873, A.Payne 18.914, Desjardins 18.955, Z.Payne, 19.042, McCreadie 19.044, Slack 19.095, Coffey 19.131, Roy 19.154, Pierson 19.167, Bernard 19.169, Ward 19.240, Sears 19.293, Podsiadlo 19.632, Caprara 19.677, Dinkins 19.687, Sweeting 19.741, Lawrence 19.982, Swarthout 20.057.
DNQ: 1L-Jeff Lawrence, 3rs-Dalton Slack, 11j-James Sweeting, 14-C.G. Morey, 14s-Brian Swarthout, 15-Todd Root, 15x-Justin Stone, 17-Marcus Dinkins, 19w-Justin Wright, 21-Derrick Podsiadlo, 27jr-Daniel Johnson Jr., 29-Matt Caprara, 32r-Ronnie Davis III, 34-Kevin Root, 55-Dan Reif, 132-Dalton Martin.
Stirling Lubricants Sportsman Modified
DIRTcar Northeast Series Central Region Race #2/West Region Race #4
*Feature (30 laps): 1. 92-Andrew Buff ($1,000), 2. 35t-Cameron Tuttle, 3. 12g-Matt Guererri, 4. 18e-Gavin Eisele, 5. 7m-Cody McPherson, 6. 64-Tyler Corcoran, 7. 31-Kane Bristol, 8. 38-Zach Sobotka, 9. 30-Nick Root, 10. 42-Daryl Nutting, 11. 6-Cody Manitta, 12. 26-Kyle Richner, 13. 108-Bill Bleich Jr., 14. 4-Emmett Waldron, 15. 9-Tim Baker, 16. 5-Kyle Devendorf, 17. 35-Nelson Mason, 18. fox28-Tyler Stevenson, 19. 18h-Justin Henderson, 20. 10g-Austin Germinio, 21. 111-Brett Senek, 22. 23n-Nathan Peattie, 23. 31b-Ryan Dolbear, 24. 51-Tim Lafler, 25. 51k-Kreg Crooker, 26. 12-Chad Chevalier, 27. 410-Mike Fowler, 28. 32c-Kasey Coffey, 29. 10-Karl Comfort, 30. 113jr.-Frank Guererri Jr.
Heats (8 laps / 5 qualify / top-2 redraw)
#1: Buff, Dolbear, Coffey, Eisele, Sobotka, Germinio, Root, Richner, Potter, Dusett.
#2: Mason, M.Guererri, Baker, Corcoran, Lafler, Rogala, Crooker, Doxtater, Stevenson, Talada.
#3: Bristol, Tuttle, Comfort, Senek, Devendorf, Waldron, LaFlair, Liechti, Guzzardi, Peattie.
#4: Nutting, Chevalier, McPherson, F.Guererri, Fowler, Manitta, Clayton, Henderson, Bleich, Grover.
Last Chance Showdowns (10 laps/ 3 qualify)
#1: Germinio, Root, Crooker, Rogala, Richner, Doxtater, Potter, Stevenson, Talada, Dusett.
#2: Manitta, Waldron, Henderson, Clayton, LaFlair, Bleich, Liechti, Grover, Peattie, Guzzardi.
Provisionals: Richner, Bleich, Stevenson, Peattie.
Group Time Trials (3 laps / 40 cars)
#1: Buff 19.443sec. (92.578), Dolbear 19.750, Eisele 19.810, Coffey 19.820, Sobotka 19.872, Germinio 19.922, Richner, 20.021, Potter 20.361, Dusett 20.982, Root(-NT-).
#2: M.Guererri 20.005sec. (89.978 mph), Mason 20.094, Rogala 20.128, Baker 20.149, Lafler 20.159, Doxtater 20.203, Corcoran 20.374, Talada 20.443, Stevenson 20.476, Crooker(-NT-).
#3: Bristol 19.840sec. (90.726 mph), Senek 19.967, , Devendorf 20.004, Tuttle 20.055, Comfort 20.057, Waldron 20.181, Liechti 20.449, LaFlair 20.458, Guzzardi 20.744, Peattie 20.821.
#4: Chevalier 20.102sec. (89.543 mph), Nutting 20.147, McPherson 20.150, Manitta 20.236, Fowler 20.371, F.Guererri 20.380, Clayton 20.439, Bleich 20.447, Grover 20.570, Henderson 20.598.
DNQ: 08-Rich Talada, r1-Riley Rogala, 2-Taylor Doxtater, 7t-Tyler Guzzardi, 16x-Savannah LaFlair, 21j-Justin Liechti, 28-Mark Potter, 34-Behr Grover, 57-Lance Dusett, 63-Teddy Clayton Jr.
NEXT EVENT: Saturday Spectacular, July 22 @ 6:30pm; Seneca Meadows and Auction Direct present Big-Block Modified/Sportsman/CRSA 305 Sprint Tour/Street Stock/Hobby Stock plus New Legends Sportsman with AutismUP Benefit and Legends Inductee Night #2: Joe Plazek.
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