Sheppard Back On Track With 94th Career Big-Block Mod Win In Canandaigua

Murtaugh, Gray, Pangrazio & Minutolo follow with 1st checkers as Darling streak hits three

 

Canandaigua, NY – May 31, 2025 – Tom Skibinski, Land of Legends Raceway PR

 

While inclement weather continued to compromise area track schedules, Land Of Legends Raceway stayed on course to best Mother Nature and close out the month with another ‘Saturday Spectacular’ that rewarded five new winners.

 

‘Super Matt’ Sheppard was just that as he outlasted defending track champion Mat Williamson to capture the headline Pepsi Big-Block Modified 30-lap feature while first-year regular Richard Murtaugh III staved off a late-race rally from track veteran Matt Guererri to claim the companion Stirling Lubricants Sportsman 25-lap main.

 

Local favorite Ethan Gray redeemed himself with a dominant performance in the MighTea Boba 305 Sprint Car A-Main while unexpected visitor Josh Pangrazio (Auto Value Parts Stores Street) and speedway staple Marc Minutolo (Lloyd's Contracting Hobby) shared victory lane after convincing stock car victories.

 

Rising star Chris Darling completed the hat trick with his third straight win in the Hutchinson Property Preservation New Legends Sportsman finale that closed out the Tradition Automotive Group gala at the historic Ontario Co. Fairgrounds oval. On a night that attracted over 100 race teams with ski caps out-numbering hoodies, the Child Advocacy Center of the Finger Lakes was recognized as the recipient of the top prize in the weekly 50/50 drawing.

 

Filing into fourth on the 19-car starting grid, Sheppard chased down outside pole-sitter Zach Payne on lap 20 and never flinched over the final 10 circuits as the nine-time track champion rolled on to his 94th career Big-Block win at the fairgrounds.

 

“We had a good starting spot and really some good luck all week long,” remarked Sheppard, who scored his first Big-Block win in 2003 and has now taken at least one checkered flag every year since ‘08. His latest victory earned him $2,000 plus an additional $100 bonus from Prouty’s Bar & Grill for ending Williamson’s streak at two.

 

“And sometimes a little luck is what it takes to turn things around. A lot of ups and downs in racing. We had a lot of bad luck the past month or so and good luck this week,” added Sheppard, fresh off a victory the previous night at Utica-Rome Speedway.

 

Payne jumped out to the early lead and gradually increased the margin until reaching traffic midway through. Led by Sheppard stroking his no. 9S Hurlock Auto & Speed-Westmoreland Golf Club/Bicknell mount, an all-star cast behind him methodically made its way forward as the laps clicked off. Using a lapped car to his advantage, Sheppard moved to the point with a bold high side maneuver to forge what resulted in the lone lead change with two-thirds of the race in the books.

 

With five miles to go, Eric Rudolph, Peter Britten and Williamson chased the lead duo with a pair of #3s looking for a quicker way around. As only a half-dozen laps remained a rare red flag flew for Alex Payne whose no. 70A car sat idle in turn three with Payne reportedly suffering from a leg injury in the aftermath.

 

After grabbing third before the Alex Payne incident, Williamson was just as focused back under green as he grabbed second from Zach Payne on the lap 24 restart. And when a turn one tussle involving Kasey Coffey and James Sweeting required caution on lap 26, the top-two lined up bumper-to-bumper for the final showdown.

 

Sheppard drew first, sprinting away to settle the score on this night with three car-lengths separating the two heavyweights under chief starter Scott Hixson’s double-checkered flags. Dalton Slack in his #3RS ride and three-time track champ Justin Haers aboard his no. 3 entry crossed the line next with Rudolph finishing fifth.

 

“It was just a matter of getting the lead, track was pretty much one lane around the top in turns one and two,” added Sheppard, who improved to third in track points (158) behind leader Williamson (184) and Haers (168) as the top trio heads into June. “If you tried to move down and pass some cars you were taking your life in your own hands. Just wanted to get clean air, keep momentum up and do the best I could.”

 

While Sheppard also scored 10 Sportsman wins contending in Canandaigua at the turn of the century, Murtaugh, who notched his first LOLR victory last September in the prestigious Gerald Haers Memorial, is now eight away.

 

Starting 12th in a fast 25-car feature field, Murtaugh needed 12 laps to secure the lead yet during those first dozen circuits positions changed as fast as the weekly weather conditions hindering the surrounding Finger Lakes Region.

 

The Central New York invader ran outside the top-five when Timmy Catalano broke a rear shock to incur caution on lap 10. Murtaugh bolted from sixth to third on lap 11 then charged past early leader Timmy Borden Jr. for the final exchange up front just shy of the halfway mark. A robust rally by opening night winner and two-time track champ Guererri fell short giving Murtaugh bragging rights for at least one more week at his new Saturday night home.

 

“That restart didn’t go our way clearing guys in the corner but we were able to drive in hard and get the lead from there, the car was phenomenal,” beamed Murtaugh, a third-generation driver from Fulton, who now tops the points chart ahead of Tyler Corcoran by a 174-164 margin as Guererri stands third with 146. “Not sure how far out front we were but this thing was perfect.”

 

“Had a terrible tire on. Didn’t have a good selection back at the trailer so we just bolted on a pretty bad one. It went away with about 10 laps to go so was just kinda holding on at the end,” divulged Murtaugh, after edging Guererri by 0.753-sec. at the stripe. Tenth starting Corcoran secured third with Borden and Kennedy Payne, who led laps 3-5, rounding out the front-five with career best finishes on their resume.

 

Just as Guererri kicked off the 2025 season in victory lane, Gray was headed to the winner’s circle that same night until his winged machine turned up six pounds light in the customary post-race tech inspection. In a turn of events, Guererri suffered a blown motor competing in the May 17 show while Gray inherited the top spot Saturday when leaders Randy Years and Bobby Parrow tangled halfway through the 20-lap 305 feature event.

 

Yes, racing is a fickle sport as Gray’s disqualification on May 10 handed the first-place trophy to reigning track points king Parrow, who finished 11th in the May 31 show after his mid-race miscue.

 

“Was a little nervous (crossing scales) but knew we made weight,” smiled Gray, who led every lap three weeks ago before misfortune hit. He paced the 21-car field the final 10 laps Saturday, on this occasion taking advantage of an untimely tangle between front-runners Years and Parrow to inherit the lead and roll on to his third career triumph at the fairgrounds. “That night we lost all of the water in the radiator to come up short.”

 

Shadowing front row partners Years and Cameron Moss from the initial green flag, third-place starter Gray dropped back to fourth behind Dan Craun after sixth-starting Parrow blasted into second just four laps in. When Gray regained the show position on lap six the leaders had reached traffic and all he could do was wait for a mistake.

 

Suddenly, without warning, the yellow flag flew as the back end of Years’ no. 2 Eagle came around between turns three and four collecting Parrow in the process. Gray was now the kingpin and former Canandaigua Sportsman champion Zach Sobotka, Frenchman Tomy Moreau, Craun and Blake Warner the nearest challengers.

 

Yet Gray never looked back despite the star sprinters shuffling the deck lap after lap behind him. Moreau managed to move into second while week two winner Dillon Paddock sped from fifth to third the last half-mile to edge Sobotka as Warner rounded out the final Top-5.

 

“Wasn’t sure how we got through (Years/Parrow mishap). Feel bad for those guys but that’s racing. We’re glad to be here and I can’t thank everybody enough that has stayed behind our team,” Gray added.

 

The 20-lap Street Stock feature needed only four times around the tacky half-miler to decide a winner and after the near caution-free 8-½ minute main it was 2020 LOLR points champ Pangrazio finding familiar ground in Canandaigua’s vaunted victory lane.

 

Despite making his first appearance at the fairgrounds in a couple years, the win came as no surprise as Pangrazio leads the points standings at both his Friday night race place of Ransomville Speedway and regular Saturday night stop at The Genesee Dirt Track in Batavia, with a handful of checkered flags shared between them.

 

“The track’s a lot different than what it was in 2023, my last time here,” stated Pangrazio, following his 21st feature win at the fairgrounds, this one scored in just as decisive fashion. “The surface has a lot more grip to it. Seems like (turns) one and two have a little different arc to them as well. So it definitely races a lot different.”

 

Rick Crego outgunned pole-sitter Pat Hobbs to kick off the 10-mile main with Pangrazio advancing quickly from fourth on the scoresheet to grab second. The Oakfield driver ducked low exiting turn two and the lead was his with still 16 laps left, leaving only second-place undetermined for the remainder.

 

The only caution came with three to go when Hannah Guererri-Searle’s car came to a stop, yet by then Pangrazio had the race locked up leaving points leader C.J. Guererri to settle for runner-up laurels in the final rundown. All-time LOLR stock car winner Mike Welch crossed the line third ahead of Hobbs and Crego, who ironically wheeled a car purchased the previous year from Pangrazio.

 

Already logging a Street Stock win this season at LOLR, Minutolo doubled up by adding his first victory in the Hobby division, a feat that earned him the second $100 Prouty’s Bar Bounty of the night after ending Frank 'Bubba' Burnell’s two-race win streak that help launch the season.

 

“It’s one of those things, feel like you gotta make your moves quick,” noted Minutolo, explaining his no-holds-barred charge to the front that carried him from six to second after just one lap before snatching first from Craig Dingy on a lap two restart. “Get to where you gotta be early and that definitely prevailed for us tonight.”

 

Mirroring the weekend sweep by Pangrazio at Ransomville and LOLR, Minutolo not only won at Canandaigua on his sponsors night, the Newark pilot brought out the broom on Friday winning at Outlaw Speedway in Dundee. In search of his third straight division points crown, the second-generation standout now has 75 victories at the fairgrounds, with 63 posted in the Hobby Stock ranks.

 

After disposing of Dingy on lap two, Minutolo only had to withstand a few raindrops the remainder of the way, pulling ahead of runner-up Burnell by three-quarters of a straightaway to record the landmark victory. Nathan Peckham, Jared Hill and Tyler Burnell secured front-five finishes out front of the large 20-car field.

 

A flag-to-flag feature winner in his first two speedway outings, Darling needed nine times around this week to take the lead from Jacob Gurecki and seal the deal in the 12-lap New Legends nightcap that showcased a division-best 14 novice racers.

 

“A lot of grip on the bottom and I just kept doing consistent laps, lap after lap. Thought I would do pretty good (in 2025), but not this good,” figured Darling, now seemingly a seasoned teen in just his first year contending on the spacious half-miler, already chalking up a feature win at Genesee as well.

 

Gurecki finished a solid second followed by Troyer Catalano in his first appearance, Belle Hogan and Lucas Newton, also in his maiden voyage to wine country due to Saturday’s rain-out at the Batavia oval.

 

LEGEND LEDGER:

The second month of the ‘25 racing season at Land of Legends gets underway on June 7 with round four of the 'Saturday Spectacular' schedule as Auto Value Parts Stores and LSI Solutions combine to present a big six-division show headlined by the mighty Pepsi Big-Block Modifieds. 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 ARE POPULAR PURCHASES

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 Quick Results – May 31, 2025

Tradition Automotive Group presents ‘Saturday Spectacular’

Pepsi Big-Block Modified

*Feature (30 laps): 1. 9s-Matt Sheppard ($2,000), 2. 6-Mat Williamson, 3. 3rs-Dalton Slack, 4. 3-Justin Haers, 5. 25-Erick Rudolph, 6. 7z-Zach Payne, 7. 83x-Tim Sears Jr., 8. 21a-Peter Britten, 9. 99-Larry Wight, 10. 19w-Justin Wright, 11. 30-Kevin Root, 12. 23c-Kyle Coffey, 13. 32c-Kasey Coffey, 14. 12-Addison Bowman, 15. 17-Marcus Dinkins, 16. 11j-James Sweeting, 17. 70a-Alex Payne, 18. 63-Adam Roberts, 19. 27jr-Daniel Johnson Jr.

Heats (8 laps)

#1: Z.Payne, Sheppard, Britten, Rudolph, Wright, Wight, Root, Bowman, Ka.Coffey, Dinkins.

#2: Haers, Williamson, Slack, Sears, Ky.Coffey, Sweeting, A.Payne, Roberts, Johnson.

 

Stirling Lubricants Sportsman Modified

*Feature (25 laps): 1. 33-Richard Murtaugh III ($750), 2. 12g-Matt Guererri, 3. 64-Tyler Corcoran, 4. 23b-Timmy Borden Jr., 5. 31k-Kennedy Payne, 6. 113jr.-Frank Guererri Jr, 7. 9-Tim Baker, 8. 10-Karl Comfort, 9. 711-Nick Ventura, 10. 41s-Chase Spoor, 11. 7g-Tyler Guzzardi, 12. 34-Eric Nier, 13. 25n-Evan Nugent, 14. 21j-Justin Liechti, 15. 35-Nick Cooper, 16. 51-Tim Lafler, 17. 34k-Keegan Nier, 18. 30-Mike Root, 19. 63-Dylan Woodworth, 20. 53-Doug Gavette, 21. 20-Nick Galusha, 22. 21b-Jim Rushman, 23. 45pj-Timmy Catalano, 24. 23e-Ely Mangiarelli, 25. 23-Kyle Quigley(DNS).

Heats (8 laps)

#1: Murtaugh, Borden, Guzzardi, Spoor, Cooper, Lafler, Woodworth, Root, Mangiarelli.

#2: Comfort, M.Guererri, Corcoran, Baker, Payne, K.Nier, Gavette, Rushman.

#3: Ventura, F.Guererri, Nugent, E.Nier, Liechti, Catalano, Galusha, Quigley.

 

MighTea Boba 305 Sprint

*Feature (20 laps): 1. 17e-Ethan Gray ($500), 2. 22-Tomy Moreau, 3. 8-Dillon Paddock, 4. 38-Zach Sobotka, 5. 21b-Blake Warner, 6. 48a-Alysha Bay, 7. 18c-Dan Craun, 8. 18-Timmy Lotz, 9. 48jr.-Darryl Ruggles, 10. 25g-Tyler Graves, 11. 80-Bobby Parrow, 12. 121-Steve Glover, 13. 14x-Lance Dusett, 14. 10p-Nathan Pierce, 15. X-Dan Bennett, 16. 81k-Dalton Martin, 17. 23-John Smith, 18. 99-Adam DePuy, 19. 2-Randy Years, 20. 15b-Spencer Burley, 21. 25-Cameron Moss.

Heats (8 laps)

#1: Years, Warner, Gray, Lotz, Bay, Glover, Dusett.

#2: Parrow, Moss, Bennett, Ruggles, Graves, DePuy, Smith.

#3: Craun, Moreau, Burley, Sobotka, Paddock, Martin, Pierce.

 

Auto Value Parts Stores Street Stock

*Feature (20 laps): 1. 7-Josh Pangrazio, 2. cj1-CJ Guererri, 3. 00-Mike Welch, 4. 3-Patrick Hobbs, 5. 5c-Rick Crego, 6. 122-Chris Beyea, 7. 1rx-Hannah Guererri-Searle, 8. 25b-Marc Minutolo.

Heat (6 laps)

#1: Pangrazio, Crego, Welch, CJ Guererri, Hobbs, Minutolo, Beyea, Guererri-Searle.

 

Lloyd's Contracting Hobby Stock

*Feature (15 laps): 1. 25b-Marc Minutolo, 2. 57b-Frank 'Bubba' Burnell Jr., 3. 90-Nathan Peckham, 4. 93-Jared Hill, 5. 57jr.-Tyler Burnell, 6. 16XL-Derek Excell, 7. 25j-Justin Eldredge, 8. 22c-Craig Dingy, 9. 98-Jack Terrell, 10. 97-Kevin Schrader, 11. 9r-Roger Bush, 12. 88-Justin Jacoby, 13. 22j-Randy Johnson, 14. 67-James Werner, 15. 55b-Blane Smith, 16. 19-Dave Yehl, 17. 21b-William Bradley, 18. 69j-Heather Auble-Gray, 19. 8j-Jeff Rex, 20. 56-Eddie Stevens(DNS).

Heats (6 laps)

#1: F.Burnell, T.Burnell, Peckham, Dingy, Schrader, Werner, Yehl, Stevens, Bradley, Auble-Gray.

#2: Minutolo, Terrell, Bush, Smith, Johnson, Rex, Excell, Eldredge, Hill, Jacoby.

 

Hutchinson Property Preservation New Legends Sportsman

*Feature (12 laps): 1. 714-Chris Darling, 2. 10-Jacob Gurecki, 3. 54pj-Troyer Catalano, 4. 89-Belle Hogan, 5. 54n-Lucas Newton, 6. 56a-Angel Sperring, 7. 33z-Sydney Wetherbee, 8. 57-Shaun Toland, 9. 28-AJ Mitchell, 10. 51j-Jaxon Judd, 11. 18-Doug Rohr, 12. 94-Mark Sundt, 13. 20k-Kyle Ridley, 14. 29g-Evan Gray.

Heats (6 laps)

#1: Darling, Ridley, Gurecki, Gray, Rohr, Wetherbee.

#2: Sperring, Hogan, Newton, Catalano, Toland, Sundt, Mitchell, Judd.

 

NEXT EVENT: Saturday Spectacular, June 7 @ 6:30pm; Auto Value Parts Stores and LSI Solutions present Big-Block Modified/Sportsman/305 Sprint/Street Stock/Hobby Stock plus New Legends Sportsman with Farmington Cemetery Foundation 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.