Return to Victory Lane Ends 10-year Absence for Burnell in Canandaigua

Britten, Sobotka, Whipple & Pangrazio Also Beat Rain in Latest Triumphs at Fairgrounds

Canandaigua, NY – August 21, 2021 – Early morning rain and another shower after the pits opened did little to deter Land Of Legends Raceway promoter Paul Cole and his dedicated grounds crew, just put them to work overtime preparing another smooth and ultra-fast track surface for Saturday’s five-division program presented by Tradition Automotive Group, Auto Value and Cargill.

Two full-fender features sandwiched a trio of open-wheel main events, with a dozen qualifiers and all five finales run off in less than 3-1/2 hours, sending racers and their fans home already eager to come back for more.

Frank ‘Bubba’ Burnell Jr. led off with possibly the most popular outcome of the bunch as his recent return to competition rewarded the Waterloo driver with his first  Lloyd’s Contracting Hobby Stock victory in 10 years. The nightcap was certainly in contrast as reaching the winner’s circle has become routine lately for ’20 points champ Josh Pangrazio following a fourth checkered flag in six Eldredge & Sons Scrap Recycling Street Stock feature race starts.

“A lot of work this week, gotta thank my girlfriend Jess for giving me this nice piece of equipment here,” began Burnell, now 41, following his 29th career stock car win at Canandaigua, his first coming in 1998 at age 18 while the last was recorded on July 10, 2011. “Also have to thank Wayne Ellison for all the information he gives me and of course every sponsor that plays a big part. Was able to get the needed finances, worked all winter and finally got all the parts to bring it out and now we’re here.”

15 cars going 15 laps led off the feature race menu with Burnell filing in eighth on the starting grid directly behind son Tyler Burnell, the 2020 Hobby Stock points champion. It didn’t take long for the first yellow flag to fly as Niagara Falls driver Alex Morris, the 2009 & ’10 LOLR high points man, coasted to a stop inside the second turn to suddenly end his season-debut without a single lap complete.

Another caution came on lap two when frontstretch contact sent Jim Claypool sliding to the infield as the field scrambled in the wake. Outside pole-sitter Jamie Eldredge Jr. led the opening laps yet back under green it was the Burnells running 1-2 for the lap three restart. Tyler dropped to third behind his father then ‘Bubba’ blew by Eldredge in what amounted to the final lead change on lap five.

While the elder Burnell opened up a comfortable distance by the halfway mark, a tight battle among the front-five stole more attention. Contact between Casey Wagner, Eldredge and Tyler Burnell in turn one incurred the fourth and final yellow, moving points leader Justin Eldredge up to second followed by Brian Lloyd, Marc Minutolo and Brandon Barron with seven laps still to go.

And those final half-dozen laps proved to be the most hotly contested of the night as the younger Burnell stormed forward until the final checkered flag unfurled. Inching past runner-up Eldredge exiting the fourth and final turn, Burnell ultimately edged his weekly rival for second at the wire while Minutolo and Lloyd settled for top-5 spots.

In the immediate aftermath of crossing the stripe, Burnell slammed full-bore into the front-end of Avon’s Justin Jacoby, the last driver on the lead lap whose mount had spun and sat facing the wrong way just beyond the flagger’s stand. With the front clip gone, Burnell’s disabled ride came to a smoking halt high in turn one while Jacoby’s first-ever race ended with the front-end crushed on his Chevy Monte Carlo. Both drivers walked away after escaping from one of the hardest hits of the season.

“Both a good and a bad here,” remarked a visibly shaken winner in victory lane after realizing the last lap incident involved his son. “You cross the line first and look over … didn’t know it was (Tyler). He beat Justin to the line, that’s all he wanted to do, wasn’t looking past his bumper I guess. Now we gotta build a car in a week to come back for the final points show but thank God we’ve got next week off.”

“I saw him on the scoreboard second. He passed me last week with two laps to go so I said ‘man, this ain’t happening again even if I’ve got to door him myself. But to come out here and race with my son … there’s guys like the Minutolos that have done it and the Smiths are doing it now. There’s no feeling like when your kid passes you. Last week when he got by I thought ‘I made the car and I made the kid,’ so how can I be mad, really?” smiled Burnell, the 2010 LOLR Street Stock points champ, after improving from third in last week’s first race back steering the #57B JB7 Heavy Hauling-Phelps Cement Products-Scott French Home Improvement Chevy Camaro.

“Gotta thank all the fans and Paul Cole, Land of Legends TV and all the guys here. This place is a top-notch facility, that’s why I choose to come race here.”

The DIRTcar Modified main was less dramatic for Britten as the international all-star grabbed the lead from Kyle Coffey six laps into the headline 35-lapper and kept a steady distance between runner-up Tim Fuller the last half of the race.

“Kyle made the same mistake I did earlier in the year … taking the outside (lane) on a restart,” remarked Britten, posting his third win of the ’21 campaign at Canandaigua to remain third in the standings heading into next week’s double points regular-season Big-Block finale. “He was running pretty good too so I’m sure he would’ve been hard to pass in clean air. Just able to get a nice jump there.”

Fresh off his first-ever top-five tally at the fairgrounds last weekend, Daniel Johnson Jr. suddenly slowed at the end of lap five to relinquish his runner-up spot to fifth starting Britten. Coffey was no contest for ‘Batman’ on the ensuing restart as the no. 21A Pepsi-Ryder Racing-Beyea Custom Headers machine flew by low across the line to forge the lone lead change.

Seventh starting Alan Johnson moved into second-place on lap eight before falling behind Fuller halfway through the event. Coffey hung around the front-five most of the race dicing with Matt Farnham while division point leaders Erick Rudolph and Justin Haers battled back and forth non-stop the final 15 circuits.

Scrubbing a 3/4-straightaway lead from Britten, yellow lights flashed around the speedway for the second and final time on lap 28 when Kevin Root stopped near the turn three pit road entrance. Rudolph took advantage on the restart with just eight laps to go, dartring past both Haers and Coffey to secure 4th position.

Haers grabbed fifth from Coffey on lap 29 yet was unable to muster any more momentum to maneuver past Rudolph in the closing stages. Fuller closed to within five car-lengths of Britten under the checkers while ‘A.J. Slideways’ settled for a solid top-5 finish in their shadows.

“This win is a little bitter sweet tonight,” added Britten, following career win #8 at his Saturday night hangout. “My daughter was supposed to be here but she fell in the pool and bumped her knee and didn’t end up coming out. Been wearing her hair-tie all night … so I got a (checkered) flag for you Addison!”

“And thanks to all the fans for coming out tonight. Weather was definitely a little iffy, really happy to get Pepsi in victory lane again. Can’t thank everybody enough and Paul (Cole) for getting the track ready, just really happy right now.”

Whipple was just as delighted in the 20-lap MEM 305 A-Main, mirroring his flag-to-flag run up front in another caution-free affair that netted him his own eighth career win to rank the Shortsville chauffeur among the top-five all-time in Canandaigua.

“The top lane was absolutely perfect tonight,” beamed Whipple, hanging on to edge Alysha Bay by a mere 0.13-sec. last Saturday in the CRSA Series special before cruising home for a commanding 15 car-length victory this time over Bobby Parrow. “Can’t thank Paul and his crew for keeping this show going tonight. Thought we were going to get rained out. The weather turned out perfect and the track was beautiful.”

Whipple paced front row partner Dan Craun and row two runner Randy Years in the early stages before sixth starting Parrow advanced to second-place with five laps scored. A dozen laps down, the leader reached traffic in his #38 Bauer’s Garage-Termotto’s Homescape-Nu-Way Auto Parts/Maxim mount, showing no signs of slowing in the 5 min., 52-sec. finale.

Whipple, Parrow, Years and Craun settled in over the final five miles while Bay and Brandyn Griffin dropped Matt Rotz from his first top-5 finish in a bold three-wide dash with just four laps left.

“Have to thank my own crew, if it wasn’t for these guys I wouldn’t be here,” said Whipple, who one week earlier hinted that this season may be his last behind the wheel. “Bauer’s Garage has been with me forever, Termotto’s and Nu-Way remain on board too. Without this kind of support all this just wouldn’t happen.”

Family support has been instrumental for Sportsman winner Sobotka as well, keeping the #38 Stirling Lubricants-Stoneburg Construction-Mohawk Northeast/Bicknell entry ahead of the game at LOLR the past two seasons.

“Been trying out a lot of stuff with me and my dad,” noted Sobotka, who like Britten remained third in points yet has two more shows to climb the points chart. “Been working in the shop every night trying to figure out how to get faster. Been trying different things every week at the track and getting a little faster. Steve (Stirling) has been a big help and so has Donath Motor Worx. Was actually on the phone with (Brian Donath, owner) right before the feature because the car wasn’t running right and he definitely helped us out.”

Handicapped to start 14th on the 26-car grid, Sobotka cut the deficit in half early on as the Parish NY pilot bolted into seventh with just three laps in the books. When a pair of #31 cars —Kane Bristol and Kennedy Payne— got caught up in a turn four tangle on lap 15, near race-long leader Andrew Jacobson lost his big advantage to Nick Cooper, Ricky Newton and Sobotka for the upcoming restart.

Chief starter Scott Hixson threw the green flag once more and Sobotka powered to the front, charging around the top trio and stealing first from Jacobson on lap 16. Points leader Matt Guererri made his presence known the last 10 circuits, cracking the front-five on lap 17 then overtaking fourth-place Newton with five to go. A last lap pass of Kevin Ridley netted him third at the stripe while 18th starter Tyler Murray rounded out the top-5 at the line.

“On that last restart I planned on going wherever Ricky Newton wasn’t,” figured Sobotka, already doubling his two win count from last year en route to tying eventual track champion Guererri atop the points chart. “He kinda went to the middle and on top and I got a little too high. Then he got up to second and was battling. I was just able to go around them both on the top.”

“Kevin (Ridley) was wicked fast, pretty much followed him all the way up through since I started right behind him. Ended up able to get by him because of a lapped car, didn’t know if I was going to be able to without it but fortunately things just worked out for me,” Sobotka added.

Everything seems to be falling in place for Street Stock star Pangrazio as the Oakfield wheeman has proven to be nearly unstoppable in the Street Stock ranks.

“The track was pretty much hammer-down tonight, pretty much wide-open all the way around,” said Pangrazio, who since coming out mid-season has risen to 10th in the point standings with top-five finishes logged in all six events entered. “Track had so much bite, think anybody could get around this place pretty fast tonight.”

Yet none as fast as the potent blue no. 7 Skyline RV Sales&Service-Houseman Refrigeration-Cummings Trucking Ford Mustang.

Second-generation driver Parker Smith out-dragged pole-sitter Dakota Sharp to assume the top spot ahead of fast-moving Adam DePuy after lap one. Eighth-starting Pangrazio needed only two times around the historic half-miler to move into the front-five.

The torrid pace forward continued for Pangrazio, passing Sharp for fourth on lap 4 then disposing of both Mike Welch and DePuy the next time around. Smith was his final victim as the ‘Honky Tonk Express’ moved to the point on lap seven and never looked back in the 20-lap curtain-closer.

Bob Buono slid high off the back chute exiting turn two on lap 19 to incur the only caution period, yet it was too little too late as Pangrazio still sped home for a convincing 10 car-length advantage under the checkers. Welch followed in second while points leader Jimmy Grant nipped Smith by a nose at the line to secure third. Rick Crego complete the top-five in the 12-min. main.

LEGEND LEDGER
August 28 is Championship Night for the Pepsi Big-Block Modifieds at Land Of Legends Raceway along with a full program for Speed Connection Sportsman, Mike Emhof Motorsports 305 Sprint Car and Eldredge & Sons Scrap Recycling Street Stock divisions, plus a complete card of Patriot Sprint Tour action that was postponed from Aug. 7 due to rain.

Double points are on the line for Big-Block title contenders in their final ‘Saturday Spectacular’ of the month when the 2021 champion is officially crowned. In quest of his second season championship, second-generation standout Rudolph leads Haers, 741-730, followed by Australian ace Britten (679) and all-time fairgrounds feature winner Alan Johnson (613).

Pepsi/Geneva Club Beverage, Monroe Mechanical Services and the Ontario County Fairboard back the Saturday showdown with an American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Benefit raffle held during the event. Hot lap sessions kick off the show at 5:30pm and heat race qualifiers go green at 6:30pm. Pit gates open at 3:30pm and spectators gain admittance into the Ontario Co. Fairgrounds main grandstands at 5 o’clock.

FULL-FENDER FORAY TAKING FORM
Although the Big-Block, Sportsman and Sprint Car open-wheel teams have the night off, the ‘Saturday Spectacular’ slated for Sept. 11 won’t miss a beat when Howell Properties, LLC presents ‘Full Fender Frenzy’ at the fairgrounds. With pre-race entries continuing to roll in, top area Street Stockers and Rush Late Model campaigners will be chasing $1,000 top prizes in their 30-lap main events while $750 rewards both Hobby Stock and 4-Cylinder winners.

Named in memory of past LOLR Pro Stock champion and driver of the sleek Top Gun #1 machine, reigning track points king Pangrazio will be out to score a third straight title race win in the 10th Les Whyte Top Gun Shootout for Street Stocks. WNY star Dave Schulz claimed the inaugural event in 1999.

SKIDMARKS
If you can’t make it out to the race track this season, LIVE video coverage of every event can still be enjoyed weekly through Land of Legends TV as for the first time ever all LIVE streaming will be offered FREE in 2021. On-line registration at  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.
The weekly ticket prices in 2021 at LOLR remain $15 Adults, $13 Seniors, Kids under 16 FREE. For those youngsters needing pit access, Child Season Pit Passes are $30 for 2 & Under and $150 for kids 3-14. Camping is FREE at all race events. To purchase ticket and pit pass bundle packages in advance or discuss marketing opportunities still available at the track this season, please contact LOLR Marketing Director Tana Robinson via e-mail tana@landoflegendsraceway.com or cell 716-799-5669.

As the 58th season of motorsports in Canandaigua speeds to its conclusion during the coming weeks, be sure to follow the point standings and breaking news online by visiting www.LandOfLegendsRaceway.com.

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 14, 2021
Tradition Automotive Group, Auto Value and Cargill present
Saturday Spectacular
Pepsi Big-Block Modified
*Feature (35 laps): 1. 21a-Peter Britten ($2,000), 2. 19-Tim Fuller, 3. 14j-Alan Johnson, 4. 25-Erick Rudolph, 5. 3-Justin Haers, 6. 23c-Kyle Coffey, 7. 7-Matt Farnham, 8. 28p-Eldon Payne,Jr., 9. 33j-Robbie Johnston III, 10. 21x-Eric Williams, 11. 10m-Henry Maier, 12. 11j-James Sweeting, 13. 34-Kevin Root, 14. 66-Dan Wiesner, 15. 22g-Gil Tegg Jr., 16. 31m-Jimmy Maier, 17. 27j-Daniel Johnson Jr., 18. 77-Lance Dusett, 19. 1f-Derrick Podsiadlo, 56-Garrison Krentz(DNS).
Heats (8 laps)
#1: A.Johnson, Haers, Tegg, Payne, Wiesner, Krentz(DNS), Johnston(DNS).
#2: Britten, Sweeting, Podsiadlo, Root, H.Maier, Dusett.
#3: Coffey, Rudolph, Farnham, D.Johnson, Fuller, Williams, J.Maier(DNS).

Speed Connection Sportsman Modified
*Feature (25 laps): 1. 38-Zach Sobotka ($750), 2. 61-Andrew Jacobson, 3. 12g-Matt Guererri, 4. 20x-Kevin Ridley, 5. 34-Tyler Murray, 6. 11n-Ricky Newton, 7. 113jr.-Frank Guererri Jr., 8. 35-Nick Cooper, 9. 7z-Zach Payne, 10. 132-Dalton Martin, 11. 70a-Alex Payne, 12. 51a-Zac McDonald, 13. 9-Tim Baker, 14. 1f-A.J. Lloyd, 15. 3-Justin McKay, 16. 31-Kane Bristol, 17. 00-Sam Hoxie, 18. 7x-Troy Sperring, 19. 90-Nathan Peckham, 20. 7j-J.T. Sperring, 21. 51-Tim Lafler, 22. 31k-Kennedy Payne, 23. 26-Scott George, 24. 56a-Angel Sperring, 25. 36m-Zachary George, 26. 7-Paul Guererri.
Heats (8 laps)
#1: Bristol, Cooper, Z.George, M.Guererri, P.Guererri, Lloyd, Baker, Peckham, A.Sperring.
#2: Jacobson, Z.Payne, A.Payne, Hoxie, S.George, McKay, McDonald, T.Sperring, JT Sperring.
#3: Ridley, F.Guererri, Lafler, Newton, Sobotka, Murray, K.Payne, Martin(DNS).

Mike Emhof Motorsports 305 Sprint
*Feature (20 laps): 1. 38-Jason Whipple ($500), 2. 53-Bobby Parrow, 3. 2-Randy Years, 4. 18c-Dan Craun, 5. 48a-Alysha Bay, 6. 75-Brandyn Griffin, 7. 77-Matt Rotz, 8. 48jr.-Darryl Ruggles, 9. 121-Steve Glover, 10. 13t-Trevor Years, 11. 4t-Ray Preston, 12. 36-Mike Stelter, 13. 25h-Tyler Emmons, 17e-Ethan Gray(DNS).
Heats (8 laps)
#1: Rotz, Craun, Bay, Griffin, Glover, Stelter, Gray(DNS).
#2: Whipple, R.Years, Parrow, Ruggles, T.Years, Preston, Emmons.

Eldredge & Sons Scrap Recycling Street Stock
*Feature (20 laps): 1. 7-Josh Pangrazio, 2. 00-Mike Welch, 3. 36-Jimmy Grant, 4. 55p-Parker Smith, 5. 5c-Rick Crego, 6. 99-Nick Dandino, 7. 25b-Marc Minutolo, 8. 122-Chris Beyea, 9. 12s-Dakota Sharp, 10. 64b-Bob Buono, 11. 9-Aksel Jensen, 12. 74-Ronald “Bundy” Metcalf, 13. 93-Jared Hill, 14. 3-Patrick Hobbs, 15. 24j-Marcus Springer, 16. 63-Mike Fellows, 17. 510-Brad Steinruck Sr., 18. 57j-Adam DePuy.
Heats (6 laps)
#1: Welch, Minutolo, Crego, Beyea, Steinruck, Springer, Fellows, Metcalf, Hobbs.
#2: Sharp, DePuy, Pangrazio, Grant, Smith, Hill, Dandino, Buono, Jensen.

Lloyd’s Contracting Hobby Stock
*Feature (15 laps): 1. 57b-Frank “Bubba” Burnell Jr., 2. 57jr.-Tyler Burnell, 3. 25j-Justin Eldredge, 4. 25b-Marc Minutolo, 5. 13b-Brian Lloyd, 6. 36-Willy Grant, 7. 42-Casey Wagner, 8. 28-Brandon Barron, 9. 22t-John Almekinder, 10. 8e-Justin Jacoby, 11. 18-Jamie Eldredge Jr., 12. 18x-Jim Claypool, 13. 17j-Blane Smith, 14. 54m-Scott Mack, 15. 2-Alex Morris.
Heats (6 laps)
#1: Minutolo, Barron, Wagner, Ju.Eldredge, Smith, Almekinder, Mack, Grant.
#2: Lloyd, F.Burnell, T.Burnell, Ja.Eldredge, Claypool, Morris, Jacoby.

NEXT EVENT: Saturday Spectacular, August 28 @ 6:30pm; Pepsi & Geneva Club Beverage, Ontario County Fairboard and Monroe Mechanical Services present Big-Block Modified Season Championship Night plus Patriot Sprint Tour/Sportsman/305 Sprint/Street Stock with American Foundation For Suicide Prevention 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 2021 division sponsors Eldredge & Sons Scrap Recycling, Mike Emhof Motorsports, Pepsi Geneva Club Beverage, Speed Connection, Lloyd’s Contracting; event sponsors Admar Construction Equipment & Supply Company, Always Locked Self Storage, Auction Direct USA, Auto Value Parts Stores, A-Verdi Storage Containers, Cargill, Cazbah Internet Marketing, DC Rauscher Contractor, Donath Motor Worx, Emerson Oil Company/Castrol, Genesee Beer/Coors Light/Twisted Tea, Geneva Club Beverage, Honeoye Auto Parts/Auto Value Parts Stores, Howell Properties LLC, iFreeze Storage & Distribution Center, MP Delivery, Midstate Basement Authorities, Monroe Mechanical Services, Phelps Cement Products, Regional Truck & Trailer, Seneca Auto Sales & Service, Sherwin Williams Paint, Tradition Automotive Group, VanBortel Trucking; promotional partners Baker’s Externinating, Cazbah Internet Marketing, Champion Power Equipment, Dig Safely New York 811, Elab Smokers Boutique, Ferris Mowers, FLX BBQ Company, Hoosier Racing Tire, Lisa Johnson Real Estate Services, Mac’s Dairy Bar & Mini Golf, MighTea Boba, On The Rocks Bar & Grill, Ontario County Fairboard, Phelps Community Center Head Start, The “Original” Red Osier Landmark Restaurant, Schultz Heating & Cooling, Seneca Auto Sales & Service, Superior Plumbing Service, VP Racing Fuels, Weedsport Hall of Fame, Young Real Estate Agency.

Sources: Tom Skibinski, Land of Legends Raceway PR

Don Romeo photo