AFTER bump, Bonsignore runs to white mountain win

Justin Bonsignore picked up his second win of the Whelen Modified Tour season at White Mountain Motorsports Park. (Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)

STORY BY NASCAR.COM

NORTH WOODSTOCK, N.H. — The first win was a dominating performance. The second was a late pass with a little help from the front bumper. In the end, Justin Bonsignore is 2-for-2 on the 2020 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season.

The Holtsville, New York, driver used a bump-and-run to wrestle the lead away from Matt Hirschman with seven laps to go and then withstood a challenge from Hirschman and Doug Coby on a green-white-checkered finish to win the Independence Day 200 in the tour’s inaugural visit to White Mountain Motorsports Park.

Bonsignore led every lap in winning the season opener at Pennsylvania’s Jennerstown Speedway. Saturday night, he dogged Hirschman in the closing laps before pushing him out of the way and claiming the lead. A late caution pushed the race to 205 laps and Bonsignore edged Hirschman by .127 seconds at the line.

It was Bonsignore’s 28th career win, moving him into a tie with Mike Ewanitsko and defending tour champion Doug Coby for sixth all-time in tour history.

RELATED: White Mountain Results | Justin Bonsignore Career Statistics

Hirschman, who won the Mayhew Tools Pole Award earlier in the day, crossed the finish side-by-side with Coby. Tommy Catalano finished fourth and Woody Pitkat made a late run to finish fifth. Dave Sapienza was sixth, followed by Chris Pasteryak, Craig Lutz, Jon McKennedy and Chase Dowling.

Bonsignore opened up an 11-point lead on Hirschman and a 17 point advantage on Lutz and Coby in the championship standings.
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The Independence Day 200 aired live on TrackPass on NBC Gold, and will re-air on Sunday, July 12, 2020 at 11 p.m. ET.