LOUDON, N.H. – Justin Bonsignore had a busy Saturday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway - one that ended with his 42nd career NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victory - and a strong performance in his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut with Joe Gibbs Racing.
Bonsignore started the day early - as the Whelen Modified Tour hit the track for the Mohegan Sun 100 at 10 a.m. Bonsignore ran inside the top-three for the duration of the race after rolling off on the front row for the 100-lap event. In the final laps, he battled with his cousin, Kyle Bonsignore, for the win. Justin kept control of the race for the final restart, then drove away from Kyle on the backstretch and back to the start-finish line to rocket to Victory Lane. The Whelen Modified Tour win was Justin’s second of the season through seven events, and tied Ted Christopher for third all-time on the series wins list. Bonsignore now sits behind Reggie Ruggerio (44) and Mike Stefanik (74) on the wins list. “We have 16 awesome races in a year, but this is our Daytona 500,” Justin said. “Everyone wants to win this race. There’s so much that goes into putting yourself in position and having a good car. It’s mentally tough to control and understand what you need to do in these late restarts.” Bonsignore pulled within two points of leader Ron Silk in the championship standings as the series heads for the halfway point of the season in the next race, set for July 20 at Monadnock Speedway. After the Whelen Modified Tour win, Bonsignore moved to his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut with Joe Gibbs Racing, competing in the SciAps 200. Driving the M3 Technology, USNE No. 19 Toyota GR Supra, Bonsignore started 25th in the field after qualifying was canceled on Friday due to rain. In the early part of the race, Bonsignore pitted and stayed out at the end of the first stage, taking the lead of the race. From there, he ran in the top-five for a large portion of the day. After a late caution, contact in turn one sent Bonsignore spinning, pushing him to a finish of 23rd in his debut. However, the result didn’t show the day the New York native had on NASCAR’s National Series stage. “You really couldn’t have asked for a better day with Joe Gibbs Racing,” Bonsignore said. “Our crew chief played some great strategy to get us up there. I was still learning even right to the end of the race. I was getting better and better all day long and we had a really good car. I can’t thank M3 Technology, USNE and everyone else who made this possible enough for the opportunity.” For more information on three-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Justin Bonsignore, visit JustinBonsignore.com and follow him on social media. ABOUT JUSTIN BONSIGNORE Justin Bonsignore, 36, is a three-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion driver for Ken Massa Motorsports. Bonsignore picked up his first championship in 2018, and followed it up with two more in 2020 and 2021. Over 17 years of competing on NASCAR’s oldest touring series, Bonsignore has amassed 42 career wins, along with 123 top-fives and 160 top-10s. His 42 wins ranks him tied for third on the all-time on the series win list, tied with the late Ted Christopher. Bonsignore also has 31 career Tour pole awards - also fourth on the all-time list. In the last six years with crew chief Ryan Stone, Bonsignore has 30 of his 42 wins.
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After three championships and over 40 wins on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, Justin Bonsignore will get his opportunity in the NASCAR National Series this weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Bonsignore will compete in the M3 Technology, USNE No. 19 Toyota GR Supra for Joe Gibbs Racing in the SciAps 200 for the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
After taking the checkered flag in the Xfinity event, Bonsignore will jump in his No. 51 Phoenix Communications Inc. Modified for Ken Massa Motorsports to compete in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Mohegan Sun 100. The Xfinity Series event will go green at 3:30 p.m., live on USA. The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event is slated for 6:30 p.m., live on FloRacing.TV. The opportunity for Bonsignore to run double duty at the ‘Magic Mile’ will bring his racing aspirations together for a day in New Hampshire. Racing competitively and winning on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour means a lot to Bonsignore, who grew up watching names like Mike Stefanik, Ted Christopher and more dominate NASCAR’s Modified ranks. While Bonsignore continues to thrive racing Modifieds, already winning a Tour event this year at Richmond Raceway, the chance to strap in the NASCAR Xfinity Series is a dream becoming reality. “We would have never done this if it wasn’t going to be with a team that I thought I could go out there and win with,” Bonsignore said. “Joe Gibbs Racing is one of the top teams in NASCAR and the Xfinity Series. Working with them was a no-brainer for us and their entire group has been so helpful to get me up to speed and ready to go.” Bonsignore will have M3 Technology, owned by Modified car owner Ken Massa, on the side of the No. 19, along with USNE, another partner that saw the opportunity to work with him. “Ken, his wife Janine, and their entire family - they have done so much for me personally and with my racing career,” Bonsignore said. “I’m forever thankful for them and also have to thank USNE for believing in me and helping make this race a reality.” “This is huge for my career. I’ve always had goals to make it to the NASCAR National Series, but we never had the sponsorship and it was never the right time to chase it. I’ve learned since racing with the ARCA Menards Series at Daytona in February that the business side of the sport is just as important as driving the car to get your opportunities. To do this with JGR, with everyone we will have there supporting me from family, to sponsors, to our Modified crew and fans in general… it’s going to be a special day.” Bonsignore’s busy weekend begins on Friday, June 21, with NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and NASCAR Xfinity Series practice and qualifying. On Saturday, Bonsignore will visit multiple areas in the FanZone at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, where fans can come out and meet and greet with the three-time Whelen Modified Tour champion. The Xfinity Series race will be up first on Saturday at 3:30 p.m., followed by a quick turnaround into the Modified for 6:30 p.m. The Whelen Modified Tour event is the seventh of the season for Bonsignore, who currently sits second in the championship standings approaching the halfway point of the year. Fans can purchase tickets for the weekend and see a full schedule of events and appearances online at NHMS.com. For more information on three-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Justin Bonsignore, visit JustinBonsignore.com and follow him on social media. ABOUT JUSTIN BONSIGNORE Justin Bonsignore, 36, is a three-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion driver for Ken Massa Motorsports. Bonsignore picked up his first championship in 2018, and followed it up with two more in 2020 and 2021. Over 17 years of competing on NASCAR’s oldest touring series, Bonsignore has amassed 41 career wins, along with 122 top-fives and 159 top-10s. His 4410 wins ranks him fourth all-time on the series win list, just two behind the late Ted Christopher for third. Bonsignore also has 31 career Tour pole awards - also fourth on the all-time list. In the last six years with crew chief Ryan Stone, Bonsignore has 29 of his 41 wins. Press release from New Hampshire Motor Speedway
LOUDON, N.H. – To most folks, the start of summer instinctively means taking time to relax with friends and family and slowing down just a bit. Justin Bonsignore is going to do something just a bit different with his first summer Saturday. The three-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour (NWMT) champion is not only set to defend his New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS) crown in the Mohegan Sun 100 in the evening, but also make his NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) debut in the SciAps 200 that afternoon. “The schedule is definitely going to be tough,” Bonsignore said. “It’s going to be a hectic weekend. We have a nice, detailed schedule on where we need to be for each thing. There’s a lot of off-track things going on as well. It’s going to be hectic. It’s most important to stay hydrated, stay ready to go and keep an eye on the schedule and make sure everything is on time.” Driving the No. 51 Chevrolet for Kenneth Massa Motorsports in the NWMT, Bonsignore has one win and five top-five finishes so far in 2024 to sit second in the NWMT point standings, 16 points behind Ron Silk, the defending series champion. The 36-year-old from Holtsville, N.Y. outdueled Silk and six-time Tour champion Doug Coby in a thrilling finish last season to score his second victory at “The Magic Mile.” “Ronnie Silk has come out like gangbusters,” Bonsignore said. “Austin Beers has been really good in the last three races or so. Doug Coby will be there – he’s always good at Loudon. We had an awesome finish last year between [myself], him and Silk. “It’ll come down to the end, the last lap, who makes the best move on the white flag lap to get off of turn four first.” As for the NXS opportunity, Bonsignore is getting behind the wheel for one of the sport’s top organizations – Joe Gibbs Racing – driving the No. 19 Toyota, which has seen a revolving door of drivers so far this season. Other pilots of the No.19 Toyota this year include Aric Almirola, Josh Bilicki, Taylor Gray, Ty Gibbs, Brett Moffitt and Ryan Truex. “We’re really excited with the opportunity with JGR,” Bonsignore said. “Not sure what to expect yet. We’re going to get some simulator time here soon in North Carolina. We’re hoping to put together a really good run and put a whole day together with no mistakes on pit road and the racetrack. Maybe at the end of it, we’ll have a shot at the win.” With or without a trip to victory lane, the exposure of a New England legend to a national series audience can only provide an additional boost to Northeast racing – a reward the entire industry takes pride in. “It’s very important for our community up here in the Northeast,” Bonsignore said. “Modified drivers, team owners, fans, everyone is a tightknit community. Everyone is really proud of each other when they get these big opportunities. At my age, I really don’t have big aspirations to go full-time or leave the Modified Tour. That’s where my home is, and I hope to stay here until the end of my career. “Hopefully we can run well and it sheds light that there are really good race car drivers up here in the Northeast. If it could possibly help a younger driver in our series get noticed – or just put more eyes on the Modified Tour – that’s my biggest goal here. It’s just to show how good these guys are up in our area.” For a NASCAR weekend schedule, visit NHMS.com/Events/NASCAR-Cup-Series/Schedule/. |
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