Late Duel in 200th Career Start Brings Another Top-Five
WALL, N.J. -- Justin Bonsignore had the lead with just a few circuits remaining in the Jersey Shore 150 at Wall Stadium Speedway on Saturday night. After a late dash to the finish with Ron Silk – one that included the two former NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champions battling side-by-side yet again this season – Bonsignore would bring the No. 51 Phoenix Communications Inc. machine home in the second spot. The second-place finish came in Bonsignore’s 200th career Whelen Modified Tour start. On the final restart, Silk made the move for the lead and picked up his third win of the season. Bonsignore has finished second to Silk in all three of his wins, to go along with one of his own – a race where he beat Silk in the late laps to win at Riverhead in May. The finish for Bonsignore, driving the Kenneth Massa Motorsports machine, was his seventh top-five in eight races so far this season. “We were throwing haymakers at each other,” Bonsignore said of the battle with Silk. “It’s been like that all year, with Ron and I putting on some great battles for the fans. We’re about as aggressive as you can be without crashing each other. We snuck by and got the lead a few times there and even though we lost it, this was a good run for us. We don’t have a lot of experience here (at Wall) as a team. We’re keeping pace with Ron, but we just need to get a little bit better and work on it to get up there with him on the long runs. Just want to thank everyone involved that makes this deal happen.” Justin Bonsignore will return to the track at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Saturday, July 15 for the Mohegan Sun 100 with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. For more information on the three-time series champion, visit JustinBonsignore.com.
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Three-Time Series Champion Ready For NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Jersey Shore 150
Race Advance/Story by Souza Media HOLTSVILLE, N.Y. – With 36 career wins, ranking him fourth on the all-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour wins list, Justin Bonsignore will hit a milestone this Saturday night when the Tour visits Wall Stadium Speedway. The three-time series champion will make his 200th career start on the Tour – spanning from his first in 2007 to 2023. Bonsignore has started at least one race in every season except 2008, and has been full-time since 2010. He’s been driving for the same team - Ken Massa Motorsports - for the entire time. The team has accomplished three championships (2018, 2019 & 2021) with countless wins, top-fives, top-10s, poles and more. So far this season, Bonsignore has been strong in the first seven events. The Holtsville, New York, native has one victory and six top-five finishes along with two poles. His 200th career start will come at Wall, a place Bonsignore is still looking for his first win, but he only has two previous Tour starts there, with a best finish of sixth last year. Ryan Stone joined the team as crew chief in 2018. He’s been with Bonsignore for 78 of the starts and during that span and they have 24 of his 36 career wins accomplished together. When Stone decided to join the team in the offseason after the 2017 season, he left JR Motorsports in the NASCAR Xfinity Series to do it. “When I joined the team, Justin was established doing it for over 10 years at a high-level,” Stone said. “At that time Justin had the experience to drive, understand the cars and what he needed in the car to go fast. He just knows what we need for the feeling when we go to all the different tracks we have on the schedule. Going from places like Riverhead, a small bullring, all the way to somewhere like a high-speed New Hampshire, it’s two totally different disciplines as a driver. With experience comes communication and understanding how to manage the races. When I came in, it was just a matter of making the equipment be where it needed to be.” The team has frequented victory lane at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park and Riverhead Raceway since Stone has joined the group, but also have wins at various other tracks including the likes of Bristol, Stafford, Seekonk, Oswego, Monadnock, Jennerstown and White Mountain Motorsports Park. “Having an eight win season in 2018 and a six win season in 2019, you don’t see it often,” Stone said. “Today, we don’t have the dominance that we may have had when I first joined the team but there have been some changes with the cars and the series. The formats are a bit different with some of the no change tire races versus pit stops, the tires are a bit different… We've been challenged just like everyone else. It shows you how hard it really is to have consistent speed at all of these different tracks. But it also shows you how incredible our years were when we first started working together. We hold ourselves to a high standard and it’s really not as easy as sometimes our team or some of the other teams make it look.” Over his 200 starts, the core group of some of the team members have been together the entire time, something you just don’t see often at this level of racing, especially with the demanding schedule the Whelen Modified Tour has this year and some of the previous seasons. Stone says it’s a reflection on owner Ken Massa and Justin Bonsignore as to why it still clicks so well. “Half of our team is from Long Island and the other half from Connecticut with maybe one or two others sprinkled in and some of them have just been together forever, far before I got here,” Stone said. “That’s a reflection on them. These guys have been racing together a long time and that’s so hard to do. I’ve been on several teams and it just doesn’t happen. It’s incredible that it’s even been six years since I started working with them. They are great to work with. Ken gives us everything we need and Justin gives us everything he has to make sure we run up front.” Justin Bonsignore will make his 200th career NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour start on Saturday, July 8 at Wall Stadium Speedway in the Jersey Shore 150. The start will be followed by a race just seven days later at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the Whelen Modified Tour - one of the many major events of the season. Saturday’s race day schedule includes practice from 3:30-4:30 p.m., followed by qualifying at 6 p.m. and the green flag for the race at 8 p.m. The event will air live on FloRacing.TV for those who can’t make it to the track. For more information on Justin Bonsignore, fans are encouraged to visit JustinBonsignore.com and follow his Athlete page on Facebook for the latest news and updates. RIVERHEAD, N.Y. – Justin Bonsignore had a strong night at Riverhead Raceway on Saturday night with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. On a night where Bonsignore had a chance to tie Mike Ewanitsko for the most Whelen Modified Tour wins at his home track, Bonsignore started in sixth, raced up to the front and finished second to Ron Silk.
Bonsignore chased the back bumper of Silk for much of the middle portion of the race, but just couldn’t quite find enough speed to get around. The finish of second was the fourth consecutive finish in the top-two at Riverhead for Bonsignore. It was his 22nd top-five in 26 career starts at the New York oval and also his sixth in seven Whelen Modified Tour races so far this season. “We were able to run at a harder pace than we had in the past for Riverhead,” Bonsignore said. “I tried the bottom groove at around Lap 130 and I lost about six car-lengths. You’re just glued to the top, which is unfortunate. I would have loved to win with Mike Ewanitsko here tonight and I appreciate Riverhead for everything they did to honor Mike. He’s well deserving of it.” Justin Bonsignore will return to the track for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Jersey Shore 150 at Wall Stadium Speedway on Saturday, July 8. For more information on the three-time series champion, visit his Athlete page on Facebook or online at JustinBonsignore.com. Three-Time Series Champion Looks To Make History Saturday Night
HOLTSVILLE, N.Y. – Just one month ago, Justin Bonsignore parked in Victory Lane for the 10th time at Riverhead Raceway on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. This Saturday night, June 24, in a special Riverhead honors MIke Ewanitsko 200 for the Whelen Modified Tour, Bonsignore will have the chance to make history. After growing up racing at Riverhead, Bonsignore had sights set on collecting as many Tour wins as possible at his home track throughout his career, just like any other Riverhead weekly regular. Now, he has a chance to tie Ewanitsko with 11 career wins at Riverhead, the most on the Whelen Modified Tour all-time. He’s been to Victory Lane in the last two races at the New York oval and has finished fifth or better in 16 of his last 17 starts. He’s also led over 1,300 laps in his career at Riverhead on the Whelen Modified Tour alone. In the May 21 race at the quarter-mile, Bonsignore won the pole and led laps, but ran second most of the race to Ron Silk before snagging the lead away with a move late to pick up the win. He’s off to a strong start to the season with top-10 finishes in all six races, including five top-fives. “Winning at Riverhead is always important for us,” Bonsignore said. “Last month we were able to do it again and we’re certainly confident going back to our home track. It’s always tough to finish the job at the end of 200 laps. It will be a special night for Riverhead to be honoring Mike Ewanitsko and for us to have the opportunity to tie him for the record. It’s been a goal of ours for a long time and to have the opportunity to pull it off is cool.” Saturday’s Riverhead schedule includes one practice session from 3:15-4:15 p.m., followed by qualifying at 5:30 p.m. and the drop of the green flag for 200 laps at 8 p.m. All of the racing for the night will air live on FloRacing.TV for those who will not be able to make it. For more information on three-time series champion Justin Bonsignore, including his schedule of events, team partners and more, visit JustinBonsignore.com and follow his Facebook Athlete page for all the latest news and updates, including from the track. SEEKONK, Mass. – Saturday was a day of moving forward in the Seekonk 150 for Justin Bonsignore and the Ken Massa Motorsports team. After qualifying 10th for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour return to the Action Track of the East, Bonsignore struggled a bit early, but then, chased his way up through the field into the top-five.
Bonsignore moved from the bottom of the top-10 up into sixth spot, then passed Austin Beers and Anthony Sesely to move into fourth, just after going one lap down to leader and eventual winner Matt Hirschman. When Bonsignore was running fourth, the caution came out, giving him the lucky dog. A second caution a few laps later gave Bonsignore a chance to restart up at the front. He chased the back bumper of Ron Silk racing for the third the final 10 laps, but finished just behind him in fourth in the sixth race of the season. “Considering how it started, it was a good night for us,” Bonsignore said. “We picked off a whole bunch of cars. We got lucky with getting past those two guys when we did and we had a shot at a top-three at the end. Ron was doing a really good job protecting, so we just take a fourth-place finish and get ready for the next one.” Justin Bonsignore and the Kenneth Massa Motorsports team will return to the track at Riverhead Raceway, looking for their second straight win at the New York oval, on Saturday, June 24. For more information on three-time series champion Justin Bonsignore, visit JustinBonsignore.com and follow his Athlete page on Facebook for the latest news and information. Race Advance by Souza Media
HOLTSVILLE, N.Y. – A Saturday night short-track showdown in Massachusetts is up next for Justin Bonsignore and the Ken Massa Motorsports team. This Saturday night, June 10, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour heads to Seekonk Speedway for the Seekonk 150 – race six of the 19-event 2023 calendar. Bonsignore enters the race with one win in the first five races of the season – at Riverhead Raceway – but the three-time series champion has top-10 finishes in all events and top-fives in all but one. Heading to Seekonk, a place where Bonsignore won in 2018, the New York native has a high amount of confidence. Seekonk recently paved the corners on both ends of the third-mile, adding yet another element to Saturday’s race. No Modifieds have competed in a race on the surface yet in competition this season, but the track has been running weekly events and the racing has been some of the best the track has seen. “Definitely excited to get to Seekonk and try the new pavement and see how it impacted the track,” Bonsignore said. “We’ve had a pretty consistent season so far, but we are looking to get back to Victory Lane again with our Phoenix Communications team. We’re going to be six races into the year and the summer stretch is about to get underway. It’s going to be a busy and important time for our team.” A full day of racing at Seekonk Speedway also includes their weekly Sport Trucks, Sportsman and Late Models, all with extra-distance races. The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will practice from 3-4 p.m., with qualifying at 5:30 p.m., and the 150-lap at 8 p.m. Tickets are available in advance at SeekonkSpeedway.com and will also be available at the track on race day. For those who can’t make it, FloRacing.TV will also have live coverage at 8 p.m. For more information on three-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Justin Bonsignore and his Kenneth Massa Motorsports team, visit JustinBonsignore.com and follow his Athlete page on Facebook for the latest updates. Race Advance by Souza Media
HOLTSVILLE, N.Y. – Just six days off his Riverhead Raceway win, Justin Bonsignore will return to the track with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour on Saturday, May 27 at Lee USA Speedway. Set to compete in the Granite State Derby 175, Bonsignore will head to Lee looking to improve on his finish there last year of 10th. All NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour cars will carry the name of fallen heroes on their roof with a decal for the Lee event, as part of Memorial Day weekend. Bonsignore’s No. 51 Kenneth Massa Motorsports entry will hold the name of USMC Cpl. Michael Ouellette, who passed away during combat operations in Afghanistan in 2009. Ouellette was involved in an action in the Middle East where he lost his life while enabling the evacuation/withdrawal of 28 other troops. He was awarded the US Navy Cross for “extraordinary heroism in combat.” The Navy Cross is the highest military decoration awarded by the US Navy. “Memorial Day is a special time for everyone and we’re honored to have this tradition continue of carrying a fallen hero, in this case USMC Cpl. Michael Ouellette, on the No. 51 for the Granite State Derby at Lee. These heroes gave the ultimate sacrifice for all of us. It’s been a strong start to the season on the track for us and coming off a win is always a good feeling,” Bonsignore said. “We’ve had consistent speed in our cars and all the credit goes to Ryan Stone and the guys that work so hard to make sure we’re prepared. Lee is definitely a track that eats up tires and with two opportunities to change tires during 175 laps, the race will be a mix of tire conservation and strategy. We’re looking forward to getting back up there to New Hampshire and keeping our momentum rolling.” Saturday’s race day at Lee USA Speedway will include one practice session from 1:40-2:25 p.m., followed by Mayhew Tools pole qualifying at 6:30 p.m. The green flag for the Granite State Derby 175 will drop at 7:45 p.m., live on FloRacing.TV for those who can’t make it to New Hampshire. For those who can, tickets and information on the event is available at JDVProductions.com. For more information on three-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Justin Bonsignore and his Kenneth Massa Motorsports team, visit JustinBonsignore.com and follow his Athlete page on Facebook for the latest updates. Race Recap by Souza Media
RIVERHEAD, N.Y. – A classic short-track battle between two of the veterans of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour ended with Justin Bonsignore’s 10th career Riverhead Raceway win on Sunday afternoon in the Buzz Chew 200. Bonsignore started from the top spot after scoring his 25th career pole in qualifying and ran second for much of the race, but was able to roll the outside lane by Ron Silk on a late restart to get back to Victory Lane. Silk led much of the race – but a caution late stacked the field up and gave Bonsignore another shot. The two battled side-by-side, beating and banging during a short-track battle in New York. Off turn four, Bonsignore was sideways on the outside lane, but a caution flew for a multiple-car accident and Bonsignore was out front, holding the advantage for the final restart of the 200-lap race. Bonsignore drove off turn four to the checkered flag. The victory places Bonsignore just one short of the Whelen Modified Tour wins record at Riverhead – 11 – held by Mike Ewanitsko. Bonsignore will have a chance to tie when the series returns to Riverhead on June 24. The win was also Bonsignore’s 36th career – giving him sole possession of fourth place on the all-time wins list on the Whelen Modified Tour. He now sits just seven wins short of Ted Christopher for the top-three. “Ron and I have been beating the heck out of each other all year,” Bonsignore said, as both drivers now have top-five finishes in all four races. “The caution towards the end was good for us. You just have to keep yourself in these races and it fell our way today. It’s unbelievable to get number 10 at Riverhead. I can’t thank everyone on this team enough. It’s a cool way to get to Victory Lane. All of these are special. Tying MIke has been a goal of ours for a long time and to get this close to the record is special. These races never get any easier to win.” In just six days, Justin Bonsignore will return to the track with the next race on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour schedule – the Granite State Derby at Lee USA Speedway – on Saturday, May 27. For more information and tickets for the race, visit JDVProductions.com. For more information on Justin Bonsignore and the Kenneth Massa Motorsports team, visit JustinBonsignore.com and follow his Athlete page on Facebook for the latest news and updates. Three-Time Series Champ Looking For 10th Career Tour Triumph at New York Bullring
Race Advance by Souza Media RIVERHEAD, N.Y. – Justin Bonsignore and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour roll into Riverhead Raceway for the first of three stops at the New York oval this Sunday afternoon, May 21. Bonsignore, a three-time series champion, has nine career Whelen Modified Tour wins at his home track, including the most recent 200-lap event last September. On that night, Bonsignore captured victory in the special Ed Partridge Memorial event, leading 211 of the 256 laps after starting from pole position. The victory continued to inch Bonsignore closer to Mike Ewanitsko’s record of 11 Whelen Modified Tour wins at Riverhead, leaving him just two short. At 35-years-old, Bonsignore is hoping to take sole possession of that record before he hangs up the helmet. After growing up at Riverhead, and still attending races there when scheduling permits, Bonsignore knows accomplishing the feat would be special. But for now – he has his sights set on Sunday afternoon – with the Buzz Chew Chevrolet Cadillac 200 at 2:45 p.m. “We just take it one race at a time and we are heading to Riverhead off three top-five finishes to start the 2023 season,” Bonsignore said. “We’re looking to keep the momentum rolling and unload there with a strong car and make it to the end with a chance to win. Racing at Riverhead is always tight, and requires you to make sure you have enough in the car to be able to race for the win. The Whelen Modified Tour races at Riverhead are a tough battle with the local regulars and all of the Tour regulars racing against each other. It’s cool to be able to race the guys that grind it out there weekly on this stage.” Saturday’s Buzz Chew Chevrolet Cadillac 200 includes one NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour practice session from 11:15-12 p.m., followed by Mayhew Tools qualifying at 1:30 p.m., and the drop of the green flag for 200 laps at 2:45 p.m. All of the racing action will air live on FloRacing.TV for those who can’t make it to the track. For more information on three-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Justin Bonsignore, fans are encouraged to visit JustinBonsignore.com and follow his Athlete page on Facebook for the latest updates, including from the track on race day. Race Recap by Souza Media
WINCHESTER, N.H. – Justin Bonsignore scored his third consecutive top-five finish to open the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season on Saturday at Monadnock Speedway. Bonsignore won the Mayhew Tools pole award in qualifying for the Duel at the Dog – his 24th career pole – and rolled off out front, leading the first portion of the race. After being passed by eventual winner Doug Coby, Bonsignore would ride inside the top-three for most of the race, until sliding to the bottom of the top-five in the final few circuits. The fifth-place effort for the Holtsville, New York, native was his ninth top-five finish in 10 career starts at the New Hampshire bullring and continued a hot start to the 2023 season. Up next for Justin Bonsignore and his Ken Massa Motorsports team will be a trip to Riverhead Raceway in New York on Saturday, May 20 for the next NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race. For more information on three-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Justin Bonsignore, visit JustinBonsignore.com and follow his Athlete page on Facebook for all the latest news and updates. |
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