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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NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Round Three on Tap in New Hampshire
Race Advance by Souza Media HOLTSVILLE, N.Y. – With top-five finishes in the first two NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour races of the season in the rear-view mirror, three-time series champion Justin Bonsignore is ready for round three this weekend. Bonsignore will pilot the No. 51 Phoenix Communications entry in the Duel at the Dog 200 on Saturday, May 6 at Monadnock Speedway in New Hampshire. Bonsignore enters Monadnock with a stout history at the track. In nine career Whelen Modified Tour starts there, Bonsignore has four wins, eight top-fives and top-10 finishes in all of his starts. Dating back to 2020, Bonsignore has been to Victory Lane in the last two Whelen Modified Tour races at Monadnock. After two events, Bonsignore sits third in the series point standings, one point back, with 17 races still remaining in the 19-race schedule. “We always have enjoyed racing at Monadnock and we’ve had a great amount of success there over the years with multiple wins,” Bonsignore said. “The track has two distinct corners that you drive a bit differently from the other and it puts on a great race. With 200 laps and no pit stop for new tires, saving your equipment and making sure you have something for the end will be important in deciding who wins. We’re looking to build on a strong start to the season and get a busy stretch of racing going with a strong run.” Saturday’s race day schedule at Monadnock includes quick turnarounds with a 5 p.m. green flag for 200 laps. Teams will practice from 12:20-1:20 p.m., while Mayhew Tools pole qualifying is set for 2:30 p.m. Race day at Monadnock also includes six other divisions of racing. Tickets for the event are available in advance at JDVProductions.com and will also be available at the track on race day. For those who can’t make it, the race will also air live on FloRacing.TV at 5 p.m. For more information on the Duel at the Dog weekend at Monadnock Speedway, visit JDVProductions.com. For more information on three-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Justin Bonsignore, visit JustinBonsignore.com and follow his Athlete page on Facebook for updates, including from the track on race day. Race Recap by Souza Media
RICHMOND, Va. – Justin Bonsignore scored his second consecutive top-five finish in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season on Saturday, April 1 at Richmond Raceway. Driving in the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150, Bonsignore started from the outside of the front row after qualifying there on Friday, March 31. Following qualifying, rain fell at Richmond, and postponed the race to Saturday – following the conclusion of the NASCAR Xfinity Series 250. Early in the 150-lap race, Bonsignore was running inside the top few rows when crew chief Ryan Stone made the decision to head down pit road for a few fresh Hoosier tires. Bonsignore raced back up to 13th in the field prior to the next caution, then stayed out when many others pitted, and rocketed to the lead quickly for a few laps. After being passed for the lead, he fell to the bottom of the top-10 before the next caution, then made his charge back to the front at the end. Bonsignore passed Doug Coby for second late – and crossed the line fourth at the finish – after a tough battle with J.B. Fortin and Max McLaughlin over the final laps. The Holtsville, New York native and his Kenneth Massa Motorsports team had Coastal Fiber LLC on the car for the Richmond race. “All in all, it was a good day,” Bonsignore said. “The guys you need to beat for the points, we feel like we beat today. Austin Beers (race winner) has been on point in the first few races as well. We came away with a good finish in a tough battle there in the last laps. The two guys we were racing were just a little bit better on the last lap. It was a lot of work for our team with two days here in Richmond – but we’re going to go home and start working for the next one.” Justin Bonsignore will return to the track on Saturday, May 6, for the third race of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season – the Duel at the Dog 200 – at Monadnock Speedway Fans can find more information on that event at JDVProductions.com and more information on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at NASCAR.com. For more information on Justin and his team, visit JustinBonsignore.com and follow Justin’s Athlete page on Facebook. Three-Time Champion Looks To Continue Strong Start To 2023
Race Advance by Souza Media HOLTSVILLE, N.Y. – After just over a month off from the first NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race of the season at New Smyrna Speedway, Justin Bonsignore and the Ken Massa Motorsports team are ready to get back to work for round two. The No. 51 Coastal Fiber team rolls to Richmond Raceway this Friday, March 31, for the Virginia is For Racing Lovers 150. Bonsignore enters the race as the defending winner of the 150-lap contest in Virginia, and is coming off a second-place finish to open the season at New Smyrna after a spirited battle with Ron Silk last month. Bonsignore led 58 laps at Richmond last March – passing Tommy Catalano with 11 laps to go and racing away to what was his 31st career series victory. Since then, Bonsignore has added three more, and currently sits with 34 victories on NASCAR’s oldest touring series. “We started off the season well at New Smyrna and we’re looking forward to getting back to Richmond,” Bonsignore said. “Last year, we had a great car at the end of the race and were able to capitalize with a win. Weekends where we join the NASCAR National Series divisions at the track are always special for all of us in the garage and Ryan Stone and the team have prepared a strong Coastal-Fiber car for 150 laps.” Coastal Fiber, LLC, is a local Virginia business that is a full service fiber optic construction and splicing company. Owned by Mark Langevin, the owner of Phoenix Communications Inc. – Bonsignore's normal primary sponsor – Coastal Fiber, LLC returns to the side of the No. 51 for the Virginia is For Racing Lovers 150. The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will hit the track for practice on Friday from 12:45-1:55 p.m., followed by Mayhew Tools pole qualifying at 4:15 p.m. The green flag for the race, live on FloRacing.TV, will drop at 6:30 p.m. Richmond’s NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event is a combination race with two of NASCAR’s National Series divisions – the NASCAR Xfinity Series (April 1) and the NASCAR Cup Series (April 2). For more information on three-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Justin Bonsignore, fans are encouraged to visit his website, JustinBonsignore.com, and follow his Athlete page on Facebook for updates, including from the track. Race Recap by Souza Media
NEW SMYRNA, Fla. – Justin Bonsignore and the Kenneth Massa Motorsports team opened the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season on a high note Saturday night in Florida. The driver of the Phoenix Communications No. 51 started from the fifth spot after qualifying washed out due to rain, and crossed the line after 200 laps in second-place. Bonsignore dashed through the field inside the final 35 laps on a restart, taking the lead momentarily from Ron Silk, twice. Bonsignore spun around while running second, managed to work his way back to the front, and took the lead again in the final six laps. Over the final laps, Silk and Bonsignore raced hard for the top spot – with Silk taking the lead for the final time late and never looking back. Bonsignore’s second-place finish was the best to start to a season for him since 2020 – and was his 104th career finish inside the top-five in series history – all with Kenneth Massa Motorsports. “I just couldn’t quite get away from him when I took the lead,” Bonsignore said post-race. “I tried to cross him over, but I just didn’t work. Overall, it was a good start to the year – we weren’t great all night, but the guys made some good calls on the final pit stop, and we were able to drive to the front. Hopefully we hit on something here with the new tires for this year and we can build off it going forward.” Next up for Justin Bonsignore and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will be the return to Richmond Raceway on Friday, March 31, for the second race of the season. For more information on Justin Bonsignore, visit JustinBonsignore.com and follow his page on Facebook for the latest updates, including from the track. Race Advance by Souza Media
HOLTSVILLE, N.Y. – Justin Bonsignore and the Ken Massa Motorsports team are ready to chase a fourth NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour title entering the 2023 season. Their quest to accomplish the ultimate goal begins this Saturday, February 11, as the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season begins in Florida, at New Smyrna Speedway – for the second straight year – with the running of the New Smyrna Visitors Bureau 200. Bonsignore and the team head to the high-banks looking for revenge from last year’s Tour debut at the Florida half-mile. Early in the race, Bonsignore had a mechanical failure that sidelined him from finishing. With a 19-race Tour schedule planned for 2023, Bonsignore and the team know getting off on a strong foot this weekend will be important. Although there has only been one Whelen Modified Tour race in New Smyrna’s history, the track is well-known for their Tour Modified division as part of the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing. Bonsignore is a former winner there during the week – and the Whelen Modified Tour race this Saturday helps kick-off a full week of Modified racing, which will continue after Saturday from February 13-17. Bonsignore will only compete in the Tour race, but is hoping to leave with the trophy to bring back home to Long Island. “The offseason went by quickly, but we’ve been working hard since Martinsville to be ready for the 2023 season,” Bonsignore said. “Ryan Stone and the group have prepared another great car to head to New Smyrna. Looking forward to the Whelen Modified Tour season and the 75th anniversary of NASCAR. Should be a good challenge for us to try and come out of the gate strong and be there at the end of 200 laps.” Saturday’s NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event will begin live at 7:30 p.m. on FloRacing.TV. A limited number of tickets are available to attend the event in person. Teams will practice twice, from 1-1:45 p.m. and 2:45-3:30 p.m. Pole qualifying for the first race of the season is scheduled for about 6 p.m. and the race will follow. For the latest 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 updates, including from the track. By Souza Media
HOLTSVILLE, N.Y. – With a fourth NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship in reach, Justin Bonsignore heads to Martinsville Speedway this Thursday, October 27 for the season-finale. The three-time series champion enters the race 11-points behind Jon McKennedy, with Ron Silk in the middle of the two of them, six points back. Eric Goodale is fourth, 13 points from the lead – meaning all four of the contenders have a chance to win the driver’s title in the final race of the season. Bonsignore will head to Martinsville with winning in mind, and hope everything else works out at the end of the 200-lap distance. Throughout a season filled with ups and downs, Bonsignore has four feature wins in 15 races, the most of any driver on the Tour this season. He’s excited to head back to Virginia to chase one of the most unique trophies in racing. “Above everything our goals are to go there and win the race and get that Grandfather Clock,” Bonsignore said. “If we go out there and gain maximum points at Martinsville, we will have a shot at winning another championship but it all depends how the others do. We can only control what we can with our own team, so that’s what we’re going to do. We were strong at Martinsville last year, starting from the rear and leading laps. It would be great to finish the season on top.” The season-finale race day will begin at 3 p.m. with practice, followed by Mayhew Tools qualifying at 5 p.m. to set the field. The estimated green flag time for the Virginia Is For Racing Lovers 200 is scheduled for 8 p.m., live on FloRacing.TV for those who can’t make it to the track. For more information on Justin Bonsignore, visit JustinBonsignore.com and follow his Athlete page on Facebook for the latest updates. By Souza Media
HOLTSVILLE, N.Y. – With just two races remaining in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season, Justin Bonsignore is set to return to Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park this weekend. Bonsignore will compete in the Phoenix Communications No. 51 for Ken Massa Motorsports, entering the weekend tied for second in the series championship standings. The three-time and defending champion is only three points behind leader Jon McKennedy with just two races left. With Thompson’s high-banks looming, Bonsignore is carrying momentum after winning the last two Whelen Modified Tour races at Oswego Speedway and Riverhead Raceway. In his career at Thompson, the New York native has 12 career wins in 40 starts there. “We’ve had a strong few races and looking to keep that rolling into Thompson, a place I’ve always enjoyed racing at,” Bonsignore said. “We’ve performed well at Thompson many times and even though we were a tick off there in August, we’re excited to go back with a little bit better package and compete for the win at the World Series. It’s a large weekend with a lot of racing and a lot of eyes on Connecticut.” Thompson’s World Series schedule includes practice and Mayhew Tools qualifying on Saturday, October 8. The green flag for the Sunoco World Series 150 is slated for Sunday, October 9. The Whelen Modified Tour race will air live on FloRacing.TV. For more information on Justin Bonsignore and his team, visit JustinBonsignore.com and follow his Athlete page on Facebook, including for updates from the track on race day. By Souza Media
RIVERHEAD, N.Y. – For the second straight NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race, Justin Bonsignore was celebrating in Victory Lane on Saturday night at Riverhead Raceway. Competing at his home track in New York, Bonsignore dominated the early stages of the race after pacing practice and winning the Mayhew Tools Dominator Pole award in qualifying. For the first time, infield pit stops were a factor at Riverhead, and pit strategy did play into the decision of who won the 256-lap special event, in honor of the late Ed Partridge, former owner of the track. In the end, Bonsignore’s crew chief Ryan Stone called him to pit road when the caution flag flew at lap 182, then Bonsignore chased his way back to the front to get back to Victory Lane. The win was the fourth of the season for Bonsignore, and it comes at the perfect time – as the three-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion has closed the gap to just a few points in the championship standings with two races to go in the season. The victory was his 35th career, and his ninth at Riverhead – the most of all active drivers. “It’s a shame we lost Eddie Partridge last year, but it’s unbelievable what Riverhead does each and every week to honor him,” Bonsignore said. “I’m so happy they keep the racing going for all of us. This is the best car we’ve had here, and I think we could have won it in 200 laps. Momentum is a thing and now I’ve knocked off two wins in a row.” Bonsignore will return to the track at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park as part of the 60th Sunoco World Series of Speedway Racing on Sunday, October 9. Following Thompson, only the championship finale at Martinsville Speedway on October 27 remains in the season. For more information on Justin Bonsignore, visit JustinBonsignore.com and follow him on his Athlete page on Facebook for the latest updates. By Souza Media
HOLTSVILLE, N.Y. – With three races remaining in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season, Justin Bonsignore and the No. 51 Ken Massa Motorsports team are heading back home this weekend. On Saturday, September 17, Bonsignore will compete in the Ed Partridge 256-lap race at Riverhead Raceway, as the Whelen Modified Tour honors the late track owner in a truly special event. The race will mark the first at Riverhead’s quarter-mile that includes live pit stops in the infield of the bullring. The race surely will present new challenges teams haven’t faced previously at Riverhead, and Bonsignore is ready for the challenge. The local hometown driver finished second in the July stop at the track, and has eight wins in 23 career starts – a stat that also includes 19 top-10 finishes. “We are really looking forward to this race for a lot of reasons,” Bonsignore said. “Honoring Ed is going to be a special night, with more laps, and a pit stop thrown in, in the infield, there is a lot going on and it adds a bunch of new elements to an already interesting race. With just three races left in the season, our goals are to win as many races as possible and let everything else fall where it falls.” Bonsignore enters the race third in the series championship standings, 17 points back, with only Riverhead, Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park (October 9) and Martinsville Speedway (October 27) remaining on the 2022 schedule. Riverhead’s race day schedule for the Ed Partridge 256 includes one practice session from 3:15-4:15 p.m., followed by Mayhew Tools qualifying at 6 p.m. The green flag for the Ed Partridge 256 is scheduled for 8 p.m., live on FloRacing.TV for those who can’t make it to the track. For more information on Justin Bonsignore, visit JustinBonsignore.com and follow his Athlete page for the latest updates, including from the track on race day. |
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