Column By: BRITTANY NUTILE / RPW – THOMPSON, CT – Justin Bonsignore won from the pole at Thompson on Wednesday for the Bud King Of Beers 150, keeping himself perfect on the Connecticut oval this season.
Bonsignore scored his fifth win this season and now has 17 career victories, including ever tour race at Thompson this year. He had a better run on Wednesday night at Thompson than last Friday at Stafford where he finished seventh.
“Seventh is good but the year we are having, it’s kind of disappointing,” Bonsignore said. We would have liked to have done better at Stafford.”
Officials were trying to quickly get the race going because everyone thought there was weather coming. The drivers were fighting hard at a more hurried-up pace to make sure they got to at least halfway or possibly the entire distance, which they did.
Matt Swanson started the race seventh and finished second in the Boehler #3 ‘Ole Blue.’ Regular driver Rowan Pennink couldn’t make the race on Wednesday because he and his girlfriend welcomed their baby daughter into the world at 4am that morning. Swanson got the call on Tuesday night and said he jumped at the chance to be driving such an iconic car.
“I’m very grateful for the opportunity,” Swanson said. “I’m thankful they chose me to be the one to drive one of the most famous cars on the tour.”
Multi-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Champion Doug Coby brought his #2 home in the third position, right where he started. On lap 123, Coby spun in the second turn, the same place Ryan Preece spun last year and eventually went on to win.
Coby didn’t have the same result but came close, getting back to a podium finish when the checkers fell.
Craig Lutz finished the race in eighth after starting in the fourth spot. After practice, he said their car was off and they didn’t get a mock run that they wanted for the car, They made some adjustments before qualifying and hoped to be up front for the race, hopefully having a chance to get the win at Thompson.
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will return to action on Thursday, August 16 at the Bristol Motor Speedway for the Bush’s Baked Beans 150. Bonsignore head to the historic half-mile in Tennessee with a 56-point lead over Chase Dowling.
