Column By: BRITTANY NUTILE / RPW – THOMPSON, CT – It is getting harder and harder to stop Justin Bonsignore at the Thomspon Speedway…most recently in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour 125 on Thursday.
Bonsignore has now won the last six Tour races at Thompson.
He started the race 2nd up front with Doug Coby. Bonsignore stayed in the top 5 for most of the race and was just trying to get to the front to lead the race and win another race at Thompson. “We were unbelievable in long runs tonight, I didn’t want to see that yellow, I don’t know if John McKennedy took two or three tires but, he was real tight going into turn 1. Just from there car fired off really good and had a gap from me and Doug. Just minding the gap from me and Doug, checking the lap time from me to him, didn’t want him to get too close. Pit stop was unbelievable and led us to the win”. Bonsignore talked about the win and his now 6 straight wins at Thompson.
Doug Coby started on the pole and fell back to 12th during the race and then had an amazing pitstop and got him up to the top 4. After the pitstop it seemed that his car really changed in a positive way and was able to have the speed to start picking off the 3rd and 2nd place drivers but, didn’t have enough laps to get to Bonsignore to battle with him for the lead. Doug finished the race in 2nd place. “Kind of an up and down race for us, won the pole, and with the time crunch. We over adjusted the car and we were really tight and couldn’t get the thing to turn. Came out of the pits 5th, which was what made our race because we were able to compete with the 46 and 36 for the top spots. We were average all day, just had a good pit stop and had a good car at the end”.
Craig Lutz had another good race but, can’t seem to get everything together at the same time to finally get a win. Lutz started the race 6th and by lap 10 Lutz was up to the 2nd position, then on lap 14 Craig got the lead from Coby and had the lead until lap 87 when Bonsignore passed him for the lead. “We struggled in practice a little but, I know we will end up racing really good, it’s just trying to find that speed that we are lacking. We found some momentum; we had some good runs and hopefully we keep that going and get two spots better than Saturday”. Craig talking before qualifying and the race about what he felt the car did in Practice. “The car fired off awesome, we were able to go from 6th to the lead. Put up a pretty good lead think had like 6-8 cars and were able to open the gap and led probably the first 80 laps then Justin caught us. We came in and put 3 tires on, the pit stop was killer by the team. When the car is that good your able to keep the car underneath you and drive forward. We are going to get one of these figured out hopefully very soon.” Lutz talks about his race and leading a lot of the race but, coming up too short.
Burt Myers had a good race subbing in for Dave Sapienza, who got injured at Wall. Burt started the race 3rd. He was in the top 5 for the first 106 laps then, after coming out of the pit stop, he was 6th for the restart. Burt had a fast car after the pit stop, he went from being 6th at lap 106 to 3rd on lap 113, he had a good car but, Coby had a better car and went by him and Craig. Burt Myers ended up finishing the race in 4th place. “We are happy, not satisfied, we come to win. The guys worked hard gave me a great racecar we were just a little tight at the end. Just missed it just a little. The field is so competitive, all it takes it just missing it just that little bit. I’m honored that Dave gave me the call to drive his car”.
After this race at Thompson Speedway the points standings didn’t move that much. Doug Coby is still the points leader, Ron Silk is second, Justin Bonsignore is third, Wood Pitkat is fourth, and Craig Lutz is fifth in points. The next tour race is at Riverhead Raceway on July 6th.