Column Compiled By: PHIL SMITH / RPW – WESTERLY, RI – The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour was at it’s most prestigious venue, the New Hampshire Motor Speedway, for the running of the Mohegan Sun 100 on Saturday.
The weather was not kind to those in Loudon on Friday. Rain washed out qualifying for the modified event. Per the NASCAR rule book line ups were determined by the current point standings of those on hand.
Justin Bonsignore had a busy Saturday which turned into a career day at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway. His career day was 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 Saturday 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. 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.
Nineteen of the original starters were on the lead lap at the finish. Eight caution periods slowed the pace. The first caution flew on lap 14 when Mike Marshall hit the wall on the back chute. Justin Bonsignore was leading Ron Silk and Austin Beers. Doug Coby parked it with a smoking engine. The second caution flew on lap 41 when Eddie McDonald was slow on the back stretch. It was at this time that the rear end in Ryan Preeces’ car expired, forcing him to drop out. The third caution flew on lap 50 when Jon McKennedy hit the turn one wall a ton. Jake Johnson had entered the tur too high and accidently clipped McKennedy as he was attempting to regain control. The fourth caution came on lap 55 when Ron Silk and Craig Lutz tangled between turns three and four. Silk, who was on the inside, got loose and collided with Lutz. Lutz went in hard and rode the fence before coming to rest on the track.
The fifth caution of the day was displayed on lap 66 after Andy Seuss crashed into the first tur wall. Seuss felt that Austin Beers had taken him out as he expressed his displeasure as he gave him a single fingered salute when he drove by. The sixth caution flew on lap 77. Eric Goodale got into Chace Dowling who in turn got into Luke Baldwin. The seventh caution came on lap 85 when when the Catalano brothers kept it in the family and spun together in turn one. The eighth and final caution was for Anthony Nocella who hit the wall in turn three after Tyler Rypkema got into him.
The three-time Modified Tour champion backed up his Saturday-morning win with a 22nd-place Xfinity finish that was not indicative of the race he ran at the Magic Mile. Such a result left the 36-year-old disappointed on a day that represented a celebration of Modified racers and short-track competitors as a whole. Bonsignore, who entered Saturday with minimal simulation time and virtually no on-track experience in the Xfinity car, started 25th and carefully advanced a few positions before a strategy call during an early caution catapulted him to the front row. He proceeded to lead three laps before settling for competitive spots inside the top five. His lap times were consistent with those of his JGR teammates, including NASCAR Cup Series driver and eventual race winner Christopher Bell.
Bonsignore said he learned more about the car with each lap, though uninformed observers might have assumed a teacher and not a student was driving. Including Saturday morning’s race, Bonsignore has three wins in 26 Modified Tour starts at New Hampshire. Beyond his familiarity with the track’s 1.058-mile layout, that experience did little to prepare him for Saturday afternoon’s challenges. He explained the difference in the Xfinity car’s handling compared to his Modified as tire wear becomes a factor; the Xfinity cars rapidly burn up right-front tires, and Mods take a toll on right rears. Inexperience did not cost Bonsignore what might have been a top-10 finish in his debut. Chaos was the culprit.
Years ago the comedy team of Abbot and Costello had a routine called “Who’s on first, what’s on secons and I don’t know is on third” That sounds like what is going on at Thompson these days. They call it re-branding but some of call it confusion and indecision, management by crisis!
Following several discussions, American-Canadian Tour (ACT) and Pro All Stars Series (PASS) officials have made the decision to drop the Outlaw Open Modifieds from the Thompson Speedway schedule for the foreseeable future and have moved to elevate (rebrand) the Thompson Sunoco Modified division (previously rebranded from 604 Modifieds) and Thompson track championship divisions.
With that decision, the Outlaw Open Modifieds are effectively cancelled for the remainder of the 2024 season. Moving forward, PASS and ACT officials have increased the purse structure for the Thompson Sunoco Modifieds (rebranded 604 Modifieds) to a $3,000-to-win, $400 to start model, a $16,000 weekly purse to 25 starters, and increased their feature events to 50 laps. The Tour-type Modifieds will return to Thompson with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour events on Wednesday, August 14 and Sunday of the Sunoco World Series and with the Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series Constantine Paving & Sealing 75 on Friday of World Series weekend.
Thursday Night Thunder is back at Thompson Speedway, on Thursday, June 27, the day following the Tri Track Series-Open Wheel Wednesday at Seekonk, headlined by the $3,000-to-win, 50-lap trophy dash for the Thompson Sunoco Modifieds(rebranded 604 Modifieds)! Along with the Thompson Sunoco Modified (rebranded 604 Modifieds) 50-lapper, the Late Models, AZ Roofing SK Light Modifieds, Street Stocks and Mini Stocks are back in action on Thursday, June 27 with a 6:00pm Post Time!
Stafford Speedway had all good intensions of running the Casella Open 80 on June 7 until heavy rain stepped in postponing the event after lap 5. The event was rescheduled to be completed on Friday, June 15 until a forecast of severe weather forced cancellation again.
The Casella Waste Open 80 took the initial green flag with Woody Pitkat taking the lead with Anthony Bello right behind him in second. Teddy Hodgdon and Michael Christopher, Jr. were wheel to wheel for third place with Chris Pasteryak in fifth. Hodgdon moved into second on lap-4 and lap-5 Christopher took third with Bello fourth and Pasteryak fifth. The caution flew with 5 laps complete as Pasteryak went around coming out of turn 2, which collected the cars of Keith Rocco, Anthony Flannery, Nick Salva, George Bessette, Jr., and Eric Goodale. Under the caution flag, rain again started to fall and postponed the completion of the event.
The forecast was not good for last Friday but the Stafford management toughed it out and completed the left over event and the regularly scheduled program, the Call before you dig 100.
Michael Christopher Jr had one of his best days at Stafford as he scored a two-fer winning both events. With 30 laps complete in the Casella event, Christopher had worked his way into the lead overtaking early leader Woody Pitkat. Christopher endured numerous restarts, the last coming on lap 75. Christopher shot out into the lead as he had done all race long on the restart with George Bessette working his way into second. Teddy Hodgdon was third with Ronnie Williams fourth and Pitkat wheel to wheel for fifth. Christopher led Bessette to the checkered flag to win the Casella Waste Open 80. Bessette finished second with Williams, Hodgdon, and Pitkat rounding out the top-5. Sixth thru tenth included Nick Salva, Marcello Rufrano, Dana DiMatteo, Keith Rocco and Dylan Izzo,
Christopher and Austin Beers slugged it out for most of the second half of the CBYD event. With three to go Christopher powered his way into the lead back under green with Austin Beers moving into second. Michael Gervais was third with Andrew Molleur fourth and Todd Owen’s car got sideways and he lost several spots on lap-47 after running in fifth. Christopher got clear of Austin Beers on the final lap and he led Beers to the checkered flag to pick up his first SK Modified win of the 2024 season and double up as he won the Casella 80 earlier in the evening. Gervais nipped Beers at the line for second with Molleur and Cory DiMatteo rounding out the top-5. Sixth thru tenth included Mikey Flynn, Teddy Hodgdon, Troy Talman, Wesley Prucker and Tyler Hines.
Other weekly feature winners on the night were Al Saunders in the Late Model division, Nickolas Hovey in the SK Light division, Adrien Paradis, III in the Limited Late Model division, and Travis Hydar in the Street Stock division.
A big shout-out to the management at Stafford for waiting out the rain.
Down in North Carolina at the Bowman Gray Stadium Brandon Ward held off Danny Bohn for a 100 lap win.
In NASCAR Modified action at the Riverhead Raceway a 90-minute rain delay couldn’t cool the hot Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series on track Schools Out Extravaganza excitement. When the dust settled at the conclusion of the 50-lap NASCAR Modified event, defending champion John Beatty Jr. scored his third win over the past five races. While skill and speed earned Beatty his first two triumphs of 2024, this win came with a sprinkling of some good racing fortune.
NASCAR announced on Friday that it suspended Bubba Wallace for his actions in the previous Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Wallace was suspended for one race after he crashed Kyle Larson at Lap 94 of the South Point 400 and proceeded to shove Larson, both violations of Sections 4.3.A and 4.4.C & E
On a sad note, Over a thousand dollars of damage was done in the bathrooms behind grandstands during or following Monday night’s Kart races. . The big TV was smashed and graffiti carved into the small screens in mens room.. We have to identify who is doing this . This threatens the series long time relationship with Stafford motor Speedway and has to be dealt with ASAP
The all new book, The Modified Years At Stafford, by the Grace of God and 600 hp, is gaining interest and has become a must have in race fans and competitors library. Race by Race, Year by Year, it’s all there. Read all about it! Books are now available on Amazon.com and Coastal 181 (877-907-8181 toll free) and are available thru Stafford’s web site in their store. Order yours now. Makes a great gift!
With the cooperation of the Arute family another book has been published with pictures and biographies of the 50 Greatest Drivers at Stafford.
The Stafford Motor Speedway had become the epicenter of NASCAR Modified racing in the northeast by the late 1980’s. From its dirt beginnings to its lightning-fast asphalt, Stafford had become the toughest and most gratifying track to score a victory. The Arute family which has owned and guided the destiny of the facility commissioned their thousands of loyal fans to name their favorite drivers. In alphabetical order so as not to offend anyone:
Tom Baldwin, Gene Bergin, Brett Bodine, Geoff Bodine, Ken Bouchard, Ron Bouchard, Mario “Fats” Caruso, Rene Charland, Ted Christopher, Leo Cleary, Tim Connolly, Jerry Cook, Corky Cookman, Pete Corey, Fred DeSarro, Richie Evans, Mike Ewanitsko, Ed Flemke, Sr., Jeff Fuller, Rick Fuller, Ernie Gahan, Bill Greco, Bo Gunning, Ray Hendrick, George “Moose” Hewitt, Tony Hirschman, George Janoski, Charlie Jarzombek, George Kent, Buddy Krebs, Randy LaJoie, Jan Leaty, Jerry Marquis, Mike McLaughlin, Ray Miller, Steve Park, Bob Polverari, Bob Potter, Brian Ross, John “Reggie” Ruggiero, Greg Sacks, Ollie Silva, “Wild” Bill Slater, Jimmy Spencer, Mike Stefanik, Carl “Bugsy” Stevens, George Summers, Jamie “The Jet” Tomaino, Maynard Troyer and Satch Worley.
Books are priced at $17.95 each and be purchased at the track at the Novelty Booth or at the Stafford Motor Speedway on line store. Books are also available at Amazon.com and at Coastal181 (877-907-8181).