Column Compiled By: PHIL SMITH / RPW – WESTERLY, RI – A happy Thanksgiving to one and all, and that can only mean one thing. The Wall Stadium in New Jersey closes out the 2024 Northeast racing season this Weekend with the Turkey Derby for Tour type Modified cars on Saturday.
Wall Stadium is a high banked and fast 1/3rd mile asphalt speedway which was modeled from the now closed Lonsdale Sports Arena that was located just outside of the city of Providence, R.I. on the banks of the Blackstone River. Lonsdale was destroyed by rising waters from a hurricane in 1956. The track operated from 1947 to 1956..
The 2024 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season featured 16 races, 69 drivers and more than 2,500 laps completed from February through October. While Justin Bonsignore claimed the biggest prize of the season in the 2024 championship, several season-end special awards were claimed by a variety of drivers.
For the fourth consecutive season, Holtsville, New York native Justin Bonsignore secured the Mayhew Tools Dominator Pole Award. The driver of the No. 51 Modified for Ken Massa Motorsports secured three Mayhew Tools Dominator Pole Awards in 2024, which tied him with Austin Beers and Matt Hirschman for the most poles this season. However, based on his final point total, Bonsignore was named the winner of the 2024 Mayhew Tools Dominator Pole Award. Bonsignore’s three poles came at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, Riverhead Raceway and the finale at Martinsville Speedway. He turned the pole at Martinsville into his first trip to Victory Lane at the historic facility. Bonsignore received a $2,000 bonus for winning the Mayhew Tools Dominator Pole Award.
Ron Silk received $1,000 for winning the Phil Kurze-Mid Race Leader Award presented by Josten’s. Ron Silk may have fallen short of his third Modified Tour championship, but that doesn’t mean he went home empty handed. For the second consecutive season Silk took home the Phil Kurze Mid-Race Leader presented by Josten’s, named in honor of former Whelen Engineering vice president of motorsports Phil Kurze. The award goes to the driver who is the leader at the halfway mark in the most races throughout the year.
The late Kurze, who was honored in 2021 at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina with a plaque in the Whelen Hall of Champions, was a strong advocate for short-track racing. He helped elevate the Modified Tour prior to his passing in 2018. Silk was the leader at halfway five times throughout the course of the season, enough for him to earn the Phil Kurze Mid-Race Leader Award presented by Josten’s.
Hoosier Tire Lap Leader Award: Justin Bonsignore (Ken Massa, car owner]. NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour tire supplier, Hoosier Tire, is the sponsor of a trio of special awards each year. They include the Hoosier Tire Lap Leader Award, which goes to the car owner of the driver who leads the most laps in a race the most times during the season. This year the award goes to Justin Bonsignore, who led the most laps six times during the 2024 season.In all, Bonsignore led a whopping 789 laps during the 2024 season, more than any other driver. Ron Silk, who finished second to Bonsignore in the 2024 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour standings, was second on the laps led list at 630. They were the only two drivers who led more than 400 laps during the season.
Bonsignore took home $6,000 for winning the Hoosier Tire Lap Leader Award.
The special awards just keep on coming for Justin Bonsignore, who also captured the Whelen Engineering Winner of the Race Award. This season, Bonsignore won five times, more than any other driver. Ron Silk was next in line with four wins, followed by Patrick Emerling, who won three times. They were the only drivers to win multiple events this season.
Bonsignore’s first victory of the season came in the second race of the year at Richmond Raceway in March. He followed that with victories at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Connecticut’s Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, North Carolina’s North Wilkesboro Speedway and Virginia’s Martinsville Speedway. In addition to Bonsignore, Silk and Emerling, other drivers to earn trips to Victory Lane this year included Matt Hirschman, Jake Johnson, Trevor Catalano and Austin Beers.
For winning the Whelen Engineering Winner of the Race Award, Bonsignore received an extra $2,000.
Austin Beers gained more positions during races than any other driver throughout the year.As a result, Beers captured the 2024 Hoosier Tire Hard Charger Award. The Hard Charger award is given to the driver who advances the most positions during a race.
The postseason award is given to the driver who earns the award in the most races compared to his competitors throughout the season. Beers took home an extra $6,000 for winning the Hoosier Tire Hard Charger Award.
A fast rising star on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, Trevor Catalano turned a lot of heads during his rookie season with the series in 2024. Not only did he win his first race at Monadnock Speedway, he also captured the 2024 Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award and the Hoosier Tire Most Improved Award for Catalano Motorsports and his car owner and mother, Amy Catalano. The Hoosier Tire Most Improved Award goes to the eligible new team/organization whose driver improves the most positions during the course of each race. In his first year with the series, Catalano earned one win, three top five and four top 10 finishes. Catalano received a $6,000 bonus for winning the Hoosier Tire Most Improved Award.
Trevor Catalano had mild expectations for the 2024 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season.At just 17, he was embarking upon his first full season within NASCAR’s oldest division, joined by his older brothers Tommy and Tyler as the Catalano Motorsports team took on the challenge of fielding three full-time entries.
He won a race at New Hampshire’s Monadnock Speedway and posted three top-five and four top-10 finishes on his way to eighth in the final championship standings. As a result of his solid season, Catalano was named the 2024 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Sunoco Rookie of the Year.
Trevor joins an impressive list of drivers to win the Modified Tour Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award.
They include men like four-time series champion Bonsignore, two-time champion Donny Lia, 2003 series champion Todd Szegedy and other familiar names like Eric Goodale, Patrick Emerling, Timmy Solomito, Chase Dowling, Jake Johnson, Austin Beers and Catalano’s older brother, Tommy.
Race of Champions and Thompson (CT) Speedway management have come to an agreement for the iconic facility to host the historic 75th annual Race of Champions to be held as part of the 63rd annual World Series Weekend on Saturday, October 11, 2025 bringing two great modified racing traditions together.
The 75th annual Race of Champions will be a 150-lap event paying $12,500-to-win as well as a spot on the legendary Al Gerber Memorial trophy. The race will remain similar to past events, with pit stops as it has had in the past. Three (3) crew members will be permitted over and only one (1) tire will be permitted to be changed per caution to maintain the strategy and competition that the event has shown in past years.
“It’s an honor for both Tom (Mayberry) and myself to be able to host this iconic event as part of the 63rd Sunoco World Series Weekend,” said American-Canadian Tour managing partner Cris Michaud. “We’re proud to bring the 75th annual Race of Champions to Thompson Speedway and play a role it it’s legendary history.”
It will be the first time the race is run in Connecticut, following Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York. During the early 70’sAl Gerber and Jim Moffat had leased Thompson with the hope of running the event at Thompson but it never worked out.
The World Series will also see the Race of Champions Modified Series crown it’s Series champion as it will be the final point-paying event for the 2025 season.
In recent years the ROC had become a western New York and Pennsylvania series. It is hoped that bringing the series to New England that competitors from New England along with those from Long Island and from those south of the Mason-Dixon line will be enticed to take part.
NASCAR and FloSports, announced a multi-year extension of its media partnership that will focus on elevating the nation’s premiere grassroots racing events and allow them to invest in the sport of short track racing.
The agreement makes FloRacing, FloSports’ dedicated motorsports platform, the essential home of NASCAR Regional Series properties, including: the ARCA Menards Series East & West, NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour™, and NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series™. The deal also ensures the Snowball Derby, zMAX CARS Tour, and more prestigious short track racing events will be showcased on FloRacing and supported by a full breadth of content, social and marketing efforts.
In some good news, Ryan Preece is set to join RFK Racing for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season, the organization announced last Tuesday, Nov 19. Preece will join the operation behind the wheel of the No. 60 Ford, giving the team three full-time vehicles next year.
Kroger will additionally move its sponsorship to RFK Racing. Kroger will join nearly 20 brands across the RFK Racing Ford of Preece, Keselowski and Buescher throughout the season. Kroger has been a primary sponsor in the Cup Series dating back to 2010 when it joined JTG Daugherty Racing’s ranks. Preece, 34, joins the organization in what will be his fifth full-time season in NASCAR’s premier series, departing Stewart-Haas Racing, which closed its operations following the conclusion of the 2024 Cup campaign.
The 2025 move will see Preece join RFK Racing co-owner Brad Keselowski and 2023 Cup Series Playoffs driver Chris Buescher as the organization enters its fourth year since its rebranding with Roush Fenway Racing.
Coastal 181, Reading For Racers has released their 2024-2025 Holiday Catalog of great books. Among the newer titles is “Lazzaro, the man and his machine”. Lou Lazzaro became one of the Northeast’ most revered drivers of all time. He was equally as good on dirt as he was on asphalt. For many years he raced and won, sometimes three to five times a week at his home tracks, the Albany Saratoga Speedway in Malta, NY, Fonda Speedway in Fonda, NY and at the Utica-Rome Speedway in Vernon, New York. Lazzaro was a regular track representative for the All Star League that raced on dirt and asphalt tracks during the late 60’s. The most remarkable thing was that he did it all with the same car. One of his biggest fans believe it or not was Richie Evans. Other great reading in the Coastal 181 catalog include “Ray Everham-Trophies and Scars”, “Bugsy”, “Richie”, “Eddie Flemke” and “The Soul of a Modified” Lenny Boehlers Ole Blue. Call Coastal181 at 877-907-8181.
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).
