Archive for January 30th, 2012

Reigning Riverhead Champion Justin Bonsignore Eyes NASCAR WMT Title

Published at January 30, 2012 in NASCAR WMT and Riverhead. Closed

Justin Bonsignore of Holtsville, NY is looking to improve on the best season of his career in Modified racing. In 2010, Bonsignore won the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour’s Rookie of the Year award. 2011 saw Bosignore receive accolades for his first career NWMT win, a top-10 finish in points and Riverhead’s NASCAR Whelen All-American Series championship. He was also voted the Most Popular Driver by the fans.

Bonsignore had a rough start to 2011 including a carburetor penalty and engine issues that placed him outside the top-20 in points. Once the team hit their stride, the season showed steady improvement. “2011 was a great season,” said Bonsignore. “It started off a little slow but once we got luck on our side it turned out to be a great season. We won our first NWMT race and were in contention nearly every race in the 2nd half of the season. It was a lot of fun going to the track knowing you would have a chance to win every week! It’s all you can ask for as a driver.”

The 23-year-old also had another full-time commitment in Modifieds at Riverhead Raceway on Long Island. “Riverhead was really amazing every week,” said Bosignore. “There wasn’t too many nights that we didn’t leave there happy. We had a few tough runs which made the points closer than we would have liked, but we were the car to watch every week. It was so much fun to have all the fans come up to the car each week and say how much they enjoyed the show we were able to put on coming from the back to the front.”

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NEAR Presents “Class of 2012” At 15th Annual New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame Inductions

Published at January 30, 2012 in Airborne, Albany-Saratoga, Autodrome St. Eustache, Beech Ridge, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Daytona, Dover, Eastern States, Holland, Hudson, Keene, Lakeville, Langley, Lee USA, Lonsdale, Martinsville, Monadnock, NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, NASCAR WMT, NEAR, New Smyrna, NHMS, Norwood, Nostalgia, Oswego, Oxford Plains, Plainville, Pro 4 Mod, Riverhead, Riverside Park, Seekonk, South Boston, Spencer, Stafford, Star, Thompson, Twin State, USAC, Utica-Rome, W. Peabody, Wall, Waterford, Westboro and Wiscasset. Closed

East Windsor, CT — On Sunday January 29, The New England Antique Racers (NEAR), presented the 15th annual New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame Inductions. Award-winning sportswriter Matt Buckler served as Master of Ceremonies for the well-attended event held at LaRenaissance Banquet Hall in East Windsor, CT.

Receiving induction honors this year were drivers Reggie Ruggiero, Joey Kourafas, Moe Gherzi, Jerry Humiston, and Roland Lapierre Sr., owner/mechanics Mario Fiore and Jim Jorgensen and track operator Irene Venditti.

Though not present due to prior commitments, longtime Northern media personality Dave Moody was the recipient of the prestigious “Jack Ratta Memorial Media Award.” Veteran auto racing journalist and Hall of Fame Member Pete Zanardi received the Danny Pardi Memorial Award for his many contributions to NEAR over the years.

A pivotal figure during the formative years of the sport and truly one of the regions earliest stars, Moe Gherzi came to stock cars following a brief fling with midget racing during the busy post-war era. Gherzi won for some of the best teams in the early days of the sport while displaying a flashy style which became his trademark. Nicknamed “Moneybags” owed to a knack of winning many big-dollar events, he tasted success at virtually all of the regions tracks. He later served as the longtime Racing Director at Connecticut’s Plainville Stadium. Accepting for her late father from presenter Dave Dykes was Ms. Alma Michaud.

[Photo Gallery] by Nicholas Teto

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