Bonsignore Earns Third Win at Home
RIVERHEAD, N.Y. – Justin Bonsignore joined elite company Saturday night when he drove to a NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season sweep of events at Riverhead Raceway.
Bonsignore grabbed the lead from Doug Coby on Lap 115 and held on through six caution restarts to take down a third career victory at his home track, and second in two tries in 2015.
A 12th and final caution came out on Lap 199 just after Bonsignore had taken the white flag in his No. 51 M3 Technology Chevrolet, and he came around to a yellow-checkered. It was the eighth career victory overall for the Holtsville, New York native.
In the process he became just the fifth driver in 31 years of Whelen Modified Tour racing to sweep a season at the venerable Long Island bullring.
Coby and his No. 2 Dunleavy’s Repair/A&J Romano Construction Chevrolet finished second, while rookie Chase Dowling, Donny Lia and Eric Goodale rounded out the top-five.
Tom Rogers Jr – who won his second-consecutive Coors Light Pole Award at Riverhead earlier in the day – finished sixth.
Woody Pitkat, championship points leader Ryan Preece, Todd Szegedy and rookie Jeff Goodale completed the top-10.
Pitkat gained one point on Preece, who now leads by a single tally with three races remaining on the schedule.
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will be back in action Saturday, Sept. 26 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the F.W. Webb 100.
RESULTS | LAP-BY-LAP RECAP | AUDIO: RACE WINNER JUSTIN BONSIGNORE | AUDIO: RUNNER-UP DOUG COBY POST-RACE COMMENTS | AUDIO: THIRD-PLACE CHASE DOWLING POST-RACE COMMENTS
NWMT Riverhead 8/29/15 Results
Whelen Modified Tour
Race: NWMT Riverhead 8/29/15
PRINT VERSION (PDF)
Fin Str Car Driver Team Laps Points B/Points Status
1 3 51 Justin Bonsignore M3 Technology Chevrolet 200 48 5 Running
2 2 2 Doug Coby Dunleavy’s Repair/A&J Romano Const. Chevrolet 200 43 1 Running
3 5 9 Chase Dowling * S&S Asphalt Paving/Dunleavy’s Repair Chevrolet 200 41 Running
4 4 8 Donny Lia Sypher Construction/Bardahl Chevrolet 200 40 Running
5 17 58 Eric Goodale GAF Roofing/Supreme Skylights Chevrolet 200 39 Running
6 1 0 Tom Rogers, Jr. Stakey’s Pumpkin Farm/CAC Ind. Chevrolet 200 39 1 Running
7 14 88 Woody Pitkat Buzz Chew Chevrolet/Elbow East Chevrolet 200 37 Running
8 12 6 Ryan Preece TS Haulers/East West Marine Chevrolet 200 36 Running
9 6 4 Todd Szegedy Montanari Fuel Dodge 200 35 Running
10 22 46 Jeff Goodale * Riverhead Building Supply Chevrolet 200 34 Running
11 13 93 Rowan Pennink Van Wickle Auto Supply Chevrolet 200 33 Running
12 18 14 Max Zachem * Trowbridge Transport/Dunleavy’s Chevrolet 200 32 Running
13 9 7 Patrick Emerling Buffalo Auto Auction Chevrolet 200 31 Running
14 10 18 Ken Heagy Buoy One Seafood Chevrolet 200 30 Running
15 11 13 James Civali Seekonk GP/Cape Cod Aggregates Chevrolet 199 29 Running
16 15 17 Kyle Ellwood * Riverhead Building Supply Chevrolet 199 28 Running
17 16 59 Jerry Solomito * Thermo Roll Windows/Eastport Feeds Chevrolet 197 27 Running
18 26 26 Gary McDonald Lakeland Landscape/TRC Electric Pontiac 197 26 Running
19 24 16 Timmy Solomito Diversified Metals /R.B. Enterprises Ford 197 25 Running
20 7 75 Shawn Solomito Eastport Feeds/Donna Camella Chevrolet 196 24 Running
21 21 56 Craig Lutz * Lutz Motorsports Chevrolet 170 23 Overheating
22 23 99 Jamie Tomaino Dunleavy’s Repair/Atlantic Sprinkler Chevrolet 166 22 Handling
23 20 36 Dave Sapienza * Frankie’s Towing/Wine Country Chevrolet 165 21 Tie Rod
24 25 33 Wade Cole Performance Engines/Kendall Oil Chevrolet 159 20 Front End
25 19 87 Ed Brunnhoelzl, III * L.I. Mod Maniac/JDL Environmental Chevrolet 115 19 Brakes
26 28 68 Johnny Bush JB Stone Troyer 79 18 Handling
27 27 1 Melissa Fifield Big Moose RV Chevrolet 66 17 Front End
28 8 20 Ron Silk Elite Towing/Righteous Window Cleaning Chevrolet 21 16 Suspension
RACE STATISTICS
Race Comments: Justin Bonsignore won the Riverhead 200, his eighth career NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victory overall, and third at Riverhead Raceway. The following cars served a two-lap penalty at the start of the race for unapproved impound adjustments: James Civali (#13), Timmy Solomito (#16)
Fastest Qualifier: Tom Rogers, Jr., Time: 11.971 Seconds, Speed: 75.182 mph
Failed to Qualify: (3) Frank Vigliarolo, Jr. (#5), Chuck Steuer (#11), Danny Watts, Jr. (#82).
Time of Race: 1 hrs., 9 mins, 15 secs Average Speed: 43.321 mph Margin of Victory: Under Caution
Caution Flags: [Beneficiary] Laps 5-12 (Multi-car accident (Turn 4) [13]); 15-22 (Car #87 spinout (Turn 2) [07]); 29-35 (Cars #87, 20 accident (Turn 2) [13]); 40-47 (Multi-car accident (Turn 2) [68]); 106-114 (Car #36 spinout (Turn 4) [93]); 120-126 (Multi-car accident (Turn 4) [46]); 131-137 (Car #4 spinout (Turn 2) [17]); 145-152 (Cars #32, 36 spinout (Turn 4) [14]); 155-161 (Cars #99, 75 accident (Turn 4) [93]); 164-170 (Car #33 accident (Turn 4) [4]); 172-177 (Cars #13, 56 spinout (Turn 2) [07]); 200 (Car #59 spinout (Turn 2) [none]). 12 for 83 laps.
Lap Leaders: Doug Coby 1, Tom Rogers, Jr. 2-12, Doug Coby 13, Tom Rogers, Jr. 14-23, Doug Coby 24, Tom Rogers, Jr. 25-36, Doug Coby 37-114, Justin Bonsignore 115-200.
Total Laps Led: Justin Bonsignore 86, Doug Coby 81, Tom Rogers, Jr. 33. 7 changes involving 3 drivers.
CONTINGENCY AWARDS
COCA-COLA MOVE OF THE RACE AWARD: Eric Goodale, 58 GAF Roofing/Supreme Skylights Chevrolet
COORS LIGHT POLE AWARD: Tom Rogers, Jr., 0 Stakey’s Pumpkin Farm/CAC Ind. Chevrolet
HOOSIER TIRE FASTEST LAP AWARD: Doug Coby, 2 Dunleavy’s Repair/A&J Romano Const. Chevrolet
HOOSIER TIRE LAP LEADER AWARD: Justin Bonsignore, 51 M3 Technology Chevrolet
HOOSIER TIRE MOST IMPROVED DRIVER AWARD: Jeff Goodale *, 46 Riverhead Building Supply Chevrolet
INGERSOLL RAND POWER MOVE AWARD: Justin Bonsignore, 51 M3 Technology Chevrolet
SUNOCO ROOKIE OF THE RACE AWARD: Chase Dowling *, 9 S&S Asphalt Paving/Dunleavy’s Repair Chevrolet
SUNOCO SPEC FUEL 1ST PLACE AWARD: Justin Bonsignore, 51 M3 Technology Chevrolet
SUNOCO SPEC FUEL 5TH PLACE AWARD: Eric Goodale, 58 GAF Roofing/Supreme Skylights Chevrolet
SUNOCO SPEC FUEL 10TH PLACE AWARD: Jeff Goodale *, 46 Riverhead Building Supply Chevrolet
WHELEN ENGINEERING WINNER OF THE RACE AWARD: Justin Bonsignore, 51 M3 Technology Chevrolet
* Denotes Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender