Justin Bonsignore Tightens Points Battle with Oswego Win
OSWEGO, N.Y. — Justin Bonsignore knew it was going to take a few checkered flags if he wanted to climb his way back into the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship battle.
With five races to go, Bonsignore proved on Saturday that he isn’t out of it yet. He scored his fourth victory of the season in the Toyota Mod Classic 150 presented by McDonald’s at Oswego Speedway, earning the victory as part of the track’s annual Classic Weekend.
It was the 24th career win in Whelen Modified Tour competition for Bonsignore and his first at the ‘Steel Palace’ of Oswego.
“It’s unbelievable. There is a lot of history at this track,” he said. “I’ve wanted to win here every time we have come here.”
RACING-REFERENCE: Toyota Mod Classic 150 Race Results
#NWMT "Bonsignore shuts the door!"
Justin Bonsignore picks up 🏁 at @OswegoSpeedway for win number 4⃣ in 2019!
#ModClassic150 | #MyTrackMyRoots pic.twitter.com/wVxemUBqyj— NASCAR Roots (@NASCARRoots) September 1, 2019
RACING-REFERENCE:Justin Bonsignore’s Career Wins
Bonsignore might not have posted the fastest lap times all day, but, when it mattered, his car shined. For the first 64 laps, he chased the back bumper of Mayhew Tools Dominator Pole winner Rob Summers in the race for the lead. He passed Summers at lap 65, and led through until a caution at lap 99, when Tyler Rypkema spun.
Then, his Phoenix Communications crew went to work. They got him out at the front of the cars that pitted and took fresh tires, but, he had to restart third, behind Patrick Emerling and Tommy Catalano.
It didn’t take him long to get back to the top spot. Before the field exited turn two, he was the leader once again.
#NWMT Is this the final restart?
Business is about to pick up at @OswegoSpeedway
Who ya' got?#ModClassic150 | #MyTrackMyRoots@FansChoiceTV 📲💻 has you covered -> https://t.co/LqFGRGRtu4 pic.twitter.com/Tm3QO8183B
— NASCAR Roots (@NASCARRoots) August 31, 2019
Bonsignore had to hold off defending race winner Matt Hirschman on a final dash to the finish, but was able to accomplish the task. While the No. 51 Phoenix Communications Chevrolet struggled to turn through the center of the corners, Bonsignore was able to make it work.
He beat Hirschman to the line by .146 seconds. Following Hirschman, former Whelen Modified Tour champion Ron Silk was third, with Craig Lutz and Bobby Santos III completing the top five.
Doug Coby was sixth, followed by Eric Goodale, Timmy Solomito, Chase Dowling and Tommy Catalano.
Coby leads Bonsignore by 37 points, with Silk 44 back with four races remaining in the championship points schedule.
The Toyota Mod Classic 150 presented by McDonald’s will air on NBCSN on Thursday, September 5, at 6 p.m.
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour returns to the track for the second appearance at New York’s Riverhead Raceway on Saturday, September 7.
Sources: Kyle Souza/NASCAR.com
2019 Toyota Mod Classic Presented by McDonald’s
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race number 12 of 12
Saturday, August 31, 2019 at Oswego Speedway, Oswego, NY
150 laps on a .625 mile paved track (93.8 miles)
Time of race: 1:02:18
Average speed: 90.289 mph
Pole speed: 128.205 mph Cautions: 5 for 28 laps
Margin of victory: .146 sec
Attendance: n/a
Lead changes: 3
Fin St # Driver Sponsor / Owner Car Laps Status Led Pts
1 4 51 Justin Bonsignore Phoenix Communications Inc. (Kenneth Massa) Chevrolet 150 running 81 48
2 13 60 Matt Hirschman Pee Dee Motorsports (Roy Hall) Chevrolet 150 running 0 42
3 9 85 Ron Silk Stuart’s Automotive (Kevin Stuart) Chevrolet 150 running 0 41
4 11 46 Craig Lutz Riverhead Building Supply (Russell Goodale) Chevrolet 150 running 0 40
5 3 36 Bobby Santos III Sapienza Racing (Judy Thilberg) Chevrolet 150 running 0 39
6 2 2 Doug Coby Mayhew Tools / Reynolds Auto Wrkg / AJ Romano (Mike Smeriglio III) Chevrolet 150 running 0 38
7 5 58 Eric Goodale GAF Roofing (Edgar Goodale) Chevrolet 150 running 0 37
8 23 16 Timmy Solomito Starrett Racing (Eric Sanderson) Ford 150 running 0 36
9 8 82 Chase Dowling Horton Avenue Materials LLC (Danny Watts Jr.) Chevrolet 150 running 0 35
10 10 54 Tommy Catalano Catalano Motorsports (Amy Catalano) Chevrolet 150 running 0 34
11 1 64 Rob Summers Lumiere / Dell Electric / Rocky’s Plumbing (Mike Murphy) Chevrolet 150 running 64 34
12 12 75 Chris Pasteryak Dawley’s Collision & Custom (Charles Pasteryak) Chevrolet 150 running 0 32
13 6 21 Chuck Hossfeld Gershow Recycling / Blewett Scrap (Joe Bertuccio Sr.) Chevrolet 150 running 0 31
14 7 07 Patrick Emerling Sahlen’s (Jennifer Emerling) Chevrolet 150 running 5 31
15 16 06 Sam Rameau * Racechoice (Randy Rameau) Chevrolet 150 running 0 29
16 19 77 Gary Putnam Curb Records (Mike Curb) Chevrolet 149 running 0 28
17 17 84 Amy Catalano Catalano Motorsports (Allie Brainard) Chevrolet 149 running 0 27
18 15 5 Kyle Ebersole Ebersole Excavating (Bob Ebersole) Chevrolet 148 running 0 26
19 24 14 Blake Barney Atlantic Sprinkler (Richard Barney) Chevrolet 148 running 0 25
20 21 32 Tyler Rypkema * Nelorp Electric (Dean Rypkema) Chevrolet 148 running 0 24
21 22 34 J.B. Fortin * K K Finshing Company (Nicole Fortin) Chevrolet 148 running 0 23
22 27 78 Walter Sutcliffe, Jr. Last Minute Racing (Steven Sutcliffe) Chevrolet 146 running 0 22
23 25 33 Wade Cole Performance Engines / 1812 Auto Body (Wade Cole) Ford 142 running 0 21
24 18 25 Calvin Carroll Power with Prestige / Cruising w / Betty (Joe Carroll) Chevrolet 142 running 0 20
25 14 3 Matt Swanson Ceravolo’s Auto / USNE (Jan Boehler) Chevrolet 131 crash 0 19
26 26 01 Melissa Fifield Pine Knoll Auto Sales (Kenneth Fifield) Chevrolet 59 rear end 0 18
27 20 45 Timmy Catalano * Catalano Motorsports (Dave Catalano) Chevrolet 0 crash 0 17
Rookie drivers are denoted with an asterisk.
Failed to qualify, withdrew, or driver changes:
Pos Name Nbr Sponsor Owner Car
WD Ken Heagy 18 Buoy One Seafood Robert Pollifrone Ford
WD Kyle Ellwood 38 Performance Engines Linda Rodenbaugh Chevrolet
WD Joey Mucciacciaro 47 Pools by Murphy Frank Mucciacciaro Chevrolet
Caution flag breakdown:
Condition From Lap To Lap # Of Laps Reason Free Pass
1 3 3 #25,34,45 accident frontstretch none
4 54 51
55 59 5 #5,16,75 accident turn 1 #06
60 98 39
99 105 7 #32 accident turn 2 #16
106 122 17
123 128 6 #14,25,21,64,77 accident turn 3 #75
129 131 3
132 138 7 #3,07 accident turn 2 #06
139 150 12
Percent of race run under caution: 18.7%
Average green flag run: 24.4 laps
Lap leader breakdown:
Leader From Lap To Lap # Of Laps
Rob Summers 1 64 64
Justin Bonsignore 65 101 37
Patrick Emerling 102 106 5
Justin Bonsignore 107 150 44
Points standings after this race:
Rank Driver Points Diff
1 Doug Coby 511
2 Justin Bonsignore 474 -37
3 Ron Silk 467 -44
4 Craig Lutz 428 -83
5 Eric Goodale 403 -108
6 Patrick Emerling 382 -129
7 Chris Pasteryak 379 -132
8 Timmy Solomito 374 -137
9 Matt Swanson 370 -141
10 Blake Barney 355 -156
11 Tommy Catalano 347 -164
12 Jimmy Blewett 346 -165
13 Woody Pitkat 344 -167
14 Sam Rameau 335 -176
15 Rob Summers 299 -212
16 Timmy Catalano 277 -234
17 Wade Cole 272 -239
18 J.B. Fortin 255 -256
19 Jon McKennedy 251 -260
20 Calvin Carroll 240 -271