PIT BOX: Whelen Modified Tour Ready For Fireworks

Justin Bonsignore ran away from the field in the season opener.

He won’t have as much space on Saturday.

After Bonsignore dominated the race at Pennylvania’s half-mile Jennerstown Speedway, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will celebrate the Independence Day 200 with its inaugural visit to White Mountain Motorsports Park in North Woodstock, New Hampshire. The banked quarter-mile should offer fans plenty of sparks on the track, and the facility will cap the night with a fireworks show.

INDEPENDENCE DAY 200

WHAT TO WATCH FOR:

The good news for teams chasing Justin Bonsignore, is that this will be the tour’s first visit to the track. So, theoretically, the Long Island driver does not have the advantage of, say going to Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, where he’s won seven of the last eight races.

The bad news is Bonsignore has shown to be pretty good on quarter-mile tracks.

He’s won the last four races at his home track of Riverhead Raceway, and seven of the last 10 races there. And he had two wins and six top fives in seven starts at New Hampshire’s Monadnock Speedway.

Throw in the fact Bonsignore has four wins, two seconds and a fifth in his last seven races on the tour dating back to last August.

Six-time tour champion Doug Coby wound up seventh is his debut as a driver/owner. But the Milford, Connecticut, driver has shown over his title runs to be unruffled by a slow start; although only with Coby’s resume would a top 10 be considered a slow start. Like Bonsignore, Coby won at Monadnock. He also has had a pair of wins at the third-mile Seekonk Speedway in Massachusetts.

Craig Lutz scored his first career win at Connecticut’s Stafford Motor Speedway and turned in a strong runner-up performance at Jennerstown. Matt Hirschman and Matt Swanson took their turns in the top five, while Calvin Carroll moved up 19 spots to pick up his first career top five.

RACING REFERENCE: 2020 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Standings

RACE FACTS

RACE CENTER | ENTRY LIST | RACE SCHEDULE

CREW CHIEF HANDOUT: The starting field for the Independence Day 200 is limited to 28, including provisional positions. The field will be set by qualifying (1-22) and provisional process per the entry blank (23-28) for the Independence Day 200. In the event that qualifying as stated on this entry blank does not take place for any unforeseen circumstance, the field will be set in accordance with the 2020 NASCAR Touring Series Rule Book.

QUALIFYING: Two consecutive qualifying laps. Faster lap determines qualifying position. Adjustments or repairs may not be made on the vehicle after the vehicle has taken the green flag at the start/finish line. Vehicles will be impounded after qualifying. Vehicle must qualify on race set up.

The Independence Day 200 will be 200 laps (50 miles) and is to be run without a break.

The maximum tire allotment available for this event is as follows: The maximum tire allotment available for this event is eight (8) tires per team.

Sources: Jason Christley/NASCAR PR

Justin Bonsignore has four wins, two seconds and a fifth in his last seven races on the tour dating back to last August. (Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)

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