Bonsignore Pounces Late for Whelen Modified Tour Independence Day Win

By admin July 4, 2020 NASCAR WMT, White Mountain Motorsports Park

N. Woodstock, NH — Holtsville, NY’s Justin Bonsignore made it 2-for-2 on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour 2020 season by capturing the inaugural Independence Day 200 at N. Woodstock, NH’s White Mountain Motorsports Park on Saturday, July 4. Bonsignore made his move to get the lead from Northampton, PA’s “Big Money” Matt Hirschman on the 194th lap of the tour’s first visit to White Mountain before holding off Hirschman and six-time Whelen Modified Tour Champion Doug Coby on a green-white-checkered finish.

Prior to Bonsignore’s pass, Hirschman had lived up to his nickname, dominating the event from the pole. Coby had given Hirschman everything he could handle in the early stage of the event before Bonsignore got around him following a midrace caution triggered by Rob Summer’s ride into the turn-3 tire barrier. Following the fourth caution of the event on lap 137 for Walter Sutcliffe’s spin, Hirschman and Bonsignore drove away as the rest of the field duked it behind them.

As the leaders approached the 20-to-go mark, Bonsignore began working on Hirschman in earnest, trying inside, outside, and crossover moves as the duo weaved through traffic. For 15-plus laps, Hirschman was able to parry everything Bonsignore had to offer. But as they entered turn 1 after completing lap 193, Hirschman bobbled slightly with Bonsignore right on his bumper. The resulting contact sent Hirschman sliding up the track with Bonsignore driving into the lead.

Four laps later, J.R. Bertuccio spun in turn two and got clipped by Jeff Gallup, bringing out the fifth and final caution to set up a two-lap “overtime” dash to the checkered flag. Coby got alongside Hirschman on the restart and both threw everything they had at Bonsignore. But the 2018 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion held both off, crossing the finish line sideways after getting loose off turn four.

Hirschman beat Coby by a nerf bar for second. Tommy Catalano and Woody Pitkat were solid all night long to take fourth and fifth. Dave Sapienza, Chris Pasteryak, Craig Lutz, Jon McKennedy, and Chase Dowling rounded out the top-10 in the 31-car field.

Rookie Kasey Beattie of St. Johnsbury, VT put on a clinic in the Wells River Chevrolet Flying Tigers for his first career win at White Mountain Motorsports Park. Beattie started fourth in the special 50-lap feature and was already in the lead by lap 6, driving around veteran Matthew Potter on the outside. The 16-year-old set sail from there, building up a huge advantage as Potter and his uncle Michael dueled for second.

A pair of mid-race cautions — the first of which came when two-time defending Tiger champion and point leader Shane Sicard pounded the frontstretch wall — give the division’s elite a shot at Beattie. But the youngster easily held them at bay and eventually won by a quarter-track margin.

Behind him, Michael Potter came out on top of a battle for second that had reached five cars by race’s end. Jaden Perry continued his perfect streak of podium finishes in 2020 by taking third from John Donahue on the final lap. Michael Clark, Ben Belanger, Cooper Bouchard, Jody Sicard, Matthew Potter, and Tanner Woodard completed the top-10.

Littleton, NH’s Brett Jackson was the beneficiary of some late drama in the Woodsville Guaranty Savings Bank Strictly Stock Mini’s to capture his first win of the year in their 35-lap feature. Jackson was running fourth as part of a multi-way battle for the runner-up spot when former champion Adam Sicard, who had pulled out to a big lead, suddenly began slowing as the laps wound down. As the field caught both Sicard and a lapped car on the backstretch with three laps to go, second-place runner, Darren Newland clipped the slower car and slowed himself with a broken CV joint.

As the field came through turn four, point leader Tyler Thompson then went to the outside of the still-slowing Sicard. The two got together as they came across the start/finish line, sending both into the wall to bring out the yellow. Through no fault of his own, Jackson suddenly found himself in the lead, and he held onto it over the final three-lap sprint to the checkered flag.

Last week’s winner Jack Hayes passed Jamie Ball on the restart to finish second. Chris Davis and Gavin McGinnis also made the most of the late carnage to earn top-5 finishes.

White Mountain Motorsports Parks keeps the summer rolling with 7-Eleven Fan Appreciation Night on Saturday, July 11 at 6:00pm. The Wells River Chevrolet Flying Tigers, Woodsville Guaranty Savings Bank Strictly Stock Mini’s, 7-Eleven Dwarf Cars, and Dads 4 By Tool & Supply Kids Trucks are in action with extra laps corresponding to the event sponsor. Admission is a special $7 for adults and $3 for kids ages 6-12. A live pay-per-view broadcast will once again be available on the Northeast Sports Network at www.NSNsports.net.

For more information, contact the White Mountain Motorsports Park offices at (802) 244-6963, media@acttour.com, or visit www.whitemountainmotorsports.com. You can also follow us on Facebook at @WhiteMtnMotorsports.

WHITE MOUNTAIN MOTORSPORTS PARK
INDEPENDENCE DAY 200
JULY 4, 2020
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
NASCAR WHELEN MODIFIED TOUR
Pos., Driver, Car #, Team, Laps
1. Justin Bonsignore ( 51 ) , Phoenix Communications Inc. Chevrolet , 205 Laps

  1. Matt Hirschman ( 60 ) , PeeDee Motorsports Chevrolet , 205 Laps
  2. Doug Coby ( 10 ) , Mayhew Tools Chevrolet , 205 Laps
  3. Tommy Catalano ( 54 ) , Catalano Motorsports Chevrolet , 205 Laps
  4. Woody Pitkat ( 1 ) , Dunleavy’s Truck & Trailer/Gunsmoke Stables Chevrolet , 205 Laps
  5. Dave Sapienza ( 36 ) , Sapienza Enterprise Chevrolet , 205 Laps
  6. Chris Pasteryak ( 75 ) , Dawley’s Collison & Custom Chevrolet , 205 Laps
  7. Craig Lutz ( 46 ) , Riverhead Building Supply Chevrolet , 205 Laps
  8. Jon McKennedy ( 7 ) , Ultra Wheel Chevrolet , 205 Laps
  9. Chase Dowling ( 82 ) , Horton Avenue Materials Chevrolet , 205 Laps
  10. Kyle Bonsignore ( 22 ) , Chalew Performance Chevrolet , 205 Laps
  11. Sam Rameau ( 6 ) , Central Mass Tree Chevrolet , 205 Laps
  12. Calvin Carroll ( 25 ) , Power w/Prestige/Cruising w/Betty Chevrolet , 205 Laps
  13. Anthony Nocella ( 92 ) , Nocella Paving/K&D Assoc/Airgas Chevrolet , 204 Laps
  14. Patrick Emerling ( 07 ) , Emerling Motorsport Chevrolet , 204 Laps
  15. Eric Goodale ( 58 ) , GAF Roofing Chevrolet , 203 Laps
  16. J.B. Fortin ( 34 ) , Johns Fuel Oil Inc/Johns Tree Removal Chevrolet , 203 Laps
  17. Jeff Gallup ( 4 ) , Ceravolo’s Auto Chevrolet , 203 Laps
  18. Timmy Catalano ( 45 ) , Catalano Motorsports Chevrolet , 202 Laps
  19. Jeremy Gerstner ( 55 ) , Lowder Const/KD Const Ford , 201 Laps
  20. J.R. Bertuccio ( 2 ) , Gershow Racing Chevrolet , 201 Laps
  21. Tyler Rypkema ( 32 ) , Welcome/Musco Chevrolet , 200 Laps
  22. Amy Catalano ( 56 ) , Catalano Motorsports Chevrolet , 198 Laps
  23. Andrew Krause ( 24 ) , Supreme Mtg Chevrolet , 163 Laps
  24. Walter Sutcliffe Jr. ( 78 ) , Last Minute Racing Chevrolet , 136 Laps
  25. Rob Summers ( 64 ) , All Source/ Hughes Motor/Luminere Chevrolet , 116 Laps
  26. Ron Silk ( 85 ) , Stuart’s Automotive Chevrolet , 90 Laps
  27. Matt Swanson ( 3 ) , USNE/SYP/All Phases Chevrolet , 51 Laps
  28. Timmy Solomito ( 66 ) , East West Marine/Flamingo Mtrsprt Ford , 32 Laps
  29. Gary Byington ( 30 ) , Hudson Speedway Chevrolet , 7 Laps
  30. Melissa Fifield ( 01 ) , Pine Knoll Auto Sales Chevrolet , 7 Laps

WELLS RIVER CHEVROLET FLYING TIGERS

Pos., Driver, Car #, Hometown
1. #Kasey Beattie ( 45NH ) St.Johnsbury, VT

  1. Michael Potter ( 23NH ) Marshfield, VT
  2. Jaden Perry ( 92VT ) Hardwick, VT
  3. John Donahue ( 26VT ) Graniteville, VT
  4. Michael Clark ( 2VT ) Littleton, NH
  5. Ben Belanger ( 99NH ) Whitefield, NH
  6. Cooper Bouchard ( 7VT ) Hinesburg, VT
  7. Jody Sicard ( 49NH ) Barton, VT
  8. Matthew Potter ( 23VT ) Marshfield, VT
  9. Jason Woodard ( 68VT ) Waterbury Ctr., VT
  10. #Hunter King ( 62VT ) Woodbury, VT
  11. Laci Potter ( 55X ) West Danville, VT
  12. #Keegan Lamson ( 55NH ) Berlin, VT
  13. Nathaniel Parkin ( 88NH ) Bradford, VT
  14. Shane Sicard ( 4NH ) Barton, VT
  15. David Ofsuryk ( 73VT ) Derby Line, VT

WOODSVILLE GUARANTY SAVINGS BANK STRICTLY STOCK MINI’S

Pos., Driver, Car #, Hometown
1. Brett Jackson ( 31 ) Bethlehem, NH

  1. Jack Hayes ( 09 ) Littleton, NH
  2. Jamie Ball ( 99 ) Passumpsic, VT
  3. Chris Davis ( 69 ) Berlin, VT
  4. Gavin McGinnis ( 10 ) St. Johnsbury, VT
  5. Joe Giddings ( 41 ) Waterford, VT
  6. Nicole Ouellette ( 88 ) Milan, NH
  7. Keri Driscoll ( 91 ) Gilmanton, NH
  8. Adam Sicard ( 16 ) Barton, VT
  9. Darren Newland ( 25 ) E. Burke, VT
  10. Tyler Thompson ( 51 ) Littleton, NH
  11. Ryan Ware ( 32 ) Littleton, NH
  12. Les Washburn ( 11 ) Bethlehem, NH
  13. Dave Driscoll ( 19 ) N. Woodstock, NH

Sources: ACT PR