|
09/10/2012 |
|
JUSTIN
BONSIGNORE WINS NWMT TOWN FAIR TIRE NORTHERN 75
Bonsignore Gets
Second Career Win at Thompson International Speedway
by
Polly Reid |
Starting
second at the green and dropping back to sixth
before five circuits were complete, Justin
Bonsignore of Holtsville, NY in the M3 Technology
sponsored Chevrolet went to task and worked his way
methodically forward. On lap 68 he made the winning
move passing Ryan Preece to score his second career
win, his first at Thompson International Speedway in
the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Town Fair Tire
Northern 75.
Crossing for second was Bobby Santos, Ryan Preece
third, Todd Szegedy fourth and Ted Christopher
fifth.
“This is huge,” smiled Bonsignore. “Our team has
been up and down all year, we really thought we'd
come out of the box and contend like Doug (Coby) has
all year. We kind of took a step backwards, made
some changes with our team, this is only our third
race together, we struggled our first race, Bristol
showed we can do it. I have all the confidence in
the world in my guys. They are so dedicated and when
they get to the race track, it's a good time.”
The 75 lap point race for the NASCAR Whelen Modified
Tour had a total of four cautions including the
finish under yellow when Ron Silk running seventh
hit the turn one and two outside wall on the white
flag lap, the field crossing the stripe under a
yellow checker.
It was after the caution with 22 laps to go that
Bonsignore noticed his car was coming to him. "We
were just really tight in the beginning, our car
just had no forward drive, then we got that caution
and I don't know if everyone else just came back to
us or if we got a little bit better but we got a
really good restart that got us up to third there.”
Bonsignore gained three positions on that restart
and found himself two spots from the checkers - only
Ted Christopher with thirteen Tour wins at Thompson
and Ryan Preece who had led the entire event was
between him and pulling the Ken Massa owned modified
into victory lane. Bonsignore knew there was not
much time, 22 circuits to be exact and he took his
move forward to task. “I started working Teddy over
as hard as I could, showed him a nose, showed him an
outside, it's real hard to pass him here, everyone
knows that, he's the best. Finally I just put the
slide job on him in turn three and we didn't make
any contact which is how you're supposed to do it
then we ran Ryan down. I didn't think I was going to
get him as easy as I did. He tried to cross back
over but our car was really good up off."
Bonsignore became the second leader of the day and
just as he was putting some distance from the field
a turn four incident involving Bryon Chew, Ed
Flemke, Rowan Pennink and Patrick Emerling brought
out the yellow, three circuits shy of the checkers.
“The last thing I wanted to see was that caution.
That's not what you want to see when you're driving
away from them with two to go.” The Town Fair Tire
Northern 75 was going into overtime.
Bonsignore lined up to lead the field for a green,
white, checkered finish with Preece, Christopher,
Santos and Mike Stefanik the top five. Bonsignore
maintained his lead while the scramble for the
checkers became fierce. Silk got the worse of it on
the white flag lap and was forced into the outside
wall bringing out a yellow, checker finish. Santos
secured second and Preece claimed third on the
extended feature at lap 82, seven over the
advertised distance. “We got a good start, rolled in
on the top- Bobby was coming- I knew it was going to
be exciting- the way our season's gone, I'll take it
with the caution that ended the race.”
Rolling into his hometrack next weekend, Bonsignore
will no doubt be a top choice for victory at
Riverhead Raceway where he collected his first
career Tour win last year. “We've got another good
week next week at Riverhead, I'm really looking
forward to that, maybe we can go two in a row. We're
going back home, we ran there recently and won two
weeks ago- I think there is a really good chance.”
He may be a part time driver on the NWMT, but when
he does make it to the track, Bobby Santos of
Franklin, MA seems to make a statement, for the
good, in the ImperialCars.com/Tinio Corp. sponsored,
Sully Tinio owned Chevrolet. Third at the initial
green, Santos challenged Preece in the beginning,
then Bonsignore at the end, his day’s work resulting
in a solid second. “My guys gave me a really good
car, that Billy the Kid Motor is really good. We
just got a little loose, we were off just a little
bit- I want to thank those guys they did an awesome
job.”
Setting fast time, collecting his fifth Coors Light
pole award of the season, Ryan Preece turned on a
torrid pace keeping the competition in his rear view
mirror. If the Town Fair Tire Northern 75 had
remained green, there would have been no catching
the Berlin, CT driver.
After Bonsignore made his move for the lead, the
final caution occurred with a less than a handful of
circuits left on the board. The caution cost Preece
yet another position, his day ending third. “I want
to thank East West Marine, Flamingo Motorsports,
Sanderson McCloud, R&B Enterprises, American Lamp
Recycling, everybody involved in this whole deal. We
wouldn't be here without them.” Preece was already
looking ahead before he even climbed out of the car.
“We know what we have to do to make our car better
for the 50 lap showdown and hope we can put on a
show for the fans.”
Mike Stefanik crossed sixth with Donny Lia, Eric
Beers, Eric Berndt and Richie Pallai, Jr the
remaining top ten finishers.
Point leader Doug Coby finished the Town Fair Tire
Northern 75 in 13th- while not the best points day
for the Reynolds Auto Wrecking/Furnace & Duct title
contending modified, Coby maintains a 32 point lead
over Ron Silk heading to Riverhead Raceway this next
Saturday, Sept. 15th. |
|
Source: Polly Reid / TheChromeHorn.com
Posted: September
10, 2012 |
|
|