Kyle Bonsignore Climbs Modified Mountain

N. WOODSTOCK, N.H. — A capacity crowd filed into White Mountain Motorsports Park for Sunday’s special matinee headlined by the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.

Fast-qualifier Jake Johnson took off with the lead in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Thunder in the Mountains 200 with Ron Silk quickly fading on the outside groove. Johnson lost the lead on lap 32 with Bonsignore taking over the top spot as the field ran single-file, waiting for a chance to jump pit-side for some strategy.

Midpack, Matt Hirschman, Silk, Craig Lutz and Luke Baldwin got physical for the crowd as Bonsignore continued to pace out front.

Overcrowding off turn two just before the halfway point saw Ron Silk go around off the nose of Luke Baldwin with all the major players jumping pit-side for adjustments, most taking their allotment of tires in preparation for a 99-lap sprint to the end.

After stringing out once more, championship hopeful Austin Beers went around with Anthony Nocella in turn one as another championship hopeful in Patrick Emerling shut down during pace laps after a successful pit stop.

In a wild final 20 circuits, Bonsignore kept his eyes forward and his foot to the firewall, even with his rear bumper getting the full monty from Stephen Kopcik. Try as he might, Kopcik couldn’t out-psych Bonsignore with the No. 22 ChaLew Performance machine earning its first NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victory in nearly two years.

Bonsignore is also the sixth different winner in as many races on the traveling NASCAR Modified circuit this season.

Kopcik finished second, with Johnson, Hirschman and Beers completing the top five.

Kyle Goodbout won the late model feature and Luke Peters topped the Flying Tiger main event.

The finish:

Kyle Bonsignore, Stephen Kopcik, Jake Johnson, Matt Hirschman, Austin Beers, Craig Lutz, Luke Baldwin, Trevor Catalano, Jonathan McKennedy, Justin Bonsignore, Tyler Rypkema, Brian Robbie, Ron Silk, Ken Heagy, Tyler Barry, Patrick Emerling, Anthony Nocella, Mike Marshall, Woody Pitkat.