There’s not all that much in common when it comes to the communities of Winchester, N.H. and Riverhead, N.Y.
Justin Bonsignore celebrates a Whelen Modified Tour win in 2012 at Thompson International Speedway (Photo: Travis Barrett)
There’s rural old New England inland Winchester vs. Long Island shore living of Riverhead.
But there’s a common ground between the towns that puts a smile on the face of Whelen Modified Tour driver Justin Bonsignore.
There’s Riverhead Raceway, the quarter-mile bullring Bonsignore grew up on in a Modified. And then there’s Monadnock Speedway in Winchester, another quarter-mile bullring much like Riverhead Raceway.
The Whelen Modified Tour heads to Winchester, N.H. Saturday to face the tight confines of the banked Monadnock Speedway oval in the Town Fair Tire Whitcomb 200.
It’s a visit north that Bonsignore, of Holtsville, N.Y., likes to see on the calendar.
“I grew up running Riverhead so that definitely helps my driving style [at Monadnock],” Bonsignore said. “Patient but aggressive at the same time and learning to save tires. We just have a good package there too.”
After two events this year Bonsignore sits fifth in the Whelen Modified Tour standings, five points behind co-leaders Rowan Pennink and Ryan Preece.
Bonsignore was eighth in the season opening Icebreaker 150 at Thompson International Speedway on April 14. He was second in the Spring Sizzler 200 at Stafford Motor Speedway on April 28.
At Stafford Bonsignore showed a spirited fire in battling for position in the top-10 throughout the event.
“I’ve been here a few years now and I’m not going to take it any more,” said Bonsignore, who is in his fourth season running full-time in the division. “You’ve just got to lay the bumper to a couple guys. I’m not going to get pushed around.
“… Some people like to dish it out and they don’t like it when you give it back so they give it back ten-fold. … It’s my fourth year and at some point the owner might look at the driver and I don’t want to have any excuse, I want to show them that I’m here to race every week and that we can win races.”
Bonsignore got his first career victory in 2011 at Riverhead. His only other win in the series came last year at Thompson.
Bonsignore was ninth in his first appearance at Monadnock with the Whelen Modified Tour in 2010. He was second in the division’s lone visit to the track in 2011 and fourth last year.
“If we could learn how to qualify [at Monadnock] I think we could pull like a [Ryan] Preece did last year and lead every lap,” Bonsignore said. “I’m looking forward to it. Every short track we go to I mark that as something we should contend or at least have no worse than a third there. It’s frustrating if we don’t run good there.”
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