Justin Bonsignore in the Spearpoint Racing SK Modified at Stafford Motor Speedway
Justin Bonsignore said well before he was stripped of a second place finish in Friday’s NAPA SK5K at Stafford Motor Speedway, there was nothing fun about the night at the track.
Team owner Art Barry, a longtime fixture in the Southern New England Modified racing scene and a 2009 inductee into the New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame, was not at the track Friday because he was in the hospital dealing with complications from a knee replacement surgery.
And team co-owner Ken Barry confirmed Tuesday that because of the medical issues with his father, the team will not be at Stafford racing.
Ken Barry said there is no timetable for a return for the team.
Both Ken Barry and Bonsignore insisted the decision to step away from competition at this point has nothing to do with the penalty the team was handed on Friday at Stafford Speedway.
Bonsignore was dropped from second place finish to ninth place in the final running order of the NAPA SK5K after his car was found to be seven pounds underweight after the event.
“We’re going to take some time off, but to be honest, it doesn’t have a whole hell of a lot to do with what went on the other night,” Ken Barry said. “My dad is still in the hospital. He had some complications with his knee. And I just don’t have the time to maintain the car myself. … For right now, until my dad is back up on his feet again, that’s probably where the car will sit for a few weeks.
“That being said, I’m not impressed with the fact that you ride around for 50 laps of caution flags during the [NAPA SK5K] and we’re seven pounds light and get thrown out for it. But that’s their rules and that’s how they go and we’re not going to cry about it. It is what it is. I don’t agree with the format, but that was the format. It was nobody’s fault but my own. I just needed to start the car about 60 pounds heavier than I thought we should have.”
Bonsignore, in his first season running full-time in the SK Modified division at Stafford is sixth in the standings with two top-five finishes and eight top-10’s in 12 events this season. Bonsignore, of Holtsville, N.Y., also runs full-time on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour for M3 Racing.
“It’s unfortunate what happened the other night but it really has nothing to do with our reasoning for regrouping and taking a couple weeks off,” Bonsignore said. “Art is still an integral part of what we do, even at his age [80], he still pretty much runs the team because Kenny is busy with the parts business [SPAFCO Race Chassis and Parts]. It’s too much for him right now. We’re not in the middle of the points battle so it just makes sense to take a step back and regroup.
“I know the timing of why we’re not going back kind of looks like we’re being cry babies and sore losers about it, but, it really, at the end of the day, it’s about Art. With him not being at the racetrack on Friday, it wasn’t even any fun. It’s his race team so we’re going to regroup and when he’s ready to go have some fun we’ll do that.”
Bonsignore and the Spearpoint team won the Valenti Modified Racing Series championship last year. Instead of defending the title, the team decided to run full-time in the SK Modified at Stafford.
“The whole grand scheme of SK [Modified] racing isn’t really up my dad’s alley,” Ken Barry said. “I guess that’s the best way to put it. I don’t like the tire rule and the tires are horrible. I think the racing would be so much better if they do something with the tire rule. When a guy like Keith Rocco or Justin or Teddy [Christopher] or Ryan [Preece] are blistering fast one week and then their off-tire week they’re a 10th place car, with the exact same driver and car, I think there’s something wrong.
“They all say it’s about saving money but they could give you three tires a week instead of two and you could put on a better race, the cars are going to handle better and it’s $160 a tire. A new nerf bar is $140 and you wreck them every week because your car is not going good. That’s the disappointing part. We’ve had a good car, we’ve been second three times. And then other nights we’re a 12th place car, but it’s our off-tire week. We’ve had some stupid stuff happen this year. We’ve fallen out of races running in the top-five because an air cleaner stud broke, twice. Just stupid stuff like that. It is what it is.”
Dropping like flies at Stafford. First Woody, now this.
Here’s wishing art a speedy recovery ! Great people !
I do agree with Kenny’s take on the tire rule. For the money that these teams realistically invest in the car and than spend every week at the track, $160 more is most likely not going to break anyone’s bank account.
Or, how about go with a 4 tire rule where total cost is reduced to buy a set of 4 – say $500? I know Pep Boys does a lot of buy 3 get 1 free 😀
Hey Art, hope you are all better, right away.
If the race teams want to change tire rules why don’t they do it?They are the show
I honestly don’t know how the SK show at Stafford could get any better than it is now. Best division in New England right now. So don’t mess with it yet.
Sorry to hear about Art.. get well soon, will miss not having the 21 in the field.
Get well soon art. Can’t believe a chassis builder is complaining about tire wear. Sk’s are a weekly division not a tour division. Cost need to be cut down to keep a full field. Ya the top half dozen teams can afford another new tire but what about the bottom half dozen weekly teams? A good chassis builder will figure out a balence between making the car fast and improving tire wear. Those that just throw tires at car are simply welders who we have to question their true chassis knowledge. IMO
Sonny , The tires they are using are junk . When they are new there is no consistency . I’ve heard guys go out in the first practice with old tires and the car is ok and then put on new ones go out again and the car is out to lunch ! One guy even said I thought I forgot how to drive. I think Kenny knows how to set up a car .