Justin Bonsignore (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)
Justin Bonsignore has a message for officials of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.
He’s in no rush to get out of the track after events this season.
Bonsignore has proved himself a threat to win week in and week out the last two seasons on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, but consistency has been an issue.
Bonsignore knows, if he’s waiting for officials to check his car after every race instead of going straight from the track to the trailer, he’s doing something right when it comes to mending the consistency issues.
“If you can go to tech every week you’ll be in the position at the end,” Bonsignore said after finishing third in Sunday’s Whelen Modified Tour season opening Icebreaker 150 at Thompson Speedway.
“This is 180 degrees better than last year,” Bosnignore said. Last year was real tough. It’s only one race but you can’t have any mulligans in this series and if you do you can only have one or two.”
In 2015, a 27th place finish in the season opener at Thompson left Bonsignore staring up from deep in the Whelen Modified Tour standings. And finished of 20th, 28th and 25th over the next three events had him 25th in the standings after four of 15 events.
Bonsignore closed out the season with two victories, two seconds, a third and seven top-fives overall in the final 11 events, but that stretch also include three finishes of 21st or better. He rallied to finish 10th in the season standings.
Bonsignore would like to get back to start a roll like the one he rode in 2014 when he had three victories and was in the top-three in the standings for all but one event of the 13-event season. He ended up third in points that year.
“In 2014 we won a few races but we were also consistent,” Bonsignore said. “[2014 series champion Doug Coby] was even more consistent. That year was who was going to have the first fall and we did.”
Despite the struggles of last season Bonsignore came into the 2016 season as one of the drivers spotlighted as being a top challenger to knock Coby from his throne as the two-time defending series champion.
“We just have to go tech every week and when we can win the race we need to win the race because bonus points showed last year with Doug’s multiple DNF’s that the wins do matter if you’re going to have any mulligans,” Bonsignore said.
Bonsignore pointed to Coby’s fourth place finish in the Icebreaker Sunday as proof that the reigning champion isn’t wearing an unbeatable Superman’s cape this year. After all the leaders pitted just after the midway point of the event, it was clear Coby no longer had a car to run with the leaders.
“For a fan side of it, hopefully nobody has 10 wins this year and it’s a good show for everybody,” Bonsignore said of the championship chase. “But we’ll just do our best every week and take what we can.
“As racers in the garage people start to question themselves,” Bonsignore. “What are we doing wrong? Or what are they doing so right? Obviously there’s always rumors of ‘What are they doing? Are they doing something over the limit?’ But you know, NASCAR does a great job, nobody is doing nothing like that. But it shows today that if you don’t hit it perfect, like [Coby’s team] didn’t on that second stop. I don’t know what happened in the first portion of the race, I was a little far behind, but it showed that everybody is human. You really need to get it perfect in these races.”
I hope they have a good season. They were doing well, and then lost it. Hope they run well, and consistently.
It’s all solomito this year
Very clear coby car not up to speed
It would be cool to see someone like Solomito be a factor in the season points championship this year, but lets be fair. A 4th place finish in the Icebreaker is no reason to write off Coby.