(Press Release from NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications)
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour’s first trip to Jennerstown Speedway in more than a decade could not have gone better for Justin Bonsignore.
The tour will return to the Pennsylvania track Saturday for the Laurel Highlands 150 after just two months away, and the Holtsville, New York, driver will look for a repeat performance to pad his tour championship points lead.
It’s six-time champion Doug Coby, however, who won the most recent NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour drivers and there are a host of new names that have started 2020 with strong runs as they look to break into the title picture.
Unlike the opener, which was held with empty grandstands, fans will be allowed for Saturday’s Laurel Highlands 150.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
Bonsignore won the Mayhew Tools Pole Award and led every lap in the No. 51 Phoenix Communications Inc. Chevrolet in the first race at Jennerstown.
He’ll look to keep that perfect streak alive Saturday, as the race distance goes from 133 to 150, and will feature live pit stops instead of a halfway break.
It wasn’t necessarily as easy as the box score indicated, though. Craig Lutz and Jon McKennedy both put together strong runs to finish second and third, respectively. Kyle Bonsignore, Calvin Carroll, Dave Sapienza and Chris Pasteryak are among a host of drivers who have put together several strong runs over the tour’s first three races.
Lutz, McKennedy and Bonsignore each have one career win apiece, while the others are looking for that first victory.
And then there’s Coby.
The defending tour champion scored his first win as a driver/owner when the tour made its second stop of the season to New Hampshire’s White Mountain Motorsports Park. He’ll look to make similar gains after an uncharacteristic seventh-place run in the opener.
RACING REFERENCE: Previous NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour races at Jennerstown | NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour drivers career stats at Jennerstown | 2019 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Standings
RACE FACTS
| RACE | LAUREL HIGHLANDS 150 |
| PLACE | Jennerstown Speedway, Jennerstown, Pa. |
| DATE | Saturday, Aug. 22, 2020 |
| TIME1 | 7 p.m. ET |
| TELEVISION/RADIO | Trackpass on NBC Gold (live), 7 p.m. ET; NBCSN — Monday, Aug. 31, 3 p.m. ET |
| TRACK LAYOUT | .522-mile paved oval |
| EVENT SCHEDULE | Saturday, Aug. 22 — Garage opens: Noon ET; Practice: 2:30-3:30 p.m.; Qualifying: 4 p.m.; Laurel Highlands 150: 7 p.m. |
| @jtownspeedway, @NASCARRoots | |
| HASHTAG | #NWMT |
RACE CENTER | ENTRY LIST | RACE SCHEDULE
CREW CHIEF HANDOUT: The starting field for the Laurel Highlands 150 is limited to 30, including provisional positions. The field will be set by qualifying (1-24) and provisional process per the entry blank (25-30) for the Laurel Highlands 150. In the event that qualifying as stated on this entry blank does not take place for any unforeseen circumstance, the field will be set in accordance with the 2020 NASCAR Touring Series Rule Book.
QUALIFYING: Two consecutive qualifying laps. Faster lap determines qualifying position. Adjustments or repairs may not be made on the vehicle after the vehicle has taken the green flag at the start/finish line. Vehicles will be impounded after qualifying. Vehicle must qualify on race set up.
The Laurel Highlands 150 will be 150 laps (78.3 miles) and is to be run in one (1) segments. The tire change rule is three (3) tires, any position. To utilize the third change tire, teams will designate a practice tire purchased at Jennerstown Speedway to be the third change tire.
The maximum tire allotment available for this event is as follows: Four (4) tires for practice and four (4) for qualifying and to start the race, plus an additional two (2) for a total of 10 (10) tires.
Hope the weather works out. Looking a little dicey.
Hey Liz, your girl can make moves here given Gerstner and Stolimoto withdrew. If Mel makes enough laps, surprisingly she was running at the end of the previous Jennerstown race and amassed a shocking 124 laps out of 133 laps available, and there’s enough attrition worse than her, Gerstner and Stolimoto might fall in the points to below Mel. Are you excited!!!! 🤞 This is a longer race than the earlier one, I hope Mel can hang in there and not lose too many points.
🥃
You kids see that the SMART Tour has returned down south?? Several races added for 2020 and 2021.
6 provisional spots. Really?
Should be limited to 2 past champion driver, and past champion car owner. Maybe a third for defending race winner. If they’re not used, then hand them out to the field fillers. Sad when a fast car is sent home because a field fillers entry blank was postmarked sooner.
I’m gonna go with Ron Silk for the win, followed by Jbon and Mckennady.
Wow, just read an article about the TV show Street Outlaws. They are filming in Scott’s Bluff, wherever that is. They’ll be there for 5 days. Estimated economic impact 6- 10 million dollars to the local economy. That’s just mind-blowing.
Rob 29 cars entered with 3 withdrawals means 26 cars, a few other cars may show up but i wouldn’t worry with anyone sent home!
dareal, are you trolling me? That wasn’t a very nice comment. I’ve been very nice to you. In fact, I’ve even invited you to the races in the past. I guess just don’t like me and never will. Maybe you engineer types don’t like very intelligent and skilled barristers… Maybe wanna be bike racers like you don’t like those of us who honk at you from behind when you think you own the road. I just don’t know…
What I do know for sure is that you are still upset that I helped Melissa won three consecutive Whelen Modified Tour Most Popular Driver Awards. I’m sorry that years later that sill bothers you. I hope someday that you can find inner peace. ☮✌☮✌☮
Liz Cherokee posted, “What I do know for sure is that you are still upset that I helped Melissa won three consecutive Whelen Modified Tour Most Popular Driver Awards.”
Liz, your guilt is showing. You are overcome with profound guilt. How can you repent to move on with your life?
Liz,
Your wasting time. I’ve invited Dadouch to the track to “meet me” at the paddock gate. He is a slang for a small cat and will continue to hide behind a handle and run his mouth while others do. I’ve almost grown to feel bad for him. Could you imagine living that life? 😢
In the way of pondering about the NWMT and events coming up is there merit in thinking Hirschman will enter the NWMT Stafford 150. To win obviously but also to get up to speed on the track seeing as how he’ll probably be in the TTOMS race and seeing as how $10,000 is after all a lot of money.
Could our Hirschman drought at Stafford be coming to an abrupt end?
Tommy posted, “Your wasting time. I’ve invited Dadouch to the track to “meet me” at the paddock gate. He is a slang for a small cat and will continue to hide behind a handle and run his mouth while others do. I’ve almost grown to feel bad for him. Could you imagine living that life? 😢”
I love when people harp about using a screen name when they use a name like “Tommy” as their handle. Yeah, like that’s not anonymous? Which “Tommy” are you?
Idiot.
Best of luck. Storms are popping up all around the track. 🤞
What happened to the 85?