Justin Bonsignore To Lead Whelen Mod Tour Long Island Gang Into Battle In Islip 300 At Riverhead


(Press Release from Riverhead Raceway)

Justin Bonsignore (Photo: Shawn Courchesne/RaceDayCT)

Newly minted 2020 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Justin Bonsignore of Holtsville will be in familiar territory Saturday November 14th when he and his Ryan Stone lead Ken Massa Motorsports team head to Riverhead Raceway for the $32,650 Islip 300 by East West Marine Supply. Bonsignore now a two time champion on the WMT will lead the “Long Island Gang” of the tour into battle with a half dozen teams committed to the 300 having ties to the Island.

Currently riding a four race WMT win streak at Riverhead that dates back to July 7th, 2018 Justin Bonsignore instantly becomes a favorite to pocket the $7,000 to win Tour Type Modified extravaganza Saturday in the Phoenix Communications Chevy. Justin recently honed his quarter mile driving skills during the Mike Stefanik Hall of Fame 160 when in a one off teaming he wheeled the Rob Pelis owned entry to a runner-up finish. Bonsignore is a 15-time winner at the track he started his racing career at with the Eastern Kart Racing Association as a youth having won 8 NASCAR WMT events as well 7 NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Racing Series contests first of which came on August 25th, 2007. Bonsignore with Ryan Stone leading the way put the Ken Massa owned racer in the top 5 in nine out of nine races during their title run this season.

Craig Lutz of Miller Place sat in the grandstand at Riverhead often as a youth looking on while his father Eric wheeled a Charger car to 10 career wins. Saturday Craig wheeling the Russell Goodale owned Riverhead Building Supply machine hopes to etch his name in the Riverhead Raceway record books with his first career win when the Islip 300 by East West Marine Supply concludes. WMT veteran Dave Sapienza of Riverhead indeed his the “senior statesman” of the modern day “Long Island Gang” and he’d love to grab the big win in his Grosso Brothers prepared SAP Enterprises Chevy. Eric Goodale of Riverhead knows the feeling of winning in front of family and friends very well as he lived it back on June 28th, 2014 when he won his first career WMT race at Riverhead in the Edgar Goodale owned GAF Roofing Chevy. Eric is ready for a repeat performance after the 300. 

Ryan Preece of Berlin, Ct may never have lived on Long Island in his 30-years but at Riverhead Raceway he is truly an adopted son with his most recent of his 16 career wins at the demanding bullring coming in the 2018 Islip 300 by East West Marine Supply. Preece just six days removed from his 2020 NASCAR Cup season hopes to become the first repeat winner of the 300 in the Eddie & Connie Partridge owned TS Haulers Chevy out of Calverton. Tommy Baldwin Racing with driver Jon McKennedy of Chelmsford, Ma. will be in the field contending for the victory in the 300. McKennedy and the Ultra Wheels team finished runner-up to Justin Bonsignore in the 2020 WMT championship chase. For car owner Tommy Baldwin Jr. the Islip 300 by East West Marine is much a sentimental affair as a big Tour Type Modified race as he father “Tiger” Tom Baldwin was part of the inaugural All Star 300 at the famed Islip Speedway. Tommy never one to forget his L.I. racing roots has posted a $100 Hard Charger award for the accompanying Crate Modified and INEX Legend Race Car events with his son Jack and nephew Tristin Bruce competing in the Legends event.

The list of invading teams that have verbally committed to the Islip 300 by East West Marine Supply is not limited to the WMT roster. Three drivers who call the fabled Stafford Motor Speedway home are heading to Riverhead led by 2020 SK Modified champion Keith Rocco of Berlin, Ct. who’ll be joined by Ronnie Williams of Ellington, Ct. and Matt Galko of Meriden, Ct. Seeking his second career Riverhead Raceway checker will be Max Zachem of Preston Ct., Max was the 2017 opening night winner of the NASCAR Modified feature steering the Ken Vogel Sr. owned, Meade’s Fabricating Chevy. Not since 1985 has Coram native and now Corneilus, NC resident Brian Weber turned a competitive lap at Riverhead but he will change all that Saturday in a John Sutton prepared Tour Type Modified in the 300. Sutton is also a transplanted Long Island native. 

As of press time 10 Riverhead Raceway NASCAR Modified teams have verbally committed to the Islip 300 by East West Marine Supply led by 2020 champion Tom Rogers Jr. of Riverhead. Dylan Slepian of Dix Hills, Kyle Soper of Manorville, Roger Turbush of Riverhead, Michael Rutkoski of Mattituck,Chris Young of Calverton, John Beatty Jr. of Merrick, John Baker of Brookhaven, Justin Borwn of Manorville and Artie Pedersen III of Center Moriches will be protecting their home turf. Several other local as well off Island teams are expected to commit to the race over the weekend. 

The Islip 300 by East West Marine Supply will be a single day event with pits opening at 8:00 am. The INEX Legend Race Cars will have a continuous 1/2 hour practice starting at 10:00 am followed by the Eagle Auto Mall Crate Modifieds at 10:30 am. The Tour Type Modifieds will hit the track for a hour long session from 11:00 am through 12 noon. A drivers meeting will take place at 12:20 pm with qualifying set for 1:00 pm. 

To view the complete race day schedule or details on ordering the RiverheadRaceway.Tv live stream of the Islip 300 by East Marine Supply Saturday November 14th please visit www.riverheadraceway.com and follow the appropriate links. In the event of rain the complete program would be run Sunday November 15th with the same race day schedule in place.    

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