LOUDON, N.H. – It was a chaotic finish to the day for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Saturday in the Whelen Manufactured in America 100 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
But it was an earlier mess in the day that ensured the series points leader wouldn’t be involved in the wild battle for the win in Loudon.
Ron Silk came into the event holding a 26-point lead over second place Jon Mckennedy at the top of the Whelen Modified Tour standings.
Before the race it was Eric Goodale 29 points off the lead in third, Tommy Catalano 30 points behind in fourth, Justin Bonsignore 35 points off the lead in fifth and Austin Beers 38 behind Silk in sixth. Kyle Bonsignore was in seventh place, 56 points behind the top spot.
After things shook out on Saturday following Anthony Nocella’s win, the positions didn’t change all that much in the standings, but the points differentials definitely closed up.
Silk was involved in a lap 28 wreck along with Austin Beers, Dave Sapienza and Kyle Ebersole. Silk was able to get back out on the track before the day to pick up a couple more spots in the final running order and finish 21st.
Goodale was fourth, part of the wild finish at the checkered. McKennedy was fifth.
Silk, McKennedy and Goodale held on to 1-2-3 in the standings, but Silk’s lead over McKennedy was cut from 26 to 10 points. Goodale jumped to 11 points behind Silk.
Reigning series champion Justin Bonsignore had a broken axel early in the event and was two laps down at one point. He rallied to a 12th place finish and jumped from fifth to fourth in the standings, 25 points behind Silk. Beers used an 11th place finish to jump from sixth to fifth in the standings and sits 28 points off the lead. Tommy Catalano fell from fourth to sixth in the standings, one point behind Beers. Kyle Bonsignore remained seventh in standings but went from 56 points off the lead to 37 points off the lead.
In scoring his first NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victory Saturday, Nocella became the sixth part-time series driver to win in nine Whelen Modified Tour events this year. Seven of nine events this year have been won by part-time drivers. In addition to Nocella, that list includes Doug Coby (two wins), Mike Christopher Jr., Matt Hirschman, Jimmy Blewett and Kyle Soper.
With two victories this season, Justin Bonsignore is the only full-time series driver to win this season.
The Whelen Modified Tour returns to action with the 10th of 16 events of the season on July 29 at Claremont (N.H) Speedway with the Clash at Claremont 150.
Unofficial Whelen Modified Tour Driver Point Standings After 10 of 16 Events
(Driver, points, differential from lead in parentheses)
1. Ron Silk 335
2. Jon McKennedy 325 (-10)
3. Eric Goodale 324 (-11)
4. Justin Bonsignore 310 (-25)
5. Austin Beers 307 (-28)
6. Tommy Catalano 306 (-29)
7. Kyle Bonsignore 298 (-37)
8. Craig Lutz 274 (-61)
9. Dave Sapienza 241 (-94)
10. JB Fortin 236 (-99)
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