Stat Check: Breaking Down The Whelen Modified Tour Standings With Two Races Left

(Press Release from NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications)

Only three points separate the top three drivers in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour standings heading into the final two races of the 2022 season.

After claiming his fourth win of the year at Riverhead Raceway on Saturday night, three-time Tour champion Justin Bonsignore has erased the deficit stemming from his poor start to put himself well within striking distance of adding another title to his prestigious resume.

With all the momentum favoring Bonsignore as he pursues a third consecutive championship, points leader Jon McKennedy and 2011 champion Ron Silk will find themselves playing both offense and defense with two historic tracks in Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park and Martinsville Speedway ahead.

Below is a breakdown of how the top 10 drivers in the standings fared during the Eddie Partridge 256, along with a complete look at the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour standings.

1. Jon McKennedy: 526 points 

The last thing McKennedy needed was a mediocre performance at Riverhead. Bonsignore winning the Eddie Partridge 256 and Silk finishing third only compounded the consequences of McKennedy’s 10th-place run, as his lead in the standings has been reduced to just three points.

2. Justin Bonsignore: 523 points

A couple months ago, Bonsignore was nowhere near the championship fight being settled between McKennedy and Silk. Two consecutive victories at Oswego Speedway and Riverhead, along with an average finish of 3.6 over the last five races, has allowed Bonsignore to emerge as the title favorite with two races remaining.

3. Ron Silk: 523 points 

Despite putting together one of the most consistent seasons of his career, Silk has yet to take his car to Victory Lane in 2022. Silk put together another solid performance at Riverhead with a third, but he now finds himself in a tie for second with Bonsignore.

4. Eric Goodale: 504 points

Goodale remains a dark horse candidate for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour title, but time is running out for him to erase a 22-point deficit. A quiet night for Goodale in the Eddie Partridge 256 saw him come home in fifth for his fourth top five on the 2022 season.

5. Austin Beers: 479 points 

The only rookie who has run every race of the Tour season, Beers is now fifth in the point standings heading into the penultimate race at Thompson. Beers just narrowly missed out on his second top five of the year with a sixth-place finish at Riverhead.

6. Tommy Catalano: 470 points

Catalano rebounded from a disappointing showing at Oswego but was still unable to crack the top 10 by the time the checkered flag was displayed. The 12th-place finish by Catalano at Riverhead dropped him outside the top five in the point standings.

7. Kyle Bonsignore: 469 points

A different pit strategy nearly resulted in the other member of the Bonsignore family visiting Riverhead’s Victory Lane. Unfortunately for Kyle, he would get swept up in a late-race accident with Silk, forcing him to settle for a disappointing, 21st-place finish.

8. Craig Lutz: 466 points

Lutz picked up another top 10 in the Eddie Partridge 256 on Saturday evening by finishing seventh. After scoring only one top 10 in the first 10 races, Lutz now has four in a row, which includes his victory at Thompson back in August.

9. Doug Coby: 408 points

A three-time winner at Riverhead, Coby could not quite match the pace set by Bonsignore in Saturday’s Eddie Partridge 256. Despite this, Coby still finished fourth and further padded out Tommy Baldwin’s advantage in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour owner points.

10. J.B. Fortin: 360 points

The Eddie Partridge 256 proved to be another rough evening for Fortin. An accident with Riverhead regular Dylan Slepian knocked Fortin out of the race after 85 laps, which relegated him to 23rd.