(Press Release from NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications)
A thrilling and competitive 2022 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season is in the books with veteran driver Jon McKennedy having scored his first championship.
The Chelmsford, Massachusetts, native was competing in his second full-time Tour campaign, and he managed to hold off Ron Silk, Eric Goodale and Justin Bonsignore in points while driving for a new team led by Tim Lepine.
McKennedy’s championship was one of many highlights from a year that featured one of most compelling title fights in the history of the series. Many different drivers also managed to find success across the 16-race campaign that spanned from the Northeast all the way to Florida.
Below are some of the defining figures from the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour’s 38th season of competition.
1: The amount of races Jon McKennedy won during his championship season. McKennedy’s lone victory came at Claremont Motorsports Park on July 29.
3: The number of drivers who won a race for owner champion Tommy Baldwin Jr. Those drivers were Doug Coby (Riverhead Raceway, Lee USA Speedway and Langley Speedway), Jimmy Blewett (Wall Stadium Speedway) and Mike Christopher Jr. (Jennerstown Speedway).
3: The final position for veteran Eric Goodale in the Tour point standings. It was his best result across 14 full-time seasons in the series. Goodale’s previous best points finish was fifth, which came during the 2017 season.
4: The number of drivers who had a chance to win the 2022 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship ahead of the season finale at Martinsville Speedway. They were Jon McKennedy, Ron Silk, Eric Goodale and Justin Bonsignore.
4: The amount of races Justin Bonsignore won during the 2022 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season, more than any other driver this year. His victories took place at Richmond Raceway, Monadnock Speedway, Oswego Speedway and Riverhead Raceway.
4: The number of drivers who scored their first NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victories in 2022. Mike Christopher Jr. won at Jennerstown Speedway, Kyle Soper won at Riverhead Raceway, Anthony Nocella won at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, and Corey LaJoie won at Martinsville Speedway.
4: The number of poles Justin Bonsignore scored during the 2022 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season, more than any other driver. Of the races he started on pole, (Richmond Raceway, Monadnock Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Riverhead Raceway), the only one he did not win came at New Hampshire, where he placed 12th.
5: The number of drivers who recorded double-digit top 10s during the 2022 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season. That list includes the four championship contenders in Jon McKennedy (13), Ron Silk (12), Eric Goodale (11) and Justin Bonsignore (11), as well as Doug Coby (11).
5: The final position for 2022 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour rookie of the year Austin Beers in the point standings. Beers was the only Rookie of the Year candidate to compete in all 16 races on the schedule, scoring a season-best finish of third at Langley Speedway on Aug. 27.
6.1: The average finish owners champion Tommy Baldwin Jr.’s No. 7 Modified recorded during the 2022 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season with Doug Coby, Jimmy Blewett and Mike Christopher Jr. sharing driving duties.
7: The number of top-five finishes by Matt Hirschman in as many NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour starts in 2022. His worst finish in Tour competition came at Oswego Speedway, where he finished fifth.
7.2: The average finish champion Jon McKennedy recorded in 16 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour races this year, which ranked higher than any other driver who ran the full schedule. Ron Silk was second of the full-time competitors with a 7.3 average finish.
8: The amount of top-five finishes Ron Silk scored during the 2022 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season, which led all other drivers.
9: The final position for Doug Coby in the 2022 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour point standings despite not running the full schedule. In 12 starts, Coby tallied three victories — at Riverhead Raceway, Lee USA Speedway and Langley Speedway.
9: The number of drivers who earned a pole during the 2022 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season. Justin Bonsignore led the way with four poles, while Matt Hirschman followed closely behind with three. Ron Silk and Jake Johnson each earned two poles while Doug Coby, Tyler Rypkema, Timmy Solomito, Ronnie Williams and Jimmy Blewett all tallied one each.
11: The number of drivers who scored a victory during the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season. Justin Bonsignore led the list with four wins, followed by Doug Coby’s three victories. Nine other drivers scored one victory each, including Jon McKennedy, Eric Goodale, Craig Lutz, Matt Hirschman, Mike Christopher Jr., Kyle Soper, Jimmy Blewett, Anthony Nocella and Corey LaJoie.
13: The amount of top-10 finishes champion Jon McKennedy recorded during the 2022 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season, which led all drivers.
13: The number of points that separated the four championship contenders ahead of the season finale at Martinsville Speedway.
26: The number of drivers who led at least one lap on the 2022 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season. Doug Coby led the way (573), followed by Matt Hirschman (384), Justin Bonsignore (377), Ron Silk (232), champion Jon McKennedy (229), Timmy Solomito (131), Craig Lutz (119), Corey LaJoie (110), Tyler Rypkema (108), Eric Goodale (103), Tommy Catalano (75), Andrew Krause (70), Donny Lia (44), Kyle Soper (39), Patrick Emerling (33), Mike Christopher Jr. (28), Ryan Preece (26), Jimmy Blewett (19), Kyle Bonsignore (18), Max McLaughlin (10), Chuck Hossfeld (5), Jake Johnson (5), Walter Sutcliffe Jr. (4), Anthony Nocella (4), Ryan Newman (2) and Ronnie Williams (2).
27: The number of drivers who scored at least one top-five finish during the 2022 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season.
38: The number of drivers who scored at least one top-10 finish during the 2022 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season.
67: The number of drivers who competed in at least one NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race during the 2022 season.
573: The amount of laps Doug Coby led during the 2022 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season, which ranked higher than any other driver despite Coby missing four races on the year.
597: The amount of points Jon McKennedy scored during the 2022 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season to claim the driver championship.
633: The amount of points Tommy Baldwin Jr. scored during the 2022 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season to claim the owners’ championship.
2,746: The amount of laps Eric Goodale completed on the 2022 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season, which ranked higher than any other driver. Rookie of the Year Austin Beers followed closely behind Goodale by completing 2,745 laps.
leaders– starts to top5s (percentage wise)_
silk 16 8
coby 12 6
hirschman 7 7
nocella 5 3
christoper 4 3
slepian 4 2
hossfeld 3 2
The Numbers don’t lie ….. Consistent TOP 10’S and Top 5’s and completing as many laps as possible add up to a run at the Championship… Jon McKennedy will represent the Modified Tour very well….His humble attitude and likable personality will go far among “US” New England Mod Tour Followers. … Jon is easy on equipment and finishes almost every race as long as I have been watching him… Hopefully he can defend His Championship with a full notebook on the tracks it should be easier in the Second year…Dale is really sharp Crew Chief.& the Lepines really spent the cash to field beautiful Cars each week …. So Jon should be the favorite to repeat in 2023…
He won it the old fashion way. Consistency.
What a terrific bit. Well done young man that had to take a while to accumulate the stats and put them in order. We all end up absorbing a fact or two without even intending to. The bonus it gives Suitcase Jake yet another opportunity to extoll the virtues of the champion and home boy McKennedy. I know I can’t get enough of that for sure.
That deal with Goodale at the end at Martinsville where he got shuffled back on the last restart. Did that cost him second in points?