With 20 laps remaining in Saturday’s NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event at Oswego Speedway a crash involving Justin Bonsignore, Tommy Catalano and Gary McDonald (see below) resulted in a season worst 15th place finish for Bonsignore. The wreck made for big changes in the series standings. Ron Silk, who won the race, came into Oswego with a one-point lead over Bonsignore in the season standings. Silk, the 2011 series champion, left Oswego with a 17-point advantage over Bonsignore – a three-time series champion – with five events reamining. Today’s poll question asks, who was at fault for the wreck. Vote below.
Catalano clearly drives (turns left) Bonsignore down a lane right into McDonald!!!!!
None of the above.
Watch the video. Catalano turned down and into the 51. Watch the front of the 51 get hit hard and thrown to the left (driver’s perspective). Watch how the front of the 51 is hit by the 54 and pushed hard and quick to the left. The 54 cut down on the 51. If I were JBon, I was thinking the 54 was going to keep it clear and side-by-side, and not cut down and push me into the 26.
So, my answer is: Catalano, he cut down into the 51.
Catalano, before he ended up in the marbles, cut down on the 51. JBon was taking a line that put him around the 26. Catalano, being on the outside of JBon and concerned about going into the marbles, should have lifted and fallen behind the 51, instead of knocking the 51 down and into the 26.
Didn’t Silk run Beers up into the marbles on one of the late restarts? Beers lost several positions before recovering to finish second. I’m sure any of the top drivers has a clean record when it comes to side by side racing late in an event.
I’m not a blind guy, but that clearly was Justin bonsai-señor fault
Given the tight point situation, I think the 51 should have lifted before the 54 started chopping down left on him.. kind of a bush league move by the 54 imo..
“Didn’t Silk run Beers up into the marbles on one of the late restarts?”
More specific, lap please.
How Did Silk’s Name Get Brought Up In This??????? Did I Miss Something????
“Didn’t Silk run Beers up into the marbles on one of the late restarts?”
Good call. On the restart after the Bonsignor/Catalano, second lap in Silk punted Beers pretty good causing him to lose spots.
Big picture racing, if the 51 lifted giving up the spot, he would have got it back within a few laps since he was faster than the 54. He would have left Oswego 2 points out of the championship battle instead of 17.
IMHO
Poll says: “Tommy Catalano, for forcing Bonsignore to stay in the low lane into the path of McDonald.”
Shawn, I have a bit of an issue with that wording, hence my comment about “None of the above”.
Catalano did not force JBon to *stay* in the low lane, JBon does not appear to be in the low lane heading into McDonald before Catalano hit him. Catalano cut down on JBon blasting him into the line that took him into McDonald.
So I would prefer this version, “Tommy Catalano, for cutting down on Bonsignore and redirecting Bonsignore into the path of McDonald.”
The video evidence is damning, conclusive and irrefutable.
Tommy “The Pinball” Catalano does this sort of thing all the time. Fast car, mush for a brain.
Shawn, your bias shined through very brightly in the way you worded the poll, the Bonsignore response in particular. It’s heartening to see that a plurality of respondents saw through that.
Catalano didn’t “use McDonald as a pick.” He was in the second groove and entered turn one in the second groove. Bonsignore had the bottom groove which is where the 26 car was. If Bonsignore had half a brain or an ounce of respect for his competitors, he’d have fallen in behind the 54 and lived to fight another lap. But alas, he has neither of those things and thus got the finish he deserved.
Dareal is spot-on. Gotta give him credit.
Catalano amateurishly cut down on JB way too late to give the 51 enough time to back out. A poorly executed, dangerous move.
When he exited his car 51 didn’t confront the 54. I’m guessing he was mad at himself, not for hitting the 26, but for not believing his gut; he probably knew that the 54 wouldn’t be able to properly race that situation but gave it a chance.
And, as far as blaming the lap-cars, that’s like blaming a giant pothole in the track for causing a wreck.
The 51 did not have to back out, he had the position and the line. The 54 was on the outside, the 3rd line if you would, and tried to occupy the same space the 51 had. It didn’t work. Stupid move. Stupid, stupid, stupid move. I’m sure JBon saw the line around the 26 until he was hit by the 54.
Just look at how the 51 yaws when hit by the 54. And the 54 didn’t just hit and go, Oops!, and back away. No, look at the front wheels of the 54, they stayed turned in to the left, pushing the 51 to the left and into the 26.
I do hope NASCAR reviews this and penalizes the 54 for rough driving, and moves the 54 back a lap or two in the race standings.
Furthermore, this situation was NOT a pick configuration. A pick happens with the slow back marker and when the trailing car is behind and to the left of the lead car, say the 8 o’clock position. In this case, the 51 and 54 were side by side, the line of the 51 was to the outside of the 26, meaning the 54 was going to go for a ride in the 3rd lane. Look at the 51 and 54 coming down the stretch with the 54 all the way on the outside, and on the outside of the 51… the 54 turned in on the 51 from the OUTSIDE lane. Stupid, stupid, stupid move.
But then, that’s what is expected from Tommy “The Pinball”. Great cars, far from a smart driver. Should put Coby, Nocella, McKennedy, Swanson or another available driver in that car.
OK we now have some real support for the interpretation that Catalano with malice of forethought did in fact “cut down” on the 51. A bonehead move in so many words.
I still can’t see it as a black and white call. Oswego is a big Seekonk there is no straight away it’s just the degree they’re turning left. Looked like Catalano was running the preferred line turning left entering the corner. Beers is right behind him in exactly the same preferred entry point. I’d say there’s a case to be made Catalano was exactly where he needed to be, looked like he initiated contact seeing as how he was turning left entering the corner when in fact Bonsignor initiated contact trying to escape the 26. On review I don’t even see it as a ham handed pick move, Tommy in the preferred line with no obligation to accommodate the 51 in any way there was room for him to execute turn one were the 26 not there.
Isn’t this fun. Good chat thanks Mr. Courchesne for making the debate convenient by providing the video.
The poll seems to have gotten it right in my view. Not black and white with J. Bonsignor taking the most heat.
If there was a giant pothole in the track, it would be eliminated right away.
Justin Brainsnomore knew they were going to be coming up to lap the 26 from his superstar spotter.
Justin Brainsnomore knew the 26 would stay to the inside and run a conservative speed as to not push up into the second lane and interfere with the the oncoming traffic. He had just been lapped by the 16 and knew the 54 and 51 were coming. He was never going to enter so fast as to push like a truck or get loose on entry and contact a car outside him.
Justin Brainsnomore should have never expected the 54 who was slightly ahead of him to yield or go into the corner 3-wide. Anyone who says they once saw a super go three wide so a modified can do it fails to realize that doesn’t work with modifieds on these tires with 50+ laps already on them. Supers generate far more cornering force with downforce and a much wider RR contact patch from a softer tire to begin with.
Justin Brainsnomore unwisely chose to try to create a lane in the center against a man who had nothing to lose. The evidence is damning, conclusive,,, and irrefutable.
Justin Brainsnomore gave Ron Silk an added 15-point cushion in the standings for the championship on a silver 16 platter.
Anybody who has attended races at Oswego KNOWS that if a driver goes deep into turn one, it is impossible to hold tight to the inside. Bonsignore MUST know that too! 100% his fault!