Related COLUMN — Weeping: NASCAR Looks All Wet After Ugly Whelen Modified Tour Event At Lancaster
Big optimism surrounded the KLM Motorsports NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour team with driver Austin Beers heading to the 2024 season.
Beers had a breakout season in 2023 with two Whelen Modified Tour victories, 10 top-five’s in 18 races and a third place finish in the standings.
But the 2024 season hasn’t shaped up the way Beers and his team expected. Beers came into Saturday’s ninth event of the 16-race season – the Nu-Way Auto Parts 150 at Lancaster (N.Y.) Motorplex – sitting fifth in the standings and riding a 16-race winless streak.
And where did that winless streak date back to? Beers’ last win came on Aug. 5, 2023 at Lancaster.
Saturday Beers made it two in a row at Lancaster, holding off the charges of Patrick Emerling over the closing laps to score victory in the caution-marred Nu-Way Auto Parts 150 at Lancaster.
“This means a lot,” Beers said. “… Glad to get another victory. First of the year. It’s been a struggle this year. Kind of distraught myself. But really happy how the night went.”
It was the third career series victory for Beers, of Northampton, Pa.
The event saw 12 cautions for the 19-car field. Qualifying was cancelled for the event due to heavy rains in the afternoon at the track. After the race, multiple drivers mentioned wet track conditions through the entirety of the event.
“It was really tricky down in [turns] one and two with the weepers and the water,” Beers said of the closing laps with Emerling pursuing him. “I’d get free there and have to gather it in and that’s where [Emerling] would really catch up to me. He ran me really well. Thanks to him. It was a really fun race.”
Emerling, of Orchard Park, N.Y. was second.
“[Beers] was just rotating a little bit better,” Emerling said. “There was a couple little mistakes that we almost could have capitalized on. Mother Nature kind of made the track a little interesting. A lot of water out there.”
Justin Bonsignore of Holtsville, N.Y. was third.
“It was a good run,” Bonsignore said. “We had good speed throughout the whole race. Strategy now with the way we can do pit stops, it’s going to mix up the field. … Track position was important tonight with as wet as the race track was. I’m trying not to say the wrong thing. NASCAR, the track and [race promoter Mike Myers] did everything they could to get this place dry, but it was a really really tough race track for us to restart anywhere on the outside or make any moves.”
Reigning series champion Ron Silk came into the event holding an eight point advantage at the top of the standings over Bonsignore in second. Silk finished 10th. Silk left with a one point advantage over Bonsignore at the top of the standings. Beers vaulted to third in the standings, 38 points behind Silk.
“We had a car capable of winning,” Bonsignore said. “We led a bunch of laps, which is great because we haven’t been where we feel like we need to be this year. Hopefully this is a sign of a good second half of the year.”
With qualifying rained out, the starting field was set by points with Silk holding the lead at the start and Jake Johnson making the move to second past Bonsignore early.
Caution flew on lap two. On the lap six restart it was Bonsignore getting by Johnson for second with Johnson ultimately getting shuffled back to sixth by the time the caution was back out again on lap eight for the spinning car of Bob Reis.
Silk held the top spot on the lap 12 restart, but Bonsignore was stalking all over him. On lap 16 Bonsignore got by Silk to take the lead for the first time.
With Bonsignore leading, Silk in second and Craig Lutz in third, caution was back out on lap 24 for the stopped car of Andrew Spurback. Following the ensuing restart, Lutz was able to overtake Silk for third.
Caution returned on lap 39 for issues on track for Tyler Rypkema. On the lap 45 restart Bonsignore was able to control out front as Silk got back by Lutz for second.
With Bonsignore leading, Silk in second and Johnson in third, caution returned on lap 51 for the stopped car of Reis.
The caution sent the lead pack to pit road. Bonsignore won the race off pit road. Silk, who went into the pits second, was the sixth car off pit road. The pit stops put Matt Hirschman out front with Austin Beers in second and Andy Jankowiak in third. Bonsignore was fourth for the restart with Johnson fifth. Silk fell to 10th.
On the lap 57 restart it was Beers quickly attacking Hirschman for the lead. Beers went to the front on lap 59.
By lap 64 Bonsignore was back to second with Silk stuck in 11th. On lap 80, with Reis was holding up lead lap traffic and ended up spinning after contact from Patrick Emerling.
Under caution, Beers gave up the lead to go to pit road with third place Hirschman following him to pit road. It gave the lead back to Bonsignore with Kyle Bonsignore moving to second, Silk to third and Trevor Catalano to fourth.
On the lap 87 restart it was Justin Bonsignore controlling but caution was immediately back out for the stopped car of Reis.
Justin Bonsignore controlled out front on th lap 94 restart. Behind him Silk moved past Kyle Bonsignore to take over second. A lap later Jacob Lutz went by Kyle Bonsignore to take over third. On lap 97, Beers got by Kyle Bonsignore for fourth but the caution was back out when Lutz spin after contact from Beers.
Under caution leader Justin Bonsignore, second place Silk and third place Kyle Bonsignore headed to pit road. It put Beers to the front, Emerling to second and Johnson to third. Justin Bonsignore restarted seventh with Silk in ninth.
Beers controlled the pace on the lap 104 restart with Tommy Catalano moving to third place behind Emerling.
The ninth caution of the event flew on lap 109 when Andy Jankowiak spun after contact from Silk while battling for seventh place.
Beers controlled out front on the lap 116 restart, but the 10th caution of the evening flew on lap 117 when Kyle Bonsignore ended up in the wall with damage.
Beers held the top spot following the lap 122 restart. Behind him it was Emerling moving past Tommy Catalano to second and Justin Bonsignore following to third.
With Beers leading, Emerling second, Justin Bonsignore third and Hirschman fourth, the 11th caution flew on lap 131 for an issue with Trevor Catalano.
Beers controlled the pace out front on the lap 136 restart, with Justin Bonsignore moving to second, but the 12th caution flew on lap 138 for the spinning car of Silk.
On the lap 142 restart Emerling moved past Justin Bonsignore for second and quickly got to the bumper of Beers, but Beer fended off every challenge from Emerling over the final circuits.
Related COLUMN — Weeping: NASCAR Looks All Wet After Ugly Whelen Modified Tour Event At Lancaster
Good race for the whole 64 team. 16 car of silk .. drove into half the field of cars tonight and caused a few yellows. Your 2x champion with the BEST crew chief , car owner .. money No object and best pit crew In the tour. As soon as you get bounced out of the top 3 it’s a like switch goes off . Seen it time and time again over the last few years. Thompson will be interesting
I think the new pit stop rules are working out quite nicely.
It’s refreshing to see how much effort Lancaster puts into this event. It’s really noticeable.
The crowd was very good, especially considering the weather forecast.
I don’t know who pays for the air titans and jet drier that they had. NASCAR or the track. But it is much appreciated to have that stuff.
Lancaster is a hike. I know it’s popular to hate travel races these days. It will always limit the car count, but I hope it stays on the schedule for a while.