Justin Bonsignore Thompson 150 Victory: Something amazing happened Wednesday night at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park. The three-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Justin Bonsignore had a tremendous night. Bonsignore won his 13th NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race at Thompson 150, presented by FloSports.com, after dominating the second half. This tied him with Ted Christopher, who has the most Thompson wins in series history.
More complex to win the race. Bonsignore fought Ron Silk, who won in 2011. Bonsignore made history by winning after racing side by side. Bonsignore commented, “It feels awesome to be tied with Ted Christopher for the most wins ever at Thompson.” I couldn’t tell how much energy Ron Silk had left as I tried to keep up.”
The victory was big and long-awaited. Bonsignore was unstoppable at Thompson in the late 2010s. From 2018 to 2019, he won seven of eight races, including six straight. After 2000, his success declined, and he ended 14th last October.
Before Wednesday’s race, Bonsignore struggled to find a good position, so he wasn’t sure how things would go. However, new tires and increased air quality helped him win, setting another NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour record. “We used to win a lot here, but in the past year and a half, we’ve lost confidence,” Bonsignore remarked. We were passed often in October, but [Ryan] Stone fixed this car and tried something fresh today.
Silk tried hard to keep close to Bonsignore in the last stages of the Thompson 150, but he failed. Silk had to concede Bonsignore was better than us despite the late warning. He was slightly better than us. Though he tried, he could have rolled the center better.
Bonsignore won 38 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour races. This win meant a lot to him. He stopped in Turn 1 to honor John Blewett III on his Polish victory lap around Thompson. John tragically died at the track in 2007. Heartfelt moment. Bonsignore stated, “It would be really awesome if we could find a way to show our respect for him.”
In October, Bonsignore will visit Thompson again. He wants to get closer to late-series star Mike Stefanik, who has won 15 Thompson titles. Bonsignore’s Wednesday win proves he’s a top Thompson rider regardless of the future.
Eric Goodale, Austin Beers, and Craig Lutz all placed in the top five. Bobby Santos the Third, Patrick Emerling, Doug Coby, Anthony Sesely, and Tyler Rypkema were the other five drivers who finished in the top 10.
The Thompson 150 will be rebroadcast on CNBC on August 26 at noon Eastern. The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour returns to Langley Speedway in Hampton, Virginia, on September 4. The event is CheckeredFlag.com 150. FloRacing will cover the race.
Bonsignore’s triumph at Thompson displays determination, honors great personalities, and adds an intriguing chapter to NASCAR’s Whelen Modified Tour’s long history.
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