NORTH WOODSTOCK, N.H. — The first win was a dominating performance. The second was a late pass with a little help from the front bumper.
In the end, Justin Bonsignore is 2-for-2 on the 2020 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season.
The Holtsville, New York, driver used a bump-and-run to wrestle the lead away from Matt Hirschman with seven laps to go and then withstood a challenge from Hirschman and Doug Coby on a green-white-checkered finish to win the Independence Day 200 in the tour’s inaugural visit to White Mountain Motorsports Park in North Woodstock, New Hampshire.
Bonsignore led every lap in winning the season opener at Pennsylvania’s Jennerstown Speedway. Saturday night, he dogged Hirschman in the closing laps before pushing him out of the way and claiming the lead. A late caution pushed the race to 205 laps and Bonsignore edged Hirschman by .127 seconds at the line.
It was Bonsignore’s 28th career win, moving him into a tie with Mike Ewanitsko and defending tour champion Doug Coby for sixth all-time in tour history.
Hirschman, who won the Mayhew Tools Pole Award earlier in the day, crossed the finish side-by-side with Coby.
Tommy Catalano finished fourth and Woody Pitkat made a late run to finish fifth.
Dave Sapienza was sixth, followed by Chris Pasteryak, Craig Lutz, Jon McKennedy and Chase Dowling.
Bonsignore opened up an 11-point lead on Hirschman and a 17 point advantage on Lutz and Coby in the championship standings.
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour
White Mountain Motorsports Park – North Woodstock, NH
Independence Day 200 – July 4, 2020
1. Justin Bonsignore
2. Matt Hirschman
3. Doug Coby
4. Tommy Catalano
5. Woody Pitkat
6. Dave Sapienza
7. Chris Pasteryak
8. Craig Lutz
9. Jon McKennedy
10. Chase Dowling
11. Kyle Bonsignore
12. Sam Rameau
13. Calvin Carroll
14. Anthony Nocella
15. Patrick Emerling
16. Eric Goodale
17. J.B. Fortin
18. Jeff Gallup
19. Timmy Catalano
20. Jeremy Gerstner
21. J.R. Bertuccio
22. Tyler Rypkema
23. Amy Catalano
24. Andrew Krause
25. Walter Sutcliffe, Jr.
26. Rob Summers
27. Ron Silk
28. Matt Swanson
29. Timmy Solomito
30. Gary Byington
31. Melissa Fifield
