JENNERSTOWN, Pa. — It was 253 days between NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour races, but Justin Bonsignore still ended up in the same place.
After closing out the 2019 season with a win, and then waiting through the delay brought upon by the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Holtsville, N.Y., driver put forth a dominating performance in the 2020 season opener at Jennerstown Speedway.
Bonsignore won the Mayhew Tools Pole Award and then marched virtually unchallenged to the win in the Morocco Welding/Wade Cole Memorial 133 presented by Dunleavy’s Truck & Trailer Repair.
Bonsignore’s No. 51 Phoenix Communications Inc. Chevrolet finished 1.76 seconds ahead of runner-up Craig Lutz. Only the top four finished within 10 seconds of Bonsignore on the .522-mile oval as he claimed his 27th career win. The victory moved him to within one of Mike Ewanitsko and defending tour champion Doug Coby for sixth all-time in tour history.
More importantly, it have Bonsignore the early leg up in the championship chase after he finished just eight points shy of Coby last year.
Jon McKennedy overcame a mid-race flat tire to charge up to third, followed by Matt Hirschman and Calvin Carroll.
Ron Silk finished sixth and Coby, who qualified second, was seventh. Kyle Bonsignore, Matt Swanson and Rob Summers rounded out the top 10.
The finish:
Justin Bonsignore, Craig Lutz, Jon McKennedy, Matt Hirschman, Calvin Carroll, Ron Silk, Doug Coby, Kyle Bonsignore, Matt Swanson, Rob Summers, Sam Rameau, Chris Pasteryak, Dave Sapienza, Eric Goodale, Timmy Solomito, Woody Pitkat, Jeff Gallup, Tyler Rypkema, Patrick Emerling, J.R. Bertuccio, Jeremy Gerstner, Edward McCarthy, J.B. Fortin, John Beatty Jr., Roger Turbush, Chase Dowling, Melissa Fifield, Ronnie Williams, Amy Catalano, Timmy Catalano, Walter Sutcliffe, Jr., Tommy Catalano, Andrew Krause.