Setting the Scene: 2016 Whelen Modified Replay from Thompson

Doug Coby was chasing another championship. And Justin Bonsignore was right on his heels the entire season. Heading into the 2016 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour finale, Coby was already a three-time tour champion – beginning to inch his name into the conversations among the historic greats. A fourth would get him firmly entrenched in that discussion, tying him with Tony Hirschman Jr. and putting the then-37-year-old halfway to the likes of Jerry Cook, Mike Stefanik and Richie Evans. But Bonsignore had other ideas. The Long Island driver had finished third in the championship hunt in 2014 before slipping back to 10th. With with three wins to that point, Bonsignore was within 20 of Coby heading into the finale. He had been sitting second in points since the ninth race of the season. RELATED: 2016 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Results Starting with an August win at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, Bonsingore had those three wins to go with a second, a third and a fourth. The only blemish was a 22nd-place finish at Bristol Motor Speedway. Likewise, Coby had two wins, a second, a third and a fifth. His mulligan was a 15th at Riverhead Raceway. RACING-REFERENCE: Doby Coby’s 2016 Results | Justin Bonsignore’s 2016 Results Heading to the historic Sunoco World Series 150, just 20 points separated Coby from Bonsignore. Add to the mix Timmy Solomito and Ryan Preece, among others. Solomito already had four wins, including the opener at Thompson in April, and always a threat to win on the .625-mile oval. And Preece was running a limited schedule for car owner Ed Partridge.