NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour standings: Breaking down the top 10 in points after Wall Stadium Speedway
Adam Fenwick
(Photo: Kostas Lymperopoulos/NASCAR)
Jimmy Blewett took all the attention away from the battle for the 2022 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship Saturday evening as the local driver piloted Tommy Baldwin Jr.'s No. 7NY to victory at Wall Stadium Speedway in the Jersey Shore 150.
It was the fourth victory of the year for Baldwin's team; he continues to hold a 29-point lead in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour owner standings.
Meanwhile, Ron Silk continues to lead the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour standings while Eric Goodale, Jon McKennedy and Tommy Catalano give chase.
RELATED:Complete Wall Stadium results
Silk started from the pole and led a majority of the race before finishing fifth. He entered with an 18-point advantage on Goodale, but that expanded to 26 points over new second-place driver McKennedy at the conclusion of the Jersey Shore 150.
An eighth-place finish allowed McKennedy to move past Goodale for second in the Tour standings. Goodale is now 29 points behind Silk, with Catalano one point further back in fourth.
Below is a breakdown of how the top 10 drivers in the standings fared in the Jersey Shore 150, plus a complete look at the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour standings.
[caption id="attachment_359046" align="aligncenter" width="1500"] Ron Silk, driver of the No. 16 Blue Mountain Machine and Future Homes Modified, pictured during the Jersey Shore 150 for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at Wall Stadium Speedway on July 9, 2022 in Wall Township, New Jersey. (Photo: Kostas Lymperopoulos/NASCAR)[/caption]
1. Ron Silk: 312 points
Silk entered the Jersey Shore 150 looking for his first NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victory of the season, and he appeared to be headed in that direction for much of the race. Silk led 67 laps, but a late-race restart led to Silk falling to fifth by the time the checkered flag waved. He still expanded his championship lead by eight points following his fifth top five and series-best eighth top 10 of the year.
2. Jon McKennedy: 286 points
McKennedy ran a quiet and uneventful race Saturday night. He started 15th and was able to cross the finish line eighth, which helped him move from third to second in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour standings. It was his sixth top-10 finish of the season.
3. Eric Goodale: 283 points
Goodale struggled for speed during the Jersey Shore 150. He qualified 18th but was unable to advance much beyond there; he ultimately finished 15th after spinning late in the race. He was the first competitor one lap down. As a result, he dropped from second to third in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour standings.
4. Tommy Catalano: 282 points
Another driver who ran a quiet, uneventful race, Catalano started 17th and finished 12th in the Jersey Shore 150. The New York native finds himself 30 points behind championship leader Silk at the halfway point of the season.
5. Justin Bonsignore: 277 points
The comeback trail continues for three-time and defending NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Bonsignore, who scored a sixth-place finish Saturday night. After starting fourth, Bonsignore was able to race within the top five for much of the evening. He ran as high as second but was unable to mount a major challenge for the lead and finished sixth. He is 35 points behind Silk as he chases his fourth Tour title.
6. Austin Beers: 274 points
Saturday was a good day for leading NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour rookie Austin Beers. The driver from Northampton, Pennsylvania, qualified sixth and raced in the top 10 all night. His seventh-place finish equaled his season-best result and allowed him to remain sixth in the Tour standings after eight races. It was his fourth top-10 finish of the year.
7. Kyle Bonsignore: 256 points
Starting 11th, Kyle Bonsignore advanced one position by the time the checkered flag waved to finish 10th despite being one of 10 competitors involved in a crash on the 70th lap. His fourth top-10 finish this year keeps him seventh in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour standings.
8. Craig Lutz: 240 points
After starting 16th, Lutz fell one position short of a top-10 finish. The 11th-place result is his third-best finish of the season behind a sixth-place run at Florida's New Smyrna Speedway in February and a 10th-place finish at Pennsylvania's Jennerstown Speedway.
9. Dave Sapienza: 221 points
Things started off well for Sapienza at Wall Stadium, as the driver from Riverhead, New York, qualified ninth. However, things went downhill from there. He was one of 10 competitors involved in an accident in Turns 1-2 on the 70th circuit, and he was unable to recover. He finished 18th, three laps down. He is still in search of his first top-10 finish this season.
10. J.B. Fortin: 208 points
Saturday was not a good day for J.B. Fortin. He was another driver who was involved in the 10-car melee on Lap 70, with his car suffering significant nose damage. He was eventually able to continue, but he finished more than 50 laps off the pace in the 22nd position.