The 2024 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season featured 16 races, 69 drivers and more than 2,500 laps completed from February through October.
While Justin Bonsignore claimed the biggest prize of the season in the 2024 championship, several season-end special awards were claimed by a variety of drivers.
Below are the special award winners for the 2024 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season.
Mayhew Tools Dominator Pole Award: Justin Bonsignore
For the fourth consecutive season, Holtsville, New York native Justin Bonsignore secured the Mayhew Tools Dominator Pole Award.
The driver of the No. 51 Modified for Ken Massa Motorsports secured three Mayhew Tools Dominator Pole Awards in 2024, which tied him with Austin Beers and Matt Hirschman for the most poles this season.
However, based on his final point total, Bonsignore was named the winner of the 2024 Mayhew Tools Dominator Pole Award.
Bonsignore’s three poles came at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, Riverhead Raceway and the finale at Martinsville Speedway. He turned the pole at Martinsville into his first trip to Victory Lane at the historic facility.
Bonsignore receives a $2,000 bonus for winning the Mayhew Tools Dominator Pole Award.
Mayhew Tools, founded in 1856, is the oldest punch and chisel manufacturer in the United States, growing their extensive professional grade, American-made product line to include pry bars, pneumatics, cable ties and more. In 2020, the company extended its product line to a complete line of dual drive and socket bits and sets.
Serving the industrial, automotive, hardware and construction industries, Mayhew’s premium hand tools are sold globally through an extensive distributor network. Mayhew Tools started sponsoring the Whelen Modified Tour pole award in 2019 and has continued the partnership ever since.
In addition to Bonsignore, Beers and Hirschman, others to secure poles during the 2024 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season included Ron Silk (one), Patrick Emerling (one) and Craig Lutz (one).
Phil Kurze Mid-Race Leader Award presented by Josten’s: Ron Silk
Ron Silk may have fallen short of his third Modified Tour championship, but that doesn’t mean he went home empty handed.
For the second consecutive season Silk took home the Phil Kurze Mid-Race Leader presented by Josten’s, named in honor of former Whelen Engineering vice president of motorsports Phil Kurze. The award goes to the driver who is the leader at the halfway mark in the most races throughout the year.
The late Kurze, who was honored in 2021 at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina with a plaque in the Whelen Hall of Champions, was a strong advocate for short-track racing. He helped elevate the Modified Tour prior to his passing in 2018.
Silk was the leader at halfway five times throughout the course of the season, enough for him to earn the Phil Kurze Mid-Race Leader Award presented by Josten’s. He receives $1,000 for his efforts.
Josten’s, the official provider of the NASCAR Cup Series championship trophy, the Daytona 500 championship ring, the Indy 500 championship ring and more, coins itself as the Most Trusted Partner in Celebrating Moments That Matter and is a proud supporter of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.
Hoosier Tire Lap Leader Award: Justin Bonsignore (Ken Massa Motorsports)
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour tire supplier, Hoosier Tire, is the sponsor of a trio of special awards each year.
They include the Hoosier Tire Lap Leader Award, which goes to the car owner of the driver who leads the most laps in a race the most times during the season.
This year the award goes to Justin Bonsignore, who led the most laps six times during the 2024 season.
In all, Bonsignore led a whopping 789 laps during the 2024 season, more than any other driver.
Ron Silk, who finished second to Bonsignore in the 2024 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour standings, was second on the laps led list at 630. They were the only two drivers who led more than 400 laps during the season.
Bonsignore takes home $6,000 for winning the Hoosier Tire Lap Leader Award.
Whelen Engineering Winner of the Race Award: Justin Bonsignore
The special awards just keep on coming for Justin Bonsignore, who also captured the Whelen Engineering Winner of the Race Award.
This season, Bonsignore won five times, more than any other driver. Ron Silk was next in line with four wins, followed by Patrick Emerling, who won three times.
They were the only drivers to win multiple events this season.
Bonsignore’s first victory of the season came in the second race of the year at Richmond Raceway in March. He followed that with victories at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Connecticut’s Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, North Carolina’s North Wilkesboro Speedway and Virginia’s Martinsville Speedway.
In addition to Bonsignore, Silk and Emerling, other drivers to earn trips to Victory Lane this year included Matt Hirschman, Jake Johnson, Trevor Catalano and Austin Beers.
For winning the Whelen Engineering Winner of the Race Award, Bonsignore receives an extra $2,000.
Hoosier Tire Hard Charger Award: Austin Beers
A little bit of traffic has never slowed down Austin Beers.
That statement was truer than ever during the 2024 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season, as Beers gained more positions during races than any other driver throughout the year.
As a result, Beers captured the 2024 Hoosier Tire Hard Charger Award.
The Hard Charger award is given to the driver who advances the most positions during a race.
The postseason award is given to the driver who earns the award in the most races compared to his competitors throughout the season.
Beers takes home an extra $6,000 for winning the Hoosier Tire Hard Charger Award.
Hoosier Tire Most Improved Award: Trevor Catalano
A fast rising star on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, Trevor Catalano turned a lot of heads during his rookie season with the series in 2024.
Not only did he win his first race at Monadnock Speedway, he also captured the 2024 Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award and the Hoosier Tire Most Improved Award for Catalano Motorsports and his car owner and mother, Amy Catalano.
The Hoosier Tire Most Improved Award goes to the eligible new team/organization whose driver improves the most positions during the course of each race.
In his first year with the series, Catalano earned one win, three top five and four top 10 finishes.
Catalano receives a $6,000 bonus for winning the Hoosier Tire Most Improved Award.