Posted on by Staff Report

Justin Bonsignore ran away from the field in the season opener.

He won’t have as much space on Saturday.

After Bonsignore dominated the race at Pennylvania’s half-mile Jennerstown Speedway, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will celebrate the Independence Day 200 with its inaugural visit to White Mountain Motorsports Park in North Woodstock, New Hampshire. The banked quarter-mile should offer fans plenty of sparks on the track, and the facility will cap the night with a fireworks show.

 

INDEPENDENCE DAY 200

WHAT TO WATCH FOR:

White Mountain Logo AinsworthThe good news for teams chasing Justin Bonsignore, is that this will be the tour’s first visit to the track. So, theoretically, the Long Island driver does not have the advantage of, say going to Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, where he’s won seven of the last eight races.

The bad news is Bonsignore has shown to be pretty good on quarter-mile tracks.

He’s won the last four races at his home track of Riverhead Raceway, and seven of the last 10 races there. And he had two wins and six top fives in seven starts at New Hampshire’s Monadnock Speedway.

Throw in the fact Bonsignore has four wins, two seconds and a fifth in his last seven races on the tour dating back to last August.

Six-time tour champion Doug Coby wound up seventh is his debut as a driver/owner. But the Milford, Connecticut, driver has shown over his title runs to be unruffled by a slow start; although only with Coby’s resume would a top 10 be considered a slow start. Like Bonsignore, Coby won at Monadnock. He also has had a pair of wins at the third-mile Seekonk Speedway in Massachusetts.

Craig Lutz scored his first career win at Connecticut’s Stafford Motor Speedway and turned in a strong runner-up performance at Jennerstown. Matt Hirschman and Matt Swanson took their turns in the top five, while Calvin Carroll moved up 19 spots to pick up his first career top five.

RACING REFERENCE: 2020 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Standings

RACE FACTS

RACE

INDEPENDENCE DAY 200

PLACE

White Mountain Motorsports Park

DATE

Saturday, July 4, 2020

TIME1

 7 p.m. ET

TELEVISION

Trackpass on NBC Gold (live), 7 p.m. ET; NBCSN — Monday, July 13, 12 a.m. ET

TRACK LAYOUT

Quarter-mile paved oval

EVENT SCHEDULE

Saturday, July 4 — Garage opens: 12:45 p.m. ET; Practice: 3-4 p.m.; Qualifying: 6 p.m.; Independence Day 200: 7 p.m.

TWITTER

@NASCARRoots

HASHTAG

#IndependenceDay200, #NWMT

RACE CENTER | ENTRY LIST | RACE SCHEDULE

CREW CHIEF HANDOUT: The starting field for the Independence Day 200 is limited to 28, including provisional positions. The field will be set by qualifying (1-22) and provisional process per the entry blank (23-28)  for the Independence Day 200. In the event that qualifying as stated on this entry blank does not take place for any unforeseen circumstance, the field will be set in accordance with the 2020 NASCAR Touring Series Rule Book.

QUALIFYING: Two consecutive qualifying laps. Faster lap determines qualifying position. Adjustments or repairs may not be made on the vehicle after the vehicle has taken the green flag at the start/finish line. Vehicles will be impounded after qualifying. Vehicle must qualify on race set up.

The Independence Day 200 will be 200 laps (50 miles) and is to be run without a break.

The maximum tire allotment available for this event is as follows: The maximum tire allotment available for this event is eight (8) tires per team.

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR officials announced Monday that the 2020 Cup Series Awards and Champion’s Week festivities will not occur as scheduled in Nashville in early December because of COVID-19 concerns.

In the statement, officials indicated that the year-end celebration would return to Nashville in 2021. The statement also said NASCAR’s three national series champions will be feted with postseason honors to be determined at a later date.

“With the uncertainty surrounding the Coronavirus and the impact on the industry, this year’s NASCAR Champion’s Week and NASCAR Cup Series Awards originally scheduled to take place in Nashville will not occur,” the statement reads. “The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series champions will be celebrated at the end of the season with more details to come. We look forward to returning to Nashville in 2021.”

NASCAR celebrated its season-ending awards banquet for the first time in the Tennessee capital last December. Kyle Busch savored the laurels of his second series title at the Music City Center, and the NASCAR industry embraced the new setting with burnouts on the famed Broadway strip and other music-themed activities.

NASCAR announced June 3 that the Cup Series would race at Nashville Superspeedway in 2021.

Posted on by Data Skrive

Sheldon Creed finished third in the Pocono Organics 150 to benefit Farm Aid at Pocono Raceway on Sunday after leading 31 laps in the race.

Creed’s top five finish, the second time he has achieved that result this year, added 54 points to his season total.

Creed started in second position and led 31 laps in the race, holding the lead a total of two times. The fifth-year driver has accumulated six top-five and 16 top-10 finishes in his career.

Saturday’s race was the first of Creed’s career at Pocono Raceway.

The Alpine, California native’s starting and finishing positions compared favorably to his career averages, starting 13 spots higher than his career mark of 14.6 and completing the race 13 places ahead of his 16.2 career average finish.

Creed’s third-place finish was against 40 other drivers. The race endured nine cautions and 29 caution laps. There were eight lead changes.

Brandon Jones took the checkered flag in the race, followed by Austin Hill in second place. After Creed’s third-place finish, Todd Gilliland brought home fourth, and Ben Rhodes closed the top five.

Creed got off to a great start in the race, winning Stages 1 and 2, but couldn’t hang on to end up in Victory Lane.

Sheldon Creed Driver Page | Get Creed Gear | Race Center

Posted on by Data Skrive

Todd Gilliland finished fourth in the Pocono Organics 150 to benefit Farm Aid at Pocono Raceway on Sunday.

Gilliland’s top five finish, the second time he has achieved that result this year, added 39 points to his season total.

Gilliland started in eighth position. The fourth-year driver has one career victory, with 13 top-five finishes and 29 results inside the top 10.

The fourth-place result for Gilliland was the second top 10 of his career at Pocono Raceway in two starts.

The Sherrills Ford, North Carolina native’s starting and finishing positions compared favorably to his career averages, starting two spots higher than his career mark of 10.2 and completing the race eight places ahead of his 12.1 career average finish.

Gilliland’s fourth-place finish was against 40 other drivers. The race endured nine cautions and 29 caution laps. Prior to the checkered flag there were eight lead changes.

Brandon Jones brought home the win in the race, followed by Austin Hill in second place and Sheldon Creed in third place. Gilliland secured fourth ahead of Ben Rhodes’ finish to secure fifth.

Creed got off to a great start in the race, winning Stages 1 and 2, but couldn’t hold on to secure the race victory.

Todd Gilliland Driver Page | Get Gilliland Gear | Race Center

Posted on by Data Skrive

Ben Rhodes finished fifth in the Pocono Organics 150 to benefit Farm Aid at Pocono Raceway on Sunday.

Rhodes’ top five finish, the second time he has achieved that result this year, added 41 points to his season total.

Rhodes started in sixth position. The sixth-year driver has tallied two career victories, with 25 top-five finishes and 49 results inside the top 10.

The fifth-place result on Saturday was the first time Rhodes has cracked the top five at Pocono Raceway. It also marks his second top-10 finish at Pocono.

The Louisville, Kentucky native’s starting and finishing positions compared favorably to his career averages, starting three spots higher than his career mark of 9.2 and completing the race seven places ahead of his 12.3 career average finish.

Rhodes competed with a field of 40 drivers on the way to his fifth-place finish. The race endured nine cautions and 29 caution laps. Prior to the checkered flag there were eight lead changes.

Brandon Jones earned the checkered flag in the race, and Austin Hill followed in second. Sheldon Creed crossed the finish line third, with Todd Gilliland taking fourth place. Rhodes rounded out the top five.

Creed got off to a great start in the race, winning the first two stages, but couldn’t hang on to end up in Victory Lane.

Ben Rhodes Driver Page | Get Rhodes Gear | Race Center

Posted on by Data Skrive

Stewart Friesen finished eighth in the Pocono Organics 150 to benefit Farm Aid at Pocono Raceway on Sunday.

The top 10 finish for Friesen, his third of the year, added 36 points to his season total.

Friesen started in 20th position. The fifth-year driver has secured two career victories, with 23 top-five finishes and 39 results inside the top 10.

In his career at Pocono Raceway, Friesen has compiled one top-five finish and his eighth-place result marks the first top 10.

The Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario native began the race six spots behind his career mark of 14.1, but finished seven places ahead of his career average of 14.6.

Friesen’s eighth-place finish was against a field of 40 drivers. The race endured nine cautions and 29 caution laps. Prior to the checkered flag there were eight lead changes.

Brandon Jones secured the victory in the race, and Austin Hill finished second. Sheldon Creed placed third, Todd Gilliland secured fourth, and Ben Rhodes closed out the top five.

Creed got off to a great start in the race, winning both of the first two stages, but couldn’t hold on to end up in Victory Lane.

Stewart Friesen Driver Page | Get Friesen Gear | Race Center

Posted on by Data Skrive

Derek Kraus rounded out the top 10 in the Pocono Organics 150 to benefit Farm Aid at Pocono Raceway on Sunday.

The top 10 finish for Kraus, his third of the year, added 27 points to his season total.

Kraus started in 13th position. The third-year driver has picked up one top-five and four top-10 finishes in his career.

The Stratford, Wisconsin native’s starting and finishing positions compared favorably to his career averages, starting one spot higher than his career mark of 13.6 and completing the race four places ahead of his 13.9 career average finish.

Kraus’ 10th-place finish came against 40 other drivers. The race endured nine cautions and 29 caution laps. Prior to the checkered flag there were eight lead changes.

Brandon Jones brought home the win in the race, and Austin Hill took second. Sheldon Creed crossed the finish line third, Todd Gilliland took fourth, and Ben Rhodes rounded out the top five.

Creed got off to a strong start in the race, winning the first two stages, but couldn’t hold on to end up in Victory Lane.

Derek Kraus Driver Page | Get Kraus Gear | Race Center

Posted on by Data Skrive

Jeffrey Earnhardt finished 16th in the Pocono Green 225 Recycled by J.P. Mascaro & Sons at Pocono Raceway on Sunday.

Earnhardt’s result added 21 points to his season total.

Earnhardt started in 15th position. The eighth-year driver has earned one top-five and three top-10 finishes in his career.

Sunday’s race was the first of Earnhardt’s career at Pocono Raceway.

The Mooresville, North Carolina native’s starting and finishing positions compared favorably to his career averages, starting 10 spots higher than his career mark of 25.4 and completing the race seven places ahead of his 23.2 career average finish.

Earnhardt raced against 36 other drivers on the way to his 16th-place finish. The race endured nine cautions and 31 caution laps. Prior to the checkered flag there were 12 lead changes.

Chase Briscoe earned the victory in the race, and Ross Chastain finished second. Jeremy Clements placed third, Myatt Snider brought home fourth, and Michael Annett grabbed the No. 5 spot.

After Austin Cindric won the first stage, Justin Allgaier drove the No. 7 car to victory in Stage 2.

Jeffrey Earnhardt Driver Page | Get Earnhardt Gear | Race Center

Posted on by Data Skrive

Ross Chastain finished second in the Pocono Green 225 Recycled by J.P. Mascaro & Sons at Pocono Raceway on Sunday.

Chastain’s top five finish, the fourth time he has achieved that result this year, added 44 points to his season total.

Chastain started in fifth position and led 31 laps in the race, holding the lead a total of five times. The seventh-year driver has tallied two career victories, with nine top-five finishes and 29 results inside the top 10.

Sunday was Chastain’s fourth career start at Pocono Raceway.

The Alva, Florida native’s starting and finishing positions compared favorably to his career averages, starting 13 spots higher than his career mark of 17.9 and completing the race 15 places ahead of his 16.9 career average finish.

Chastain competed with 36 other drivers on the way to his second-place finish. The race endured nine cautions and 31 caution laps. There were 12 lead changes.

Chase Briscoe earned the victory in the race, followed by Chastain’s second-place finish. Jeremy Clements placed third, Myatt Snider brought home fourth place, and Michael Annett closed the top five.

After Austin Cindric won Stage 1, Justin Allgaier drove the No. 7 car to victory in Stage 2.

Ross Chastain Driver Page | Get Chastain Gear | Race Center

Posted on by Data Skrive

Jeremy Clements finished third in the Pocono Green 225 Recycled by J.P. Mascaro & Sons at Pocono Raceway on Sunday.

Clements’ top five finish, the first time he has achieved that result this year, added 35 points to his season total.

Clements started in 21st position. The 15th-year driver has one career victory, with three top-five finishes and 21 results inside the top 10.

Sunday marked Clements’ fourth career start at Pocono Raceway.

The Spartanburg, South Carolina native’s starting and finishing positions compared favorably to his career averages, starting four spots higher than his career mark of 25.1 and completing the race 21 places ahead of his 23.6 career average finish.

Clements took on a field of 36 drivers on the way to his third-place finish. The race endured nine cautions and 31 caution laps. Prior to the checkered flag there were 12 lead changes.

Chase Briscoe earned the victory in the race, followed by Ross Chastain in second place. After Clements’ third-place finish, Myatt Snider secured fourth, and Michael Annett took the No. 5 spot.

After Austin Cindric won Stage 1, Justin Allgaier drove the No. 7 car to victory in Stage 2.

Jeremy Clements Driver Page | Get Clements Gear | Race Center