In just his first full season of racing, Tom McCarthy is a national champion.
McCarthy won the Auto Value Parts Store 4-Cylinder division championship at Michigan’s Berlin Raceway, and he picked up five wins and 19 top-five finishes in 21 races to win the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Division IV national championship.
“It’s awesome,” McCarthy said. “It doesn’t get any better than that, right?”
The 26-year-old driver actually thought he had the title won a week before it happened. He had the dates for the end of the NASCAR season wrong and saw he had about a 10 point lead in the standings following the final race at Berlin.
It was later that week when he realized second place finisher Gordon Farnum got a couple more races in on the final weekend of the season.
McCarthy won the title over Farnum by just four points.
McCarthy wasn’t too worried about points at that point in the season. He started the season hot, winning four of the first five points races at Berlin and jumping out to a 22-point lead in the NASCAR points in late August.
But he cooled off in the middle of the summer and struggled at times. He admits races became tedious and stressful trying to make sure he did everything perfectly while trying not to let anyone pass him.
McCarthy decided late in the season to just have fun with racing and not think about the points or perfection behind the wheel. When he changed his mentality, he saw improvements.
“It makes a huge difference,” he said of his focus on having fun behind the wheel. “It’s a long season. It’s a lot more work than you would think.”
McCarthy’s dad, Tom McCarthy II, also ran in Berlin’s 4-cylinder division. The two were joined by their cousin, T.J., and two brothers and two sisters, as well as other friends who the younger McCarthy said were always willing to help whenever needed.
(Photo courtesy of Tom McCarthy)
The national title will likely be a one-off for McCarthy, who is getting married next June. He said he doesn’t plan on running a full season in 2022, but they’ll keep both cars so the father and son can still get out and race whenever possible.
“We hope to at least get out there a few times and make some laps and have some fun,” he said.
McCarthy said he always knew he likely wouldn’t return to full-time racing next summer, but he learned to love the sport and the people at Berlin in his first summer.
“It was hard walking away from the track the last night … just not knowing what was in store for next year,” he said. “During the last few weeks I was kind of ready just because it is so time consuming and stressful working on cars and getting everything ready and preparing everything to be successful when we go there. Just having all that in mind I was kind of ready for it to be done, but as soon as it was done, I was already starting to miss it.
“I think that says a lot for how good everyone at Berlin is and the track and how professional everything is. It’s a lot of fun, good place to race, good people to be around.”
Even though running a full season was a lot of work, and running for a national championship was even more work, McCarthy said the memories of his first championship summer is not something he’ll soon forget.
“It’s awesome. It’s always fun. I’m definitely going to miss it,” he said.
Chad Baxter thinks he may have finished in the top 10 in the national points once in his career prior to 2021. He came into the season simply looking to collect as many wins as possible and, maybe, go for a track championship in the Sportsman division at Seekonk Speedway.
But as the wins piled up, people started to notice how good of a season he was having.
“There’s a guy that I work with, he’s always looking at that type of stuff (the national points), and during our lunch breaks he was going through it and he would tell me where I was, and we kept on moving up,” Baxter said. “I was like, ‘Wow.’ Eventually I was like, ‘Oh, I think we might have a shot at this.'”
By the end of the season, Baxter had six wins, 13 top fives, his first Seekonk track championship and his first NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Division III national title.
Chad Baxter and his family celebrate one of his six wins in the Sportsman Division at Seekonk Speedway this season. (Seekonk Speedway photo/Courtesy of Chad Baxter)
Consistency was key for Baxter and his team, as they only finished outside of the top five twice in 15 races.
The team, which consisted of Baxter, his car owner, Richard Spragg, and his brother, Joe Baxter, built a brand new car to start the 2021 season.
“We were fast when we went to the first practice,” Baxter said. “The car felt good and it stayed consistent all year long.”
While the team wanted to go for a track championship at Seekonk, located in Seekonk, Massachusetts, its focus was on just getting wins every week. As long as Baxter and Co. kept winning, the points would come.
“It was not really too much more pressure than any regular event that we were going to,” he said. “We always had our sight set on trying to win the races so it didn’t put any extra pressure on you if you’re trying to go out and get wins.
“Definitely seeing that we had good cars all the time, to be able to always have a shot at a win, the points are definitely always there in the end.”
Baxter’s only other championship in his career was a track title at Thompson Speedway. He moved to race at Seekonk in 2015.
The veteran driver grew up around racing, watching his father when Baxter and his brother were little kids. He started in the sport himself when he was 19.
During the week, it’s typically just Baxter and Spragg tinkering on the car and getting it ready for Saturday nights. Joe Baxter began helping his brother and Spragg about midway through the season. The trio would typically bring two cars to the race track every weekend.
Chad Baxter celebrates his first track championship at Seekonk Speedway. (Seekonk Speedway photo/Courtesy of Chad Baxter)
Baxter had to fight back tears when asked what it was like to be able to call himself a national champion after so many years in racing.
“It’s a great accomplishment, and it’s something I really never pictured, or could picture it happening,” he said. “It’s still hard to believe that I was able to achieve it.
“It means a lot, because it just shows that we were able to put a car out there and be able to be consistent, and all the hard work we put in, it paid off.”
The team hasn’t celebrated the championship too much, but they plan to the make the most of their awards banquets over the offseason.
When the spring rolls around, they’ll be trying to go for title No. 2.
“We’re going to try. We’ll put another good effort into it,” Baxter said. “The competition and being able to go out and do good and be competitive is just a task of its own. It’s just something to drive to make you better.”
David Greenslit had a specific goal in mind going into the 2021 race season. He wanted to win a national championship.
He did it in 2020, and he wanted to do it again.
“That was one of our main goals,” Greenslit said. “We came into the year wanting to win both track championships and the national title.”
Greenslit won seven races in the R.E. Hinkley Street Stocks division at Claremont Motorsports Park in New Hampshire, and six races in the street stocks division at Hudson Speedway, also in New Hampshire. He took home the track championship at both tracks.
His 11 NASCAR wins and 27 top fives were enough to lead Greenslit to the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Division II national championship by eight points over second-place Terry Schultz.
David Greenslit does a celebratory burnout after one of his 11 victories this season. (Photo courtesy of David Greenslit)
When Greenslit won his championship in 2020, it came down to him needing to win in the final race of the season to lock up the title. Even though this year’s title didn’t quite come down to the wire, it didn’t take any of the stress away as he wrapped up his season.
“Points watching the national stuff was a little stressful just knowing the last couple weeks we had run so many races where we had to finish second or better to gain any points on the national side of things,” he said. “Going into the last race, we thought we had it, and I had talked to Schultz a little bit via Facebook and saw that he had finished second on Friday night. So we thought we might have it clinched there, but it wasn’t 100 percent official until it came out.”
The key for Greenslit and his team was about focusing on having consistent good finishes. Only once did he finish outside of the top three at Claremont.
Greenslit was joined this season by his car owner, Tony Quadros, someone he met several years back on iRacing.
Quadros and Greenslit built a new car this year, which Greenslit said was “absolutely huge, because that thing is night and day to what we had before.”
Added Greenslit of Quadros: “He doesn’t really have the desire to race, but he loves racing. He puts everything into the car that we need.”
The rest of the crew includes Rocky Branch, who Greenslit said is “like our mad scientist” the way he’s always trying new things and working to figure out how to make the car faster.
Crew members Eric and Justin help in the shop, and Greenslit’s girlfriend and parents also provide much-needed support.
David Greenslit and his team celebrate one of his 11 wins this season. (Photo courtesy of David Greenslit)
“It’s just kind of like a big family up here for us,” Greenslit said of his team. “All of us, we live and breathe racing and always want to do it. We’re always looking for another race to do. It’s countless hours. We’ll spend five days in the shop to race two days. It’s kind of crazy that they want to put in that much time as much as me.”
A busy season has led right into a busy offseason for Greenslit and his team. They haven’t even had much of a chance to celebrate their second title.
“We’re going to plan something at some point this offseason and get a bunch of friends and fellow racers together,” he said. “Even my competition, they’re all great people, they all love to race, and they all put their heart into it. It’s a good group of people we have up here racing with us.”
After racing 37 times this summer, going for a third title might be a bit more than Greenslit and his team can handle in 2022. He said they’ve all talked and will likely cut back next season to just trying for another track title at Claremont while racing a few others around New England here and there.
If a third title isn’t in the cards for the team, though, they’ll always have the memories of going back-to-back and achieving all of their goals.
“To do it two years in a row is just a huge accomplishment,” Greenslit said. “We work out of a two-bay garage in New Hampshire, so it’s quite the accomplishment for our small team.
“Accomplishing all three of those things is just absolutely huge for us.”
2021 Jostens Rookie of the Year: Gunner Martin (Midwest Region champion)
Track
Starts
Wins
Top fives
Top 10s
Points
Central Missouri Speedway
20
9
18
19
404
Martin, the 2021 Jostens Rookie of the Year in the Midwest Region, scored enough points nationally to win the overall Rookie of the Year award, as well.
Martin won the Midwest award by a convincing 54 points over Dennis Elliott. He clinched the national award by 16 points over Dominion Raceway’s Landon Pembelton.
Southeast Region: Landon Pembelton
Track
Starts
Wins
Top fives
Top 10s
Points
Dominion Raceway
30
1
18
24
388
Pembelton finished second to Martin in the national rookie standings, also racing at South Boston Speedway and Langley Speedway.
In the Southeast Region, competing at Dominion Raceway, he cleared Jacob Borst for the award by 30 points.
Northeast Region: Wyatt Alexander
Track
Starts
Wins
Top fives
Top 10s
Points
Beech Ridge Motor Speedway
14
2
8
14
242
Alexander finished 10th in the national rookie standings, doing all of his racing at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in Scarborough, Maine. He scored top-10 finishes in all 14 races he started in 2021.
Alexander clinched the Northeast Region rookie award by 54 points over William Larue.
West Region: Patrick Gold
Track
Starts
Wins
Top fives
Top 10s
Points
Magic Valley Speedway
24
1
16
22
294
Gold finished sixth in the national rookie standings thanks to his success racing at Magic Valley Speedway in Twin Falls, Idaho.
In the West Region, Gold clinched the rookie title by 30 points over Camron Madsen.
Peyton Sellers took the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Division 1 national championship in 2021, his second such title. He did so with the Southeast Region championship in hand.
The two drivers who finished behind Sellers in the national Division I standings, though, did not end the season empty-handed. Both Jacob Goede (second in national standings) and Craig Von Dohren (third) were named regional champions in the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series.
Below are all of the Division 1 regional champions for 2021, starting with the aforementioned national champ.
Dominion Raceway, South Boston Speedway, New Smyrna Speedway
38
21
29
36
468
Sellers, the Danville, Virginia, native, collected his second Weekly Series national title 16 years after his first. He did so once again competing in and dominating the Southeast Region.
Sellers won the regional title by 76 points over Dominion Raceway’s Mason Bailey on the strength of his mind-boggling 21 wins in 38 starts at Dominion, South Boston Speedway and New Smyrna Speedway.
Northeast Region: Craig Von Dohren
Track(s)
Starts
Wins
Top fives
Top 10s
Points
Grandview Speedway
24
6
19
21
438
Von Dohren, who finished third in the Division I national standings, did all of his damage at Grandview Speedway in Bechtelsville, Pennsylvania. His 438 points were enough to top Todd Patnode by six points and Brett Kressley by 12 points in the Northeast standings.
Von Dohren scored a top-10 finish in all but three starts he recorded at Grandview in 2021, notching six victories and 19 top fives.
Midwest Region: Jacob Goede
Track(s)
Starts
Wins
Top fives
Top 10s
Points
Elko Speedway, LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway, Madison International Speedway
40
8
27
37
444
The 2019 Division 1 national champion finished second to Sellers nationally in 2021, but in the Midwest Region, he cleared second-place Billy Mohn by a healthy 32 points in the final standings.
Goede, based in Minnesota at Elko Speedway, maintained a busy racing schedule in 2021 with 40 regional starts at Elko, LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway and Madison International Speedway. He finished outside the top 10 in just three of those 40 starts.
West Region: Eric Rhead
Track(s)
Starts
Wins
Top fives
Top 10s
Points
Magic Valley Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway Bullring
27
11
24
25
398
Rhead put a lot of miles on his race car with 27 starts at Magic Valley Speedway and the Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2021. Based in Utah, he put even more miles on his street car having to drive four hours to Magic Valley or seven hours to Vegas each weekend.
Rhead, who finished seventh in the national standings, cleared Meridian Speedway’s Josh Fanopoulos by 24 points to win the West Region on the strength of his 11 victories. Rhead scored an impressive 24 top-five finishes in his 27 starts.
When Peyton Sellers won his first NASCAR national championship 16 years ago, he hoped the title could be used as a stepping stone in his racing career.
In many ways, it was. He got an opportunity to race across the country, in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, and with Richard Childress Racing.
“I went from a local driver driving around Virginia and North Carolina to all of a sudden my name was more on a national platform,” Sellers said.
Even though the 38-year-old said he didn’t take his first national championship for granted, he cherishes his second more. Sellers won the 2021 NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Division I title this year by 34 points.
Peyton Sellers pictured during the NASCAR Advanced Auto Parts Weekly Series at Dominion Raceway on Sept. 18, 2021 in Woodford, Virginia. (Parker Michels-Boyce/NASCAR)
“It’s very humbling for sure,” Sellers said. “I cherish it and enjoy it even more because I realize how hard they are to come by. I realize how fortunate I have been able to race as long as I have and still be competitive. A lot of guys my age changed directions and just lost that confidence to do it week after week, and I’m still able to do it.”
Sellers’ team, Sellers Racing, had a lot to celebrate this season. Not only did Sellers win a national championship, he also won track titles in the late model divisions at South Boston Speedway in South Boston, Virginia, and at Dominion Raceway in Woodford, Virginia.
Sellers’ teammate Daniel Silvestri won a CARS Tour race. He also won the pole award at the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 late model race at Martinsville Speedway, a race won by fellow teammate Landon Pembelton. Another teammate, Dustin Rumley, won the late model division championship at Ace Speedway in North Carolina.
The team had a get-together and dinner just before Thanksgiving to celebrate Sellers’ championship and the success of the other drivers. Drivers and their families, as well as sponsors, teammates and supporters, attended.
“It was a very enjoyable night,” Sellers said. “A lot to be thankful for, a lot to celebrate and enjoy. Going into the holidays, it’s good to keep it fresh in everyone’s mind of how much hard work you put into it and enjoy it.”
Throughout his two-decade career, the one constant for Sellers has been his family. His brother, H.C., is his crew chief and runs the Sellers Racing team. His dad, Burt, serves as his spotter, and his mom, Mary, films the races. His wife, Jennie, is also at every race.
One member of the crew, Les Young, who Sellers said is “like a brother to me,” has also been with the team for both national championships.
Making the sport a family event is what has helped keep Sellers going all these years later.
“In life, we gauge everything on money most of the time, the monetary value of things,” Sellers said. “For me, I try not to do that. I try to put the value in having your family and having the support of your loved ones around and doing what you enjoy doing. For me to be able to do that has been really neat because we sit around on the lunch table on Sunday afternoon and talk racing. We work during the week and talk racing. To have that family value that we’re all pulling in the same direction is what gives me the sense of accomplishment that I need every day to go out and do it.”
Peyton Sellers, driver of the No. 26 Clarence’s Steakhouse and Danville Toyota car, in action during the NASCAR Advanced Auto Parts Weekly Series at Dominion Raceway on Sept. 18, 2021 in Woodford, Virginia. (Parker Michels-Boyce/NASCAR)
The other constant in Sellers’ career has been the support of his sponsors and fans throughout southern Virginia and his hometown of Danville. Danville Toyota and Clarence’s Steakhouse have been his primary sponsors off and on for 20 years.
Sellers Racing has a tailgate spot at South Boston Speedway, and Sellers said on any given race night they’ll have 20 or 30 friends, family and supporters watching there.
“For me to be from Danville, Virginia, I still live in Danville. I’ve had the opportunity to go live in other places, but Danville has always been home,” he said. “The history of racers who come from Virginia in general is something I’m very proud of; I feel like I’ve been able to add to that history with a couple Virginia Triple Crown titles, a couple national titles.
“I’m hoping I’m a driver people will talk about for years to come. It’s nothing I’m bragging about or anything of that nature, but just to be able to do this and compete and enjoy what I do. I enjoy going out to anywhere in Danville and seeing people I know and them saying, ‘Oh yea, we saw you Saturday night. We were down at South Boston, we watched you race. Enjoyed what you’re doing.’ That sort of thing, that is special to me. To be able to be a part of your community and have people come out and watch us race is something that I don’t take lightly.”
Seemingly everyone has asked Sellers about his plans for next year, but he honestly hasn’t thought about it. For now he’s focused on enjoying the success of 2021 and savoring it as much as possible.
One of Sellers’ two cars this year got a new body and went Nashville for the NASCAR championship banquet. It was also put on display at the Performance Racing Industry trade show in Indianapolis.
“To have a car in that show, to be able to show our sponsorship and support, that they thought enough of us to be invited to go was a pretty neat deal,” Sellers said.
Once the calendar gets closer to Christmas, Sellers said he and the team will start thinking about next season.
Sixteen years ago when Sellers won his first national title he made sure not to take it for granted. Now that he’s finally won a second, he’s savoring the title and what that means for his career even more.
“This is grassroots racing. The Advance Auto Parts [Weekly] Series is grassroots. It gives me the opportunity to compete on a national level by racing at my local track,” Sellers said. “To be able to still compete at this level at 38 and win races and do what I love to do with my family involved the whole way is something I’m very proud of. I don’t take it for granted. I don’t take any of the opportunities that I have with our partners and sponsors that stick by us year after year; some of those relationships you don’t come by being part-time racers.
“We’re full-time racers. We race hard, and we’ve been able to do this and chase this dream for a long time now.”
Mike Stefanik, Doug Coby and Tony Hirschman represent the best in the history of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. With 18 championships between this trio of drivers, they are etched in history as the best of their respective eras.
Justin Bonsignore in 2021 joined them on an elite list. In the process, the 33-year-old from Holtsville, New York, further marked himself as the driver to beat in the current NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour era.
Bonsignore in 2021 scored his third championship in the last four years. He has won all of his titles with Ken Massa Motorsports, the team for which he has been driving since the start of his full-time tour career in 2010. Bonsignore joins those three historic names as the only drivers in tour history to have three or more championships.
The latest dynasty in short-track asphalt modified racing is happening at the highest level.
Ken Massa Motorsports, owned by Ken and Janine Massa, rocketed to a third NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship in 2021. Their titles have come in the last four years, on the heels of 19 victories on the tour with Justin Bonsignore as their driver.
The Massa family and crew chief Ryan Stone have become the unstoppable bunch with Bonsignore behind the wheel.
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour 2021 special award winners
More than 65 drivers took the green flag in at least one NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race in 2021. In the end, Justin Bonsignore picked up his third series championship, becoming just the fourth driver in the history of the tour to accomplish that feat.
Bonsignore also won three other special awards for his efforts during the season. Likewise, two other drivers ended 2021 with hardware.
More than 65 drivers took the green flag in at least one NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race in 2021. In the end, Justin Bonsignore picked up his third series championship, becoming just the fourth driver in the history of the tour to accomplish that feat.
Bonsignore also won three other special awards for his efforts during the season. Likewise, two other drivers ended 2021 with hardware.
Below are the special award winners for the 2021 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season.
Mayhew Tools Dominator Pole Award: Justin Bonsignore
Justin Bonsignore, left, celebrates winning one of five Mayhew Tools Dominator Pole Awards during the season. For winning the pole, drivers earn a “Big Stick” prybar, courtesy of Mayhew. (NASCAR)
The Holtsville, New York, native may have only won twice this year en route to the series championship, but Bonsignore started off at the front of the field more often than any of his competitors.
Bonsignore won the Mayhew Tools Dominator Pole Award pole five times in 2021, tying his total from 2018, when he also won the series title.
His pole at Jennerstown Speedway on Memorial Day weekend ended with his leading 136 of 150 laps and taking the checkered flag. The other four poles ended with finishes of third, third, second and 24th (DNF, mechanical failure).
Bonsignore boosted his career total to 19 poles, which places him 12th on the all-time list for the series.
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. Mayhew also sponsors six-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Doug Coby.
Beyond Bonsignore, Ryan Preece won two pole awards in 2021, while Matt Swanson, Max McLaughlin, Jon McKennedy, Matt Hirschman, Ron Silk, Tom Rogers Jr. and Anthony Nocella each picked up one.
Phil Kurze Mid-Race Leader presented by Josten’s: Justin Bonsignore
Bonsignore also earned a special award in honor of former Whelen Engineering vice president of motorsports Phil Kurze.
The late Kurze, who was recently honored 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 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour prior to his passing in 2018.
This year’s award, given to the driver who led at the halfway point of the most races, went to Bonsignore. He was in the lead at the halfway lap in four of 14 events during the 2021 season, with only Preece (twice) joining him on the list of drivers who did so more than once.
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 (Owner: Ken Massa)
Justin Bonsignore, driver of the No. 51 Coastal Fiber LLC Chevrolet, in action during the Virginia Is For Racing Lovers 200 at Martinsville Speedway on April 8, 2021. (Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)
Hoosier Tire supplies racing tires for the ground-pounding modifieds each year on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, and it also sponsors the Hoosier Tire Lap Leader Award.
Given to the car owner of the driver who leads the most laps in a race the most times during the season, the award honors the team that was the dominant force at the front of the field.
In 2021, it was Bonsignore. Driving the Ken Massa Motorsports/Phoenix Communications No. 51 Chevrolet, Bonsignore led 643 laps this season, including at least one in 11 of 14 races.
He was at the front for the most laps in three races, edging Matt Hirschman and Preece, who did it in two events.
Hoosier Tire Most Improved Award: Dylan Slepian
Dylan Slepian, driver of the No. 70 Eastport Feeds Chevrolet, pictured during qualifying for the Miller Lite 200 at Riverhead Raceway on Sept. 18, 2021. (Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)
Hoosier Tire also supplies the Most Improved Award for each NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event, including the season-ending special award. In 2021, Dylan Slepian earned the honors.
The Dix Hills, New York, native competed in three races during the season and scored two top-10 finishes, both at his home-track, Riverhead Raceway.
In the only other event he ran, Slepian finished 11th at Riverhead in September. His finishes of ninth, ninth and 11th were the best three of his Whelen Modified Tour career.
Slepian, a regular in the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series at Riverhead, also finished second in the track weekly points championship standings this year.
Hoosier Tire Hard Charger Award and Whelen Engineering Winner of the Race Award: Patrick Emerling
Patrick Emerling celebrates winning the Miller Lite 200 at Riverhead Raceway on Sept. 18, 2021. (Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)
Patrick Emerling did not get the championship year he wanted in 2021, but he collected his fair share of hardware over the course of 14 races.
For his success, Emerling earned both the Hoosier Tire Hard Charger and Whelen Engineering Winner of the Race Awards from the season.
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.
This year, Emerling was on top of his game, winning three times — in Stafford Motor Speedway’s NAPA Spring Sizzler, the tour’s debut at New York International (Lancaster) Speedway and the finale of three events at Riverhead Raceway.
With his three victories — tied for the most in the series in 2021 — Emerling also captured the Whelen Engineering Winner of the Race award.
Outside of Emerling, current NASCAR Cup Series driver and 2013 Whelen Modified Tour champion Ryan Preece also won three races in 2021. The tiebreaker was the driver who finished higher in the championship standings, and Emerling, as the Orchard Park, New York, native, was the runner-up to Bonsignore.
Behind Emerling and Preece, Bonsignore, Coby and Ron Silk won twice in 2021. Eric Goodale and Matt Hirschman scored single victories.
Mike Stefanik, Doug Coby and Tony Hirschman represent the best in the history of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. With 18 championships between this trio of drivers, they are etched in history as the best of their respective eras.
Justin Bonsignore in 2021 joined them on an elite list. In the process, the 33-year-old from Holtsville, New York, further marked himself as the driver to beat in the current NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour era.
Bonsignore in 2021 scored his third championship in the last four years. He has won all of his titles with Ken Massa Motorsports, the team for which he has been driving since the start of his full-time tour career in 2010. Bonsignore joins those three historic names as the only drivers in tour history to have three or more championships.
Justin Bonsignore awaits the start of the Toyota Mod Classic 150 at Oswego Speedway in Oswego, New York, on Sept. 4, 2021. (Bryan Bennett/NASCAR)
“To have your name mentioned with the likes of those guys and accomplishing something that only a few guys have done in the history of the Whelen Modified Tour is special,” Bonsignore said. “I still don’t feel like I belong in that type of group with those names. I’m just really appreciative and humbled to even be part of it. Those guys accomplished a lot in our sport, had some great races and drove for really good teams.”
Bonsignore’s success on the tour can be attributed to a multitude of points, but three specific elements stand out: determination to never quit, a car owner who has become family, and a crew chief who showcases his talent to get the car to the front of the field.
All of that combined with Bonsignore’s driving talent equates to a nearly unstoppable team.
Bonsignore and Ken Massa Motorsports have been together since they both started on the tour, and it hasn’t always been green grass and bright sunshine. Over the first four years, the team only won three races.
In 2014, though, Bonsignore had somewhat of a breakout year, winning three races and finishing third in the championship battle. The team came close in both 2016 and 2017, but podium finishes in the point standings two years in a row was not the goal.
That’s why Bonsignore and Massa at the end of the 2017 season decided to take a different step — a bigger step — and try something both were confident would work.
Fast-forward to 2021, and the team’s hiring of Ryan Stone as crew chief that year still stands as the winning move Bonsignore and Massa predicted.
“Without a doubt, right from day one, when we unloaded and went right to second place on the speed charts the first time we worked together, I knew I would never have to worry or wonder about anything to do with the cars being ready or fast,” Bonsignore said. “Ryan lives all of it, 100 percent of the time. He’s at the shop countless hours and thinks about every single small detail that might not seem important to most, but keeps you in contention for wins, and the championship.
“The raw speed is a great part of having Ryan; he’s a mastermind and is always trying to come up with new ideas, the next tricks. He’s always working to get us better, and he’s never comfortable with what we have.”
Justin Bonsignore, driver of the #51 Phoenix Communications Inc. Chevrolet, talks with a member of his crew during practice before the GAF Roofing 150 presented by Riverhead Building Supply for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at Stafford Motor Speedway in Stafford Springs, Connecticut on August 6, 2021. (Adam Richins/NASCAR)
For Bonsignore, his relationship with car owner Ken and his wife Janine Massa goes well beyond the track.
“They’re not quite old enough, but I say to them all the time that they are like second parents to me,” Bonsignore said. “My parents moved down south a handful of years ago, and they have taken me in as one of their own. I feel like I am their oldest son.
“When I go to Ken, whether it’s for personal, business or financial advice, he’s always there for me. He’s one of my best friends in life. He’s helped me with a business, and he’s 110 percent behind us on the track. He gives us everything we need, and he keeps our glue together.”
Over the last four years, Bonsignore’s stats on the track stack up against the best in NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour history. In 55 starts, he has 19 wins, 42 top fives, 49 top 10s and 14 Mayhew Tools Dominator Pole awards.
Even in the midst of a COVID-19 shortened year in 2020, Bonsignore won three of nine races and walked to the title. In 2021, he drove away from the pack to clinch the crown as he jumped to a tie for fifth on the all-time tour wins list.
And he is not planning on slowing down anytime soon.
“I don’t foresee my career ending soon; I’m in this for the long haul,” Bonsignore said. “I have a goal set to run races until I’m 50 years old, if I can do it. Ken seems like he would be there, but Ryan, I’m not sure if he would want to be crew chief for that long.
“As long as we stay together as a team, I don’t see why we can’t be in contention for it for many years. Ken gives us everything we need to be successful, and Ryan gives us the race cars that are fast and reliable. I know we can be in contention. Whether or not it happens with racing luck and the natural course of how things work on the track, we will see. That’s why we go out there and run the races.”
Justin Bonsignore celebrates winning the Jennerstown Salutes 150 presented by DGV at Jennerstown Speedway in Jennerstown, Pennsylvania, on May 29, 2021. (Nate Smallwood/NASCAR)
In the season finale of 2021, Bonsignore broke a streak of 40 consecutive failures to win at Stafford Motor Speedway, scoring his first victory at the Connecticut half mile and capturing the series title in the process.
“As much as I tried to block it out and not worry about it, it’s something that you thought of every single time we went there over the years,” Bonsignore said of the losing streak. “It made it even better to accomplish it in the moment and the way that we did; it was such a surreal feeling. We didn’t have to win the race, but we wanted to get it done because of everything we’ve had happen there over the years.
“I couldn’t believe we won at Stafford, and then you realize we were three-time champions. It’s pretty special. I don’t feel like I’ve fully processed the championship yet.”
Justin Bonsignore, driver of the No. 51 Phoenix Communications Inc. Chevrolet, pictured during qualifying for the Buzz Chew Chevrolet Cadillac 200 at Riverhead Raceway on June 19, 2021. (Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)
The feeling of becoming champion is surreal. However, for Bonsignore, now that the celebrations are well underway, attention is already turning to an attempt to continue the streak. Bonsignore in 2022 could become just the second driver (Coby) in the series’ modern era to win three consecutive titles.
Preparation is already underway.
“It’s definitely great to see the amount of races increase,” Bonsignore said of the 2022 schedule. “I think 16 to 18 races is a really good number for our series. I know we have the Riverheads and Thompsons, but I think going to most of the tracks once a year will add diversity for drivers and teams.
“The champion can say they won at a bunch of different tracks and they were fast everywhere. It’s cool to go into different parts of the country and different tracks. A mix of those with all-out speed, some with tire conservation … it’s cool.”
Added Bonsignore on the offseason: “We’ve already been turning our cars over and getting them rebuilt and refreshed. Ryan has been going full-force with it. We’re getting somewhat ahead, and you want to have your whole team ready to go before (the season-opener at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway).
“When we get back from Florida, you want some breathing room to prepare for the next race. Ryan is already on top of it. He’s planning on working on the newest things he needs to do to make the cars even better. I wouldn’t want to go to battle without him or any of my guys.”
The latest dynasty in short-track asphalt modified racing is happening at the highest level.
Ken Massa Motorsports, owned by Ken and Janine Massa, rocketed to a third NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship in 2021. Their titles have come in the last four years, on the heels of 19 victories on the tour with Justin Bonsignore as their driver.
The Massa family and crew chief Ryan Stone have become the unstoppable bunch with Bonsignore behind the wheel.
Justin Bonsignore, right, and Ryan Stone, left, prepare the Virginia Is For Racing Lovers 150 at Richmond Raceway on Sept. 10, 2021. (Ryan M. Kelly/NASCAR)
In 2017, Ken Massa and Bonsignore spoke with Stone, who at the time was working with JR Motorsports in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. They convinced Stone to move back north less than a decade after he served as the car chief for Ron Silk on his Whelen Modified Tour championship run in 2011.
The move catapulted the team to the top of the series, as they’ve been in contention to win what feels like every single race since. In 2021, they earned two wins, 11 top fives and 12 top 10s.
“We had just moved on from our crew chief, and we were kind of doing it with someone filling in with just some track support,” Massa said of the end of the 2017 season. “Justin and I talked and decided we couldn’t keep doing what we were doing if we wanted to be successful. We looked at the last 10 or 12 years of crew chiefs and there were a few names, but not many.
“Ryan Stone’s name came up. He had moved his entire life down south and had no ties back to Connecticut to come back here. I talked him into coming to work for me, and we got a shop set up, and he moved. I knew Justin could drive; I’ve always felt that way. I never thought he was the problem. I thought what I was giving him to work with was the problem.
“Ryan was the biggest missing piece, and once it came together, the rest is history.”
Stone’s story is one of desire for modified racing.
In the offseason of 2017, Stone had already been there and done that — not as a crew chief, but as car chief. Most crew chiefs at the short-track level would give up so much to reach the NASCAR national series, like Stone had done. Working for JR Motorsports was a dream come true.
But Stone knew the time was right for a return to one of his passions and to chase a title with a team he knew could get the job done.
“I experienced what it was like at the national series level at the end of the year, when they have layoffs and there are unknowns with drivers and sponsors,” Stone said. “Your job at that level depends on one move from a sponsor, driver or car owner. One move could eliminate the team.
“Looking back, when I realized I was 700 miles from home and by myself and away from modified racing with my friends, that got me back home. When Ken called, it was an opportunity for me to keep racing, working on cars and be with my friends.
“Ken allows me to run the day-to-day of his race team. He lets me make the decisions and do what I think is best. Ken lets the players that are on his team play in their own role. He doesn’t micromanage everything. He works hard to make sure we have everything we need to race at this high-level, but he lets everyone do their job.”
Ryan Stone, far left, Justin Bonsignore, left of trophy, and Ken Massa, right of trophy, celebrate winning the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship after the NAPA Fall Final at Stafford Motor Speedway in Stafford, Connecticut, on Sept. 25, 2021. (Ryan McBride/NASCAR)
The Ken Massa Motorsports team is the latest to take control of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. Since the tour’s modern era began in 1985, few drivers and teams have been able to accomplish what they have.
Mike Stefanik has seven championships, but he did it with multiple car owners. Tony Hirschman, who has five titles, also accomplished his goals with different car owners. In the middle of those two series greats is six-time champion Doug Coby, who may be older than Bonsignore but has seen similar success in the present era.
Coby, after winning the title with Wayne Darling as car owner in 2012, switched owners and moved to Mike Smeriglio Racing. In 2014, they won their first title together and followed it up with five more titles over the next six years. At the time, they were at the top of the series, and everyone was trying to chase them. With crew chief Phil Moran on his side, Coby was the dominant force, winning races/championships and showcasing why he was going to go down as one of the all-time greats.
Justin Bonsignore and crew chief Ryan Stone talk during practice before the GAF Roofing 150 presented by Riverhead Building Supply at Stafford Motor Speedway in Stafford Springs, Connecticut, on Aug. 6, 2021. (Adam Richins/NASCAR)
When Bonsignore, Massa and Stone got together in 2018, they found immediate success, winning eight races and the title. However, a year later, Coby showed he wasn’t done, capturing a title in the final year of Smeriglio Racing, before Mike Smeriglio retired.
That left Coby on an island, so he started his own team — Doug Coby Racing — with which he has captured three wins over the last two years. In a weird way, Coby is now chasing Bonsignore, much like Bonsignore was chasing Coby in the middle of the last decade.
It’s all part of the flow of racing at the modified level, but from a fan’s perspective, it’s all about historic numbers and historic drivers.
Crew members push Justin Bonsignore’s No. 51 Phoenix Communications, Inc. Chevrolet to weigh-ins prior to the Nu Way Auto Parts 150 at New York International Raceway Park in Lancaster, New York, on July 31, 2021. (Bryan Bennett/NASCAR)
“It’s cool to be part of history, and it’s really all you can hope for is to have someone trying to chase you down while you’re at the top,” Coby said. “Their journey was a lot different than mine. Justin’s journey to be a three-time champion is with one car owner. Ryan Stone is super smart, and he made a winning combination for them with the team they already had in place.
“You have to have the whole team, and that’s what Stone is good at. His guys are invested in the group, and they have the whole package. It’s fun, but frustrating to be on both sides of history. You chase for so long, and that’s what makes winning it so exciting. Between different crew chiefs, car chassis, some crew members leaving, they found the right combination, and they want to keep it going.”
Joe Skippon has been part of Ken Massa Motorsports for many years, serving as a jackman during pit stops and a crew member in the garage. Not only does the team have fast cars that contend for wins, but it also has what many consider the top crew on pit road.
“Ryan came into our team and kind of gave us that push we needed to all be better,” Skippon said. “We had the talent and the equipment, and he came in with a great mindset, and his leadership skills, and that took us to that next level. I’m just grateful to be part of the team.
“Ken and Janine Massa give us everything we need for success. Our team has been together for so long, and we are more of a family than just a team. The history we’re creating is something unreal to think about, but when Monday comes, all of us crew guys are regular guys that go back to our full-time jobs.”
In 2022, Bonsignore has a chance to make even more history. He could become just the second driver in series history (Coby) to win three consecutive titles. His fourth championship overall would put him just three away from Stefanik on the all-time list.
Bonsignore shows no signs of slowing down, and neither does the team.
Justin Bonsignore, driver of the No. 51 Coastal Fiber LLC Chevrolet, in action during the Virginia Is For Racing Lovers 200 at Martinsville Raceway on April 8, 2021. (Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)
“I push my guys to stay focused and realize that there are other teams that are coming after us — just like we did in 2018,” Stone said. “We put what we thought we needed together to try and beat Coby and their group, and now we are the group everyone is shooting for. What Ron Silk, Tyler Haydt and his team are doing, they are going to be strong next year. Who would have thought Patrick Emerling was going to push us to the brink in the title battle?
“There are so many other cars that could be there. We can’t focus on just one or two cars. We have to beat everyone. I think the schedule for next year is diverse, and it’s going to show the depth of our team.
“That’s the hardest part of all of this; all of us in the garage have the same cars, tires, fuel, parts. We follow the same rulebook. The people on the team make the difference, and we have the people.”
Ken Massa agrees, and he is driven more than ever to keep it going.
“Justin is pretty young in comparison to someone like Coby, but whatever the number is where he races until, the biggest hold-up would be the team in stopping this run,” Massa said. “The team is aging along with Justin. If we keep adding one or two people to help, as long as we can keep it together, there is no reason why Justin can’t race until he’s 50. It’s amazing what we have done, and what we can do going forward is there.
“This is not about me. It’s about the team — Justin’s success, Ryan, and all of my guys. I want the team to go down in history. If it all continues like this, I’ll do it until I’m in the grave.”
