Three-Time Champion Looks to Continue Strong Start To 2023
Race Advance by Souza Media
Photo by Michael Jaworecki
HOLTSVILLE, N.Y. – After just over a month off from the first NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race of the season at New Smyrna Speedway, Justin Bonsignore and the Ken Massa Motorsports team are ready to get back to work for round two.
The No. 51 Coastal Fiber team rolls to Richmond Raceway this Friday, March 31, for the Virginia is For Racing Lovers 150. Bonsignore enters the race as the defending winner of the 150-lap contest in Virginia and is coming off a second-place finish to open the season at New Smyrna after a spirited battle with Ron Silk last month.
Bonsignore led 58 laps at Richmond last March – passing Tommy Catalano with 11 laps to go and racing away to what was his 31st career series victory. Since then, Bonsignore has added three more, and currently sits with 34 victories on NASCAR’s oldest touring series.
“We started off the season well at New Smyrna and we’re looking forward to getting back to Richmond,” Bonsignore said. “Last year, we had a great car at the end of the race and were able to capitalize with a win. Weekends where we join the NASCAR National Series divisions at the track are always special for all of us in the garage and Ryan Stone and the team have prepared a strong Coastal-Fiber car for 150 laps.”
Coastal Fiber, LLC, is a local Virginia business that is a full service fiber optic construction and splicing company. Owned by Mark Langevin, the owner of Phoenix Communications Inc. – Bonsignore’s normal primary sponsor – Coastal Fiber, LLC returns to the side of the No. 51 for the Virginia is For Racing Lovers 150.
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will hit the track for practice on Friday from 12:45-1:55 p.m., followed by Mayhew Tools pole qualifying at 4:15 p.m. The green flag for the race, live on FloRacing.TV, will drop at 6:30 p.m.
Richmond’s NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event is a combination race with two of NASCAR’s National Series divisions – the NASCAR Xfinity Series (April 1) and the NASCAR Cup Series (April 2).
For more information on three-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Justin Bonsignore, fans are encouraged to visit his website, JustinBonsignore.com, and follow his Athlete page on Facebook for updates, including from the track.