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By Adam Fenwick NASCAR.com
Photo: Jaiden Tripi/NASCAR
The third edition of the Whelen Granite State Short Track Cup, a special three-race miniseries held at New Hampshire’s Monadnock Speedway as part of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour schedule, concludes Saturday with the running of the Winchester Fair presented by USNE Power (6 p.m. ET on FloRacing).
Entering the event, Patrick Emerling leads the Whelen Granite State Short Track Cup standings, which are based on NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour points earned during the three-race miniseries. He’s followed closely by Matt Hirschman, the winner of the inaugural Whelen Granite State Short Track Cup in 2022.
Below is a closer look at all of the contenders chasing $6,000 in bonuses for the top three in the final Whelen Granite State Short Track Cup standings.
(Editor’s note: Jake Johnson, who has 77 points in the Whelen Granite State Short Track Cup standings, and Brian Robie, who has 70 points, are not entered in Saturday’s Winchester Fair presented by USNE Power and thus are not eligible to win the championship.)
Patrick Emerling: 83 points
Entering the Whelen Granite State Short Track Cup finale at Monadnock Speedway, Patrick Emerling leads the standings with 83 points thanks to consecutive third-place finishes in the Granite State Derby and the Duel at the Dog 250. He led 35 laps in the Duel at the Dog 250 in July, the first laps he’d ever led at Monadnock.
Overall, across 10 starts at the quarter-mile track, Emerling has two top-five and four top-10 finishes.
Matt Hirschman: 80 points
Just three points behind Emerling is Matt Hirschman, who enters the finale of the Whelen Granite State Short Track Cup second in the standings. He won the pole for the Granite State Derby and finished fifth, which he followed with a fourth-place finish during the Duel at the Dog 250.
In seven career starts at Monadnock, he’s earned four top-five and seven top-10 finishes. He’s also led 70 career laps with a best finish of second in 2022.
Ron Silk: 79 points
The current NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship leader is third in the Whelen Granite State Short Track Cup standings. Ron Silk enters the Winchester Fair presented by USNE Power with 79 points thanks to finishes of 10th and second in the first two events.
He’s also led laps in both races, including 50 during the Granite State Derby and 51 during the Duel at the Dog 250. In 12 career starts at Monadnock, Silk has seven top-five and 10 top-10 finishes.
Austin Beers: 77 points
Next in the Whelen Granite State Short Track Cup standings is Austin Beers, who enters the finale with 77 points in the bank thanks to finishes of second and 10th in the first two races.
In five starts at Monadnock, Beers has registered three top-five and five top-10 finishes, including a pair of runner-up results. Despite that, Beers has never led a lap at Monadnock.
Craig Lutz: 75 points
No driver has led more laps at Monadnock Speedway this year than the next driver in the Whelen Granite State Short Track Cup standings, Craig Lutz. The driver of the Goodie Racing No. 46 has led 105 laps at Monadnock this year, including 99 in the Duel at the Dog 250.
His results – fourth and 12th – don’t reflect how well he has run at Monadnock this season. Overall, Lutz has one top five and two top-10 finishes in seven starts at Monadnock.
Justin Bonsignore: 75 points
Justin Bonsignore is the winningest driver in NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour history at Monadnock Speedway, but this year he hasn’t quite been able to figure out the New Hampshire quarter-mile oval like in years past.
The five-time Monadnock winner has earned finishes of sixth and seventh in 2024, but that has kept him in the hunt for the Whelen Granite State Short Track Cup crown. In all, Bonsignore has five wins, 10 top fives and 13 top-10 finishes at Monadnock.
Trevor Catalano: 74 points
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the 2024 season came at Monadnock Speedway during the Duel at the Dog 250 when Trevor Catalano utilized pit strategy to take the lead and hold off Ron Silk to score his first NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour win. The victory came in just his second start at Monadnock.
That, combined with a 17th-place finish in the Granite State Derby, has the youngest member of the trio of Catalano brothers racing with the series right in the thick of the Whelen Granite State Short Track Cup battle.
Tommy Catalano: 67 points
Another member of the Catalano family, Tommy Catalano, is next in the Whelen Granite State Short Track Cup standings with 67 points thanks to finishes of 12th and ninth.
Overall, Tommy Catalano has two career top-10 finishes at Monadnock spread across five starts at the New Hampshire track.
