Page 80 - 2020_NHMS_Souvenir_program

Twice a year, the tour rolls into NHMS – once as a Some say the Whelen Modified Tour is the best race
support division to the NASCAR Cup Series and once of each NASCAR weekend at NHMS, and it’s hard to
as the headliner of Full Throttle Fall Weekend. Both argue against it. Modifieds have produced some of
times, the racing includes a tight pack, drafting, dicing the closest finishes in the history of “The Magic Mile,”
throughout the field and often a finish that brings fans including in 2008, when Chuck Hossfeld edged the
to their feet. great Ted Christopher by just .001 seconds in the closest
finish in the history of the Whelen Modified Tour. The
“As soon as you drive through the tunnel, you get the racing keeps you on the edge of your seat from lap one
goosebumps no matter how many years you have been through lap 100, or in some cases, lap 250.
going there and racing,” Justin Bonsignore, a two-time
NHMS winner, once in a points race in 2016 and once In 2018, NASCAR and NHMS introduced Full Throttle
in the All Star Shootout, said. “It’s our Daytona 500. Fall Weekend, headlined by the Whelen Modified Tour
Participating there is an honor. It gets you amped up with a 250-lap event - the Musket 250. Chase Dowling
because you know it’s going to be intense.” earned his first Tour win in the thriller, which was the
longest race in tour history, and just 50 shorter than a
Bonsignore, who has 27 career Whelen Modified Tour NASCAR Cup Series race at Loudon. Imagine winning
wins as of the beginning of July 2020, said winning at your first race in the most important race of the last
NHMS is one of the more marquee experiences in his decade and grabbing a musket gun in victory lane?
whole career.
Sounds like a career-defining experience.
“It was unbelievable to win there,” he said. “We led a lot
of the race, and even though you have one of the best “It’s in me; it just doesn’t really sink in yet,” Dowling said
cars in the field, things don’t always work out to win it. of his emotions after winning. “I’m through the roof. It
When I pulled into victory lane and saw the fans in the was a crazy race overall. I think it was just one of those
stands and knew the prestige around the whole deal, things where I was waiting for it to happen. It finally
it was an awesome experience and something I don’t happened.”
forget about to this day.”

“IT WAS AN AWESOME EXPERIENCE

AND SOMETHING I DON’T FORGET

ABOUT TO THIS DAY.”

—Justin Bonsignore

78