The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour’s return to Stafford Motor Speedway delivered plenty of action. The biggest talking point, however, came almost immediately after the green flag. Justin Bonsignore, one of the most accomplished drivers in the series, found himself at the center of an early incident that collected several competitors.
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Bonsignore’s mistake drew sharp criticism from former NASCAR team owner Tommy Baldwin, who questioned whether the 38-year-old’s limited schedule had contributed to the ‘bizarre’ error.
“What was he doing? He’s a champion. What I mean, what is wrong with Justin? He just hasn’t been racing enough. I think he’s just not used to leading or something. What is wrong with him? What was he doing, Freddy? I think he needs to go retire or something, man,” Baldwin said on the Door Bumper Clear podcast.
Baldwin’s comments came after Bonsignore spun from the front of the field almost immediately after the GAF Roofing 150 race began at Stafford. The incident unfolded before the field had even settled into a rhythm, with Bonsignore losing control, spinning, and triggering a multi-car crash.
Austin Beers, Stephen Kopcik, Paulie Hartwig and Jon McKennedy were among the many drivers caught up in the incident. With cars scattered across the track, the opening laps were immediately disrupted by the crash involving one of the series’ most experienced drivers.
Teddy Hodgdon went on to capture a first-ever victory, while Bonsignore — driving the N0. 51 Chevrolet for Kenneth Massa Motorsports — salvaged a strong fourth-place result despite his costly mistake. The veteran did not attempt to deflect responsibility after the race. He openly acknowledged that the incident was his mistake.
“I just apologize to everybody. The whole field, I just crashed in front of it, you know, on lap zero, and I took out Austin there, and I hate to be involved in stuff like that and at 40 years old, you shouldn’t be making those types of mistakes,” Bonsignore said in a post-race interview.
Bonsignore’s own assessment was considerably harsher than simply calling it an unfortunate racing incident. As a four-time champion, he recognized that his experience made the mistake particularly difficult to accept.
Kenneth Massa Motorsports had announced in June that they would be stepping away from the sport for the foreseeable future. They returned in Round 12 in New Hampshire. This meant Bonsignore had less time in the car, which may have played a role in what happened at Stafford Motor Speedway. And that made his rare Lap 1 mistake at such a major track even more surprising.
The last time the Whelen Modified Tour visited Stafford in 2021, Bonsignore was the driver standing in Victory Lane. He won the event and secured his third NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship that same season.
Overall, Bonsignore has built one of the strongest résumés in modern Modified racing. He captured his first Tour championship in 2018 after winning eight of 16 races. Two years later, he added a second title before winning his aforementioned third championship in 2021. His fourth championship arrived in 2024, when Bonsignore won five of the 16 Tour events.
Across roughly 15 years of competition, Bonsignore has 48 Whelen Modified Tour victories with the No. 51 team. That total has moved him into second place on the series’ all-time wins list. Those numbers explain why Baldwin’s criticism centered on the mistake rather than Bonsignore’s overall ability.
A driver of his stature is hardly short on credentials. So, leading the field into the opening corner and making contact with several competitors is the kind of mistake that can make the headlines.