During the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race at Richmond Raceway, Justin Bonsignore clinched victory in a dramatic photo finish. And while you are right to think that Bonsignore and Ron Silk must have had another showdown of their rivalry- Ryan Newman did not shy away from barging in.

In a thrilling final sprint to the finish line, the victor outpaced the defending series champion, Ron Silk. By that, he secured his second career win at Richmond Raceway, marking his first triumph of this season. Driving the No. 51 Modified for Kenneth Massa Motorsports, Bonsignore strategically seized the checkered flag after a late-race restart in the Virginia is For Racing Lovers 150.

Now, Ryan Newman was among the contenders for him on the 0.75-mile oval track. However, a move from Newman got under the skin of Bonsignore. He opened up about that in the post-race interview.

The extended rivalry between Justin Bonsignore and Ryan Newman

The race winner shared his experience of strategically holding off Ron Silk, further expressing frustration with Ryan Newman.

Justin Bonsignore said, “The restart right after the last pit stop, Ron stumbled, I think he might have stalled leaving his box, so we got the lead, and then Ryan Newman put me three-wide there before the start-finish line, and I got shuffled back to like fifth, and I was just, it really kind of pissed me off, so it’s just Ryan Newman being the cup legend he is, and I just dug down, and I got back to second, and then got shuffled again on the next one, and then finally that last restart went pretty smooth. Ron and I finally smartened up and kind of blocked the bottom the best we could, and we just kind of settled it amongst ourselves, “

“Ron and I have had a rivalry going on, for I don’t know, almost two years now. And it’s gotten heated at times. But tonight was just good hard racing. And I didn’t want to give him a chance to cross me over and you know, get me to the outside. Because the marbles were really low tonight. So I kind of was just trying to hold him out there on my outside and just squeeze him. Just enough so he could maybe get the right front in there and lose a little grip. So, we drag raced back to the line, and it was pretty wild. We ran, it felt like qualifying laps, for 150 laps,” continued Bonsignore.

Read More: Justin Bonsignore Holds Off Charging Ron Silk to Sweep NASCAR Whelen Modified Title at Richmond Raceway

Three-time Wheelen Modified champion Justin Bonsignore is no stranger to success, particularly at Richmond Raceway. His victory in 2022 remains a testament to his racing capabilities, and it appears he hasn’t lost any momentum since then.

The exhilarating race at Richmond Raceway

The Richmond Raceway event kept fans on the edge of their seats as the 36-year-old Bonsignore battled for victory. Starting from second position, he wasted no time, seizing the lead by lap 11. Around lap 57, pit stops shuffled the order, briefly handing the lead to Tommy Catalano, closely pursued by Patrick Emerling. But Bonsignore remained relentless. He reclaimed the lead from Craig Lutz and was soon challenged by Ron Silk, who surged into second place.

The final laps were heart-pounding: Silk edged ahead, but Bonsignore fought back. In a dramatic finish, Bonsignore powered across the line first, securing victory at Richmond Raceway. His early-season success, including a solid second-place finish at New Smyrna Speedway, has undoubtedly fueled the fire within the Kenneth Massa Motorsports team.

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