10 to Go with Justin Bonsignore

Being that the World Series of Speedway Racing at Thompson International Speedway features two exciting days for feature racing, we figured that we would do two installments of 10 to Go. Two weeks ago we featured a driver from the Valenti Modified Racing Series named Dave Schneider. This week features the 2011 Riverhead Raceway track champion in the NASCAR modified division, and current NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour driver, Justin Bonsignore.

When did you start racing?

Justin Bonsignore: In 1996 I started go-kart racing.

How old were you?

Bonsignore: I guess I was eight. I was messing around in the backyards, you know, practicing at Medford before that, but 1996 was when I first officially started racing.

How many types of cars have you raced? What are they? And which one is your favorite?

Bonsignore: I’ve raced all types of go-karts. I ran an enduro when I first started. Charger cars. I messed around with some trucks and late models, but nothing official. And the modified. By far the modified (is his favorite), to this point at least. There’s nothing else like them. It’s just like a big go-kart. There’s so much power, so much tire, so much grip. And there’s just good, hard racing everywhere you go. It’s real aggressive. It’s a lot of fun.

What track do you want to race at the most that you haven’t gotten to yet?

Bonsignore: (Thinks for a while) I don’t even know. I’ve run a lot of cool tracks. Probably Richmond. With the modified at least. Everybody said that Richmond was really fun. Either that or Watkins Glen. Those are probably two tracks on our tour that I would still like to see us go to at some point.

You’re definitely the first person to answer that question with a road course.

Bonsignore: I grew up road course racing when I was a kid. We did it a little bit with the tour a couple years ago and I did really good. I love it. It’s something I grew up doing it, so I wish we could go back to it. I wish we could have two or three of them a year.

Do you have any superstitions or routines that you do each week? Any lucky charms?

Bonsignore: The only superstition we have it seems lately is that when we pull out of the parking lot with the hauler we lay on the air horn for a while and we do a bunch of different chants and stuff with that. But other than that, no, I try not to get into that kind of stuff. Some of my guys are a little more superstitious than I am.

What is your favorite racing memory?

Bonsignore: Tour race-wise, modified racing, it would definitely be my first tour win at Riverhead (in 2011) with these guys. I’ve had a lot of racing stuff over the years that was pretty cool, but on the modified level it would definitely be this. On the overall level it would have to be actually winning the Trinca race with (Shawn) Solomito a couple years ago. That was just so emotional for all of us. But the tour race, that was a big deal.

What’s your most embarrassing moment on the race track?

Bonsignore: Embarrassing moment? I don’t know. There’s been so many. I can’t pinpoint one in particular. I may have to come back to you on that.

Alright, we’ll come back to that one. Have you suffered any injuries racing? If so, which one is your worst?

Bonsignore: I’ve sprained my ankles a couple times when I was younger. My worst was at Riverhead I broke my wrist pretty bad when I was racing there with my own family car. I got like 17 screws and a plate and a bunch of other stuff in my right wrist. So that was a bad one. I was out for like two or three months. So that was pretty bad.

Do you have a nickname? If so, how did you earn it? If not, why do you think you don’t have one?

Bonsignore: I’ve got some nicknames that I probably can’t talk about, but I don’t think those are a good thing (laughs). But not really any that’s ever stuck. I got one guy around here he calls me “The Real Deal,” but nothing that’s ever really stuck. Bob Finan never gave me one I guess.

What is your ultimate goal in racing?

Bonsignore: I mean, racing is a real tough sport right now to be in. It’s all money-driven, which is very unfortunate. If I don’t go any farther than this level of racing, I really do honestly enjoy doing it, and it’s a lot of fun. I can still have a normal life outside of it. Obviously like any other racer I want to go as far as possible. I’d love to make it to the top three series, but I’m starting to become realistic about my age and stuff like that. So to say I’m gonna have a shot? It’s not a no, but I’m definitely content doing this.

Okay, now we have to go back to the most embarrassing moment question.

Bonsignore: The only thing that comes to mind is a couple years ago up here at the World Series weekend we were going for the win late in the race and I drove it down into one and I was second on the inside and I drove way into one. Cleaned out a bunch of guys. Had Rowan Pennink chasing after me wanting to fight down the straightaway. Definitely wasn’t one of my more proud moments. There’s been a lot, but that one stands out the most.

 

Source: Rob Blount/LongIslandJam