Justin Bonsignore
Justin Bonsignore is a Long Island-based driver, competing in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, and various other local racing circuits. He currently drives for the M3 Technology Racing Team, as part of Ken Massa Motor Sports.
Early Career & Go Karts
Justin Bonsignore began his racing career with go-karts at the age of 8. His family has long owned and operated a Kart Racing Shop, and this early exposure to the racing circuit paved the way for a career in racing.
In 1997, Justin competed for his first national event at the Rockingham Speedway, in North Carolina, where he finished 13th. During his Go Kart career Justin has secured 18 national event wins, 13 poles, and 45 top-5 finishes in 81 national starts. Highlights include wins at Len Sammon's Indoor Kart Race at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island and the East End Shootout at Riverhead Raceway.
Chargers & Modified
In 2005 Justin began racing stock cars. Competing in Riverhead Raceway's Charger Division, and NASCAR Dodge Weekly Racing Series, Justin finished third in the series standings, was awarded Rookie of the Year, and secured the best rookie finish on record.
In 2006, Justin joined the NASCAR Modified Division, where he scored three top-5 and nine top-10 finishes. For the second year in a row, Justin received honors from NASCAR, taking home the Rookie of the Year title for the Modified Division and claiming a seventh-place finish overall, a new best for a rookie driver.
Hopes for a higher finish in 2007 were cut short due to a wrist injury.
2008 saw Justin's first stock car win in 2008 and the division's most top-5 and top-10 finishes en route to an 8th-place points finish.
2009 proved a very successful season performance wise, but bad luck kept overall results below expectations. During the season, Justin broke a long winless streak and won the Cromarty Cup 50 Lap race, qualifying on the pole and leading every lap.
In the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race Justin was able to match a career-best 4th-place finish.
M3 Technology Racing
2009 also marked the first collaboration between Justin and local business owner Ken Massa. During the summer, the two discussed and formed a team with the intention of competing full-time on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. In the team's first race together, they scored a 2nd place finish at the Sundance Vacations Speedway in St. John's, PA (the former and later Mountain Speedway; to be called Evergreen Raceway Park starting in 2014) in the King of the Mountain 150.
The 2010 Season showed the promise of the new team, as Justin was named the 2010 Sunoco Rookie of the Year.[1] Finishing a strong 13th in the standings, a series of mechanical accidents and bad luck ruined a potential top-10 run. Justin became the first NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour driver to earn a Coors Light Pole Award at Bristol Motor Speedway and Stafford Motor Speedway. 2010 saw the M3 Racing team take home two top 5 finishes, and four top 10 finishes.[2]
M3 Technology and Justin return to the Tour for the 2011 season, and will once again compete throughout the year at Riverhead Raceway. On July 30, 2011, Justin won his first Whelen Modified Tour race at his local track, Riverhead Raceway. He started on the outside pole and led the final 158 laps in dominating fashion. Justin also won the NASCAR Weekly Series Modified championship at Riverhead Raceway, clinching that on September 10, 2011.