RIVERHEAD, N.Y. — Growing up a race fan on Long Island, Justin Bonsignore was drawn to fellow Long Islander Mike Ewanitsko.
Ewanitsko was a dominant force at Riverhead Raceway, now the only race track on Long Island, winning 11 times with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at the quarter-mile bullring.
For years, no one could claim to be on the same level as Ewanitsko in Modified Tour competition at Riverhead. Now Bonsignore can say he’s surpassed him.
Justin Bonsignore enters Saturday’s Steve Park Salutes 200 at Riverhead Raceway with another chance to make history at his home track.
As the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour hits the track for the fifth race of the season, Bonsignore enters the 200-lap contest with 11 career Whelen Modified Tour wins at Riverhead. He is currently tied with Mike Ewanitsko for the most all-time – looking to break the record and hold it on his own.
By Adam Fenwick, NASCAR.com
For the first time this season and 75th time in history, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour heads to New York’s Long Island to compete at Riverhead Raceway this Saturday night with the running of the Miller Lite Salutes Steve Park 200 (8 p.m. ET on FloRacing).
Riverhead has a long and storied history with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, which has been visiting the track since the its inaugural season in 1985. Future NASCAR Cup Series driver Jimmy Spencer won the first two events at the track that year, with Richie Evans claiming the third.
During the winter months Kyle Ellwood’s INEX Legend Race Car owners Eric Lutz and his son Chance decided to add a NASCAR Modified to their 2025 Riverhead Raceway plans with Ellwood at the wheel. Sunday, in just their third start the new combination scored the 50-lap NASCAR Modified victory, the ninth of Kyle’s career. A Saturday rain out implemented the new rain date policy announced by management during their schedule release.
