Tråd: Bonsignore, Lia føre Long Island kontingent

Bonsignore, Lia føre Long Island betinget UNOH kamp på stranden for at Have masser af N.Y. repræsentation
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla-NASCAR Whelen ændret Tour standouts Justin Bonsignore og Donny Lia vil føre en stærk kontingent af drivere fra New York arnested for ændret racing-Long Island – for konstituerende UNOH kamp på The Beach, februar 18-19 på Daytona International Speedway.
Otte af 34 driverne angivet hidtil kommet fra Long Island til den begivenhed, der vil indslag NASCAR Whelen ændret og NASCAR Whelen sydlige ændret ture konkurrere i kombination på en.4-mile korte spor på backstretch på Daytona.
Trek fra den snedækkede vil nordøst blive ledet af Bonsignore, fra Holtsville, og Lia, der hagler fra Jericho. Parret tjent sikret udgangspunkter for den konstituerende kort-track showcase i kraft af deres vinder i løbet af 2012 sæsonen, som begge kom på Thompson International Speedway i Connecticut.
Drivere, der vandt Whelen ændret løb eller fanget mesterskabet i løbet af denne sidste sæson er fastlåst i UNOH kamp på The Beach ændret main event. Alle andre bliver nødt til at kvalificere deres vej ind i funktionen gennem varme løb.
"Fra starten da de annoncerede sidste år at vi skulle have denne begivenhed, vi var virkelig glade for," sagde Bonsignore om hans No. 51 M3 teknologi Chevrolet team. "Helt sikkert at få låst til hændelsen sætter prikken over i'et.
"Vi var virkelig glade for at gå, selv når vi troede, vi ville have at race vores vej til arrangementet, men at få låst virkelig afsluttet alle vores planer og vi har arbejdet væk for at få alt klar til at gå derned."
Bonsignore, Whelen ændret Tour 2010 Sunoco Rookie af året, tog det ternede flag på Thompson på 9 september i byen Fair Tire nordlige 75. Det var den anden karriere tour vinde for tredje år driver.
Lia, en dobbelt Whelen ændret Tour champion, tjente hans sikrede starter spot i Daytona med sin 16 karriere sejr i Budweiser King of Beers 150 på 9 Aug. på Thompson.
Dette vil være den anden Speedweeks udseende for Lia, der konkurrerede i NASCAR Camping verden Truck Series race på Daytona i 2010.
Mens Lia har kørt Daytona på den store bane, dette vil være hans første ændret begivenhed på den "World Center af Racing" med den No. 4 Mystic missil Racing Dodge, og det vil være Bonsignores første oplevelse af enhver art i helliget haven.
"Når som helst du få race foran de top tre serier – at optræde foran alle fyrene – det er temmelig speciel," sagde Bonsignore muligheden. "Det vil være en spændende race og har TV-dækning og alle medier der, det gonna være en big deal."
Andre lang Islanders på listen før posten omfatter: J.R. Bertuccio Jr. (Centereach), Dave Brigati (Calverton), Johnny Bush (Huntington Station), Eric Goodale (Karlslunde), Ken Heagy (Calverton) og Steve Park (East Northport). TS vognmænd Racing, som felter biler for 2011 NASCAR Whelen ændret Tour Champion Ron silke, er også baseret på Long Island.
SLAGET NOTER:
Park følger fars fodspor: mens han har gjort optrædener på Daytona i hver af NASCARS tre nationale serien før, Steve Park vil race en ændret i haven i denne første tid med UNOH kamp At The Beach. Når han gør, vil han følger i fodsporene på sin far. Bob Park konkurrerede i en ændret på Daytona flere gange når speedway og superspeedway Mods havde Speedweeks begivenheder fra 1974-80. Bob Park også løb to NASCAR landsdækkende Series løb og to gange har deltaget i NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 125s på Daytona.
Kamp hændelser: Det NASCAR Whelen All-American serie sent modeller vil har kvalificerende racer og en 150-lap funktion på mandag, februar 18 mens handlingen på tirsdag, februar 19 vil omfatte en lignende liste over kvalificerende løb og 150-lap løb for både NASCAR Whelen ændret ture og NASCAR K & N Pro serie. Alle tre funktioner er ikke-point løb.

Bonsignore, Lia Lead Long Island Contingent UNOH Battle At The Beach To Have Plenty of N.Y. Representation
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour standouts Justin Bonsignore and Donny Lia will lead a strong contingent of drivers from the New York hotbed of Modified racing – Long Island – for the inaugural UNOH Battle At The Beach, Feb. 18-19 at Daytona International Speedway.
Eight of the 34 drivers entered so far come from Long Island for the event that will feature the NASCAR Whelen Modified and NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tours compete in combination on a .4-mile short track on the backstretch at Daytona.
The trek from the snow-covered northeast will be led by Bonsignore, from Holtsville, and Lia, who hails from Jericho. The pair earned secured starting positions for the inaugural short-track showcase by virtue of their wins during the 2012 season, which both came at Thompson International Speedway in Connecticut.
Drivers that won Whelen Modified races or captured the championship during this past season are locked in to the UNOH Battle At The Beach Modified main event. All others will have to qualifying their way into the feature through heat races.
“Right from the start when they announced last year that we were going to have this event, we were really excited,” Bonsignore said of his No. 51 M3 Technology Chevrolet team. “Definitely getting locked in to the event put the icing on the cake.
“We were really excited to go even when we thought we would have to race our way into the event, but getting locked in really finalized all of our plans and we’ve been working away to get everything ready to go down there.”
Bonsignore, the Whelen Modified Tour’s 2010 Sunoco Rookie of the Year, took the checkered flag at Thompson on Sept. 9 in the Town Fair Tire Northern 75. It was the second career tour win for the third-year driver.
Lia, a two-time Whelen Modified Tour champion, earned his secured starting spot in Daytona with his 16th career victory in the Budweiser King of Beers 150 on Aug. 9 at Thompson.
This will be the second Speedweeks appearance for Lia, who competed in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Daytona in 2010.
While Lia has raced Daytona on the big track, this will be his first Modified event at the “World Center of Racing” with the No. 4 Mystic Missile Racing Dodge, and it will be Bonsignore’s first experience of any kind on the hallowed grounds.
“Anytime you get to race in front of the top three series – to perform in front of all of those guys – it’s pretty special,” Bonsignore said of the opportunity. “It’s going to be an exciting race, and to have the TV coverage and all of the media outlets there, it’s going to be a big deal.”
Other Long Islanders on the pre-entry list include: J.R. Bertuccio Jr. (Centereach), Dave Brigati (Calverton), Johnny Bush (Huntington Station), Eric Goodale (Riverhead), Ken Heagy (Calverton) and Steve Park (East Northport). TS Haulers Racing, which fields cars for 2011 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Champion Ron Silk, is also Long Island-based.
BATTLE NOTES:
Park Follows Father’s Footsteps: While he’s made appearances at Daytona in each of NASCAR’s three national series before, Steve Park will race a Modified on the grounds for this first time with the UNOH Battle At The Beach. When he does, he’ll be following in the footsteps of his father. Bob Park competed in a Modified at Daytona multiple times when the speedway and superspeedway Mods had Speedweeks events from 1974-80. Bob Park also ran two NASCAR Nationwide Series races and twice took part in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 125s at Daytona.
Battle Events: The NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Models will have qualifying races and a 150-lap feature on Monday, Feb. 18 while the action on Tuesday, Feb. 19 will include a similar schedule of qualifying races and 150-lap races for both the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tours and NASCAR K&N Pro Series. All three features are non-points races.