PIT BOX: 2024 Whelen Granite State Short Track Cup begins at Monadnock

NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour teams and drivers will begin pursuit of the championship within the championship Saturday at Monadnock Speedway in Winchester, New Hampshire during the Granite State Derby (6 p.m. ET on FloRacing).

The third edition of the Whelen Granite State Short Track Cup, the brainchild of JDV Productions’ Josh Vanada, will once again offer competitors an opportunity to earn extra money. This year, all three Whelen Granite State Short Track Cup events will all take place at Monadnock, a NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series track of which Vanada was named promoter last year.

Justin Bonsignore is the winningest driver in Modified Tour history at Monadnock with five victories at the quarter-mile oval, including three in the last four races. Ken Bouchard won the inaugural series event at the track in 1986, with other winners including Jimmy Spencer, Mike Stefanik, Reggie Ruggiero, Jamie Tomaino, Ted Christopher, Todd Szegedy, Ryan Preece, Timmy Solomito and Doug Coby.

Tickets to the Granite State Derby are available here. Below is everything you need to know about the fourth of 16 races on the 2024 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour schedule.

Granite State Derby at Monadnock Speedway

The last time the Modified Tour competed at Monadnock, there was no one better than Justin Bonsignore.

The three-time series champion dominated last fall’s Winchester Fair, leading all 150 laps on his way to his fourth of five victories during the 2023 campaign. Bonsignore returns to Monadnock as a favorite to win again as he continues his pursuit of Ted Christopher and Reggie Ruggiero on the all-time Modified Tour win list.

Already a two-time winner this year, Ron Silk will likely be Bonsignore’s primary rival Saturday. Luck was not on Silk’s side the last time the series raced at Monadnock, as he was collected in an early crash and later cut down a tire, leading to a 12th-place finish. It was the worst finish of his 2023 championship campaign.

Matt Hirschman, the inaugural champion of the Whelen Granite State Short Track Cup in 2022 with team owner Roy Hall, again joins the fray as he pursues his first Modified Tour victory of 2024. Austin Beers, who’s had a rough start to the season, will look to get the ship righted with a strong run Saturday.

Jon McKennedy, the 2022 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion, is scheduled to make his first start of the season in his own No. 79. It’s the first of five Whelen Modified Tour races he plans to enter this year. Brian Robie, who won the opening race of the Monadnock Speedway NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series season on April 20, is among several local favorites expected to be in the field.

Other regional competitors expected to race with the Modified Tour on Saturday include Anthony Nocella, Joey Cipriano III, Matt Kimball and Nathan Wenzel. Familiar names like Patrick Emerling, Craig Lutz, Tyler Rypkema and Kyle Ebersole are all entered, as is the trio of Catalano brothers.

The full entry list for the Granite State Derby will be available later this week.

RACE FACTS

Schedule: Saturday, May 4 … Final practice from 1:15 to 2:15 p.m. ET … Qualifying at 4:15 p.m. ET … Granite State Derby at 6 p.m. ET (FloRacing)

Qualifying: Two consecutive qualifying laps. Faster lap determines qualifying position. Adjustments or repairs may not be made on the vehicle after the vehicle has taken the green flag at the start/finish line. NASCAR reserves the right to have more than one vehicle engage in qualifying runs at the same time. Starting field for the third annual Granite State Derby 150 is limited to 28 starters including Provisional Positions.

Tire allotment: The maximum tire allotment available for this event is eight (8) tires per team. All tires used for qualifying and the race must be purchased at the track and scanned by Hoosier, unless otherwise approved in advance by the Series Director. Four (4) tires must be used for qualifying and to begin the race. All qualifying tires must remain in impound until released by NASCAR Officials. The remaining tire allotment may be used for practice and/or change tires during the event. The tire change rule is zero (0) tires, any position.