Justin Bonsignore and Ron Silk have battled against each other for years on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, but their rivalry reached a new level in 2023. Seemingly every race it was one of those two drivers coming out on top with the other right behind with plenty of paint and chrome traded. With two races now in the books, 2024 has been more of the same with both multi-time champions now each scoring a victory.

In February at New Smyrna Speedway, it was Silk striking first, taking the victory to open the season while Bonsignore finished second. But on Friday night in the Commonwealth at Richmond Raceway this time it was Bonsignore edging Silk, by just a few feet to take his first win of the season.

Bonsignore held off Silk at the checkered flag by 0.081-second after the two dueled for the win in a four-lap dash.

“It’s cool when we can race each other hard and be respectful, but I’m sure it’s just going to ramp up all season long,” Bonsignore said after winning Friday’s thriller. 

After a multi-car crash in turn four, the field went back green with just four laps to go. Silk on the inside and Bonsignore on the outside. Both drivers spun their tires, which gave Doug Coby and Ryan Newman a chance to dive to the inside. Both Silk and Bonsignore held on during that near four-wide moment and turned their focus towards each other.

Silk ran to the inside of Bonsignore for two laps before Bonsignore switched lanes down the backstretch with two laps to go. Bonsignore kept Silk to his outside for the rest of the final lap, bouncing off of each other multiple times as they charged towards the checkered flag.

Bonsignore drifted a little bit wide coming out of the final corner and just pulled ahead of Silk at the line by barely the length of his white and black No. 51 to take his second victory in three years at Richmond Raceway.

“I just wanted to hang him out there and not let him cross me over, because he’s one of the best,” said Bonsignore in victory lane. “Then it was just a killer drag race back to the line. This rivalry just doesn’t go away. I know the fans have to be enjoying it. I know we are. It kind of got to a boiling point last year between us, but he did pull up on the back straightaway after the race and gave me the normal thumbs-up.”

Rookie contender Trevor Catalano scored his first top-three finish on Friday night with Bobby Santos and Jake Johnson rounding out the top five. Johnson rebounded back to the front after early contact with Austin Beers cut down his right front tire. Doug Coby, Craig Lutz, Kyle Bonsignore, Carson Loftin, and Tommy Catalano completed the top ten.

The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour is back in action next week for the first of three visits to the Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park in Thompson, Connecticut for the Icebreaker 150 live on FloRacing.

NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at Richmond Raceway Unofficial Results