Bonsignore Targeting Expanded Xfinity Slate With JGR

Justin Bonsignore (Ted Malinowski/NASCAR photo)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Fans of multi-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Justin Bonsignore may have more opportunities to see him race on a national stage next season.

Bonsignore tipped Thursday evening during night one of the annual NASCAR Awards at the NASCAR Hall of Fame and Charlotte Convention Center that he’s hoping to compete in as many as 10 NASCAR Xfinity Series races in 2025 as part of Joe Gibbs Racing’s all-star car lineup.

The 36-year-old from Holtzville, N.Y. – who officially received his fourth NASCAR modified title during the gala celebration – drove JGR’s No. 19 Toyota GR Supra at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in June and impressed many despite his limited experience in full-size stock cars.

His goal would be to duplicate that experience more frequently in the coming season, while also defending his Tour crown as he pursues a fifth overall championship in NASCAR’s oldest division.

“We’re working on some things with JGR,” Bonsignore told reporters, including Motorsports Hotspot, ahead of Thursday’s banquet. “I was hoping we’d have that announced by now, but we’re just waiting on a few things on their end. Possibly going to run some races for them, though, in their all-star car. I had a lot of fun with them last year and it was a great experience at Loudon.

“If I’m going to make any [stock car] attempts next year, it will be in the Xfinity Series. That’s our goal,” he continued. “It does depend on availability on their end, obviously, because everybody wants to be in the JGR cars and contend … but we’re hopeful and we’ll see what happens.”

Despite qualifying 25th for his Xfinity Series debut, Bonsignore used his extensive experience at the one-mile New Hampshire oval in modified competition to aid his learning curve in the bigger stock car and moved forward efficiently.

He spent more than half the race inside the top 15, averaging a ninth-place running position, and led three laps along the way before getting caught in a 10-car accident late that relegated him to a 22nd-place result.

The finish on paper didn’t indicate at all how strong Bonsignore was throughout the experience, something that Steve de Souza, the executive vice president and general manager of Joe Gibbs Racing’s Xfinity Series and development programs, said the team recognized and hopes to build on.

“We were so impressed with what Justin was able to do just in that one race with us,” de Souza told Motorsports Hotspot and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio following the awards ceremony. “We saw a bit of something similar with Ryan Preece at that track [Loudon], and we knew Justin had a lot of laps around there, but he’d never really been in bigger stock cars before that weekend.

Justin Bonsignore in action during his June NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. (Rusty Jarrett/NKP for Toyota Racing photo)

“Justin’s ability to communicate and transfer the information we needed to improve the car … really with no practice, to just jump in the car and take right off … was top-notch and really helped us get him comfortable quickly. He’s more mature as a driver and has a lot of races under his belt, but even in the race, he just zoned right in and his ability to tell us what the car needed helped us to improve to where he just kept getting better and better,” de Souza added. “You don’t see that very often.”

Though de Souza stressed that “nothing is final just yet,” he appeared optimistic about the possibility of Bonsignore returning for a bigger slate with JGR if the right pieces fall into place.

“We would love to do more with him, for sure. He’s a great driver, but even better than that, he’s just a great person. The team all loved him, and he was really a big contributor just in the way he complimented and encouraged everyone.

“All of our guys respected what he can do, so we’ll see what happens … but if we have the opportunity, I don’t think it would take much for him to get up to speed and really contend.”

Regardless of what his Xfinity Series plans look like if they do come to fruition, Bonsignore assured that no outside opportunities he might get will interfere with his pursuit of a fifth Whelen Modified Tour championship – something only Mike Stefanik (seven) and Doug Coby (six) have achieved in the modern era.

“I learned quickly that if you’re going to [race in the Xfinity Series], you need to do it with these guys,” he said of Joe Gibbs Racing. “They’re top notch and I had a great experience with them over the summer.

“I had to wait on the Tour schedule to come out to give them my availability, so now I’m just waiting on Coach [Joe Gibbs, team owner] and Steve to get back to me. Hopefully we’ll know something soon.”

The 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series season begins Saturday, Feb. 15 at Daytona Int’l Speedway with the running of the United Rentals 300, while Bonsignore’s title defense in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour kicks off Saturday, Feb. 8 at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway.