Kevin “Bono” Manion entered the No. 7NY modified in select NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour (NWMT) races in an effort to support the series he grew up competing in. Manion gained experience turning wrenches in the NWMT before heading to Charlotte to compete in NASCAR’s top-three series alongside of Tommy Baldwin Jr., and Gary Putnam.
In the beginning discussions about going back to modified racing, Manion, Putnam and Baldwin Jr., had three main reasons for teaming up to compete in the NASCAR series that gave them their start.
First, they wanted to take a break from the pressures of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) and have some fun racing in the NWMT. Second, they wanted to represent the No. 7NY and Tom Baldwin and honor all he did for the sport and their careers. Third and most importantly, they wanted to give back to the modified community. They wanted to come back into the series and help make it competitive. They knew that by getting back into the series and bringing in a high-profile NSCS driver to race as many races as possible, they could try to bring the modified series to the forefront.
The team had great success in gaining attention for the series, as well as winning races. The No. 7NY won four races in four starts in the past two seasons, and everything was going according to plan for Manion and team. Today, NASCAR announced that the No. 7NY team had violated NASCAR rules and were disqualified from the F.W. Webb 100.
“I had no intention to ruin my or my team’s reputations or put a black eye on the NWMT in any way, shape or manner,” explained Manion. “It was never anyone’s intent to cheat. We have won numerous races with the No. 7NY and Ryan and have been through and passed inspection for each of them. Unfortunately, the penalties were a result of circumstances beyond our control. Everyone on our team has won NWMT races in the past and never did anything of this magnitude while racing full-time in the series.”
“With that being said, though we don’t like or agree with the severity of the penalty, we accept the penalty that NASCAR has given out to us,” Manion continued. “We will still give back to the modified series as it gave us so many years of experience in order for us to do what we do today. We will try to win more races and bring more fans from the Cup fan base to crossover to the NWMT.”
Tommy Baldwin Racing PR
