 Photo: Ayers Racing Images By Souza Media/Kyle Souza
MILFORD, Conn. -- It was all looking positive for Doug Coby until one corner changed it all on Saturday, October 23 at Seekonk Speedway. Coby, competing in the Tri Track Open Modified Series Haunted Hundred feature, was running second when contact sent the No. 10 Mayhew Tools machine spinning in front of the field. Unfortunately, with a cloud of smoke, others weren’t able to avoid the stopped Coby, and damaged sidelined the six-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion for the rest of the event. After winning his heat race, collecting $300 as part of the Pepsi Challenge, Coby ran inside the top-three for the duration of the race, prior to the incident. The lap 75 crash resulted in Coby finishing 21st at Seekonk. “I think we probably would have finished somewhere between second and fourth,” Coby said. “I wouldn’t have been able to replicate Chase Dowling’s (eventual winner) lap times from what he was doing at the end. I feel like when we were at Seekonk in August, Matt Hirschman had us in that position. We were better than most of the field, except for one car. It stinks. I like to go there and be the fastest car, not the second or third fastest car. A lot of guys have gotten really good there. It seems like they have really dialed in their setups to last the whole race. I’m not disappointed with how the car ran, but I am a bit disappointed with how the finish worked out.” With Seekonk in the rear-view mirror, the 2021 racing schedule for Doug Coby Racing is now complete in the Modified ranks. For more information on Doug Coby Racing, visit DougCobyRacing.com and follow the team on Facebook for the latest updates. About Mayhew Tools Founded in 1856, Mayhew Tools is the oldest punch and chisel manufacturer in the United States, growing their extensive professional grade, American made product line to include pry bars, pneumatics, cable ties, and more. In 2020, the company extended their product line to include a complete line of dual drive and socket bits and sets. Serving the Industrial, Automotive, Hardware, and Construction industries, Mayhew’s premium hand tools are sold globally through an extensive distributor network. For more information, contact Mayhew Tools at 800.872.0037 or visit Mayhew.com. About Doug Coby Racing for more than 25 years, Doug Coby is a six-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion and one of the top short-track drivers to come from the state of Connecticut. Coby is a two-time champion at Stafford Motor Speedway, where he built his resume competing in the Late Models, Pro Stocks and SK Modifieds. Coby won his first tour championship in 2012, and followed it up by scoring four straight titles between 2014-2017, and another in 2019. In 2020, Coby opened his own team — Doug Coby Racing — scoring his first win as owner/driver. In 2021, Coby won the inaugural Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) event at Stafford Motor Speedway, besting top drivers from across a variety of racing disciplines, including Tony Stewart, Bill Elliott and Helio Castroneves.
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 By Souza Media/Kyle Souza
MILFORD, Conn. -- Doug Coby is set for one final ride to end the 2021 Modified season. Coby and the Doug Coby Racing team, sponsored by Mayhew Tools and Reynolds Auto Wrecking, will be headed to Seekonk Speedway on Saturday, October 23. The team will be competing with the Tri Track Open Modified Series in the Haunted Hundred 100-lapper -- a race with $6,000 on the line to the winner. In the first and only stop at Seekonk this year, Coby finished eighth in the Open Wheel Wednesday race in August. He won his qualifying heat as part of the Tri Track Pepsi Challenge and rode inside the top-three for more than half of the race. A pit call to get a fresh Hoosier Tire then placed Coby outside the top-15, but he charged back up through into the top-10 before the race was over. He’s hoping for a strong showing to end the season. “It all depends on how good the car is,” Coby said about the strategy of the race, as teams are allowed to place one fresh tire on the car during the race. “We ran second to Matt Hirschman at the beginning in August and I knew by lap 40 I didn’t have the car to hang with him for the final half of the race. Anytime I have ever won at Seekonk, we’ve had a good enough car to go the whole 100 laps without pitting. There is a small percentage of races that happen at Seekonk where someone that pitted ended up winning. We’re not going there with the strategy to pit, but if we have to, we will.” With crew chief Phil Moran and Coby having parted ways for the 2022 season, and Moran recently married and away on his honeymoon during preparation time, Coby has welcomed John McKenna to the team as crew chief for this Seekonk event. The combination worked together for many years while Coby was driving for Wayne Darling in the No. 52 on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, and they won many races, and a championship, together. “I approached John about doing just one race, and if there’s anyone that knows Seekonk well, it’s John,” Coby said. “On top of that, if there is anyone that knows me, it is John. The thing that upset me the most about leaving the 52 was not being able to work with John anymore. We’re hoping for a strong day.” The schedule for race day includes practice from 10-10:45 a.m., followed by qualifying heat races at 1 p.m. The drop of the green flag for the Haunted Hundred Tri Track race is estimated for 3:30 p.m. Tickets will be available at the track for those who would like to attend, with pricing set at $30 for adults, $10 for kids ages 6-12 and kids five and under free. For more information on Doug Coby Racing, visit DougCobyRacing.com and follow the team on Facebook for the latest updates, including from the track on race day. About Mayhew Tools Founded in 1856, Mayhew Tools is the oldest punch and chisel manufacturer in the United States, growing their extensive professional grade, American made product line to include pry bars, pneumatics, cable ties, and more. In 2020, the company extended their product line to include a complete line of dual drive and socket bits and sets. Serving the Industrial, Automotive, Hardware, and Construction industries, Mayhew’s premium hand tools are sold globally through an extensive distributor network. For more information, contact Mayhew Tools at 800.872.0037 or visit Mayhew.com. About Doug Coby Racing for more than 25 years, Doug Coby is a six-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion and one of the top short-track drivers to come from the state of Connecticut. Coby is a two-time champion at Stafford Motor Speedway, where he built his resume competing in the Late Models, Pro Stocks and SK Modifieds. Coby won his first tour championship in 2012, and followed it up by scoring four straight titles between 2014-2017, and another in 2019. In 2020, Coby opened his own team — Doug Coby Racing — scoring his first win as owner/driver. In 2021, Coby won the inaugural Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) event at Stafford Motor Speedway, besting top drivers from across a variety of racing disciplines, including Tony Stewart, Bill Elliott and Helio Castroneves.  By Souza Media/Kyle Souza
THOMPSON, Conn. -- In the return of the historic Thompson 300, Doug Coby drove the No. 10 Mayhew Tools entry to a strong sixth-place finish at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park on Sunday, October 10. Coby started the race in fourth spot and took the lead early, setting the pace from laps 1-12, before Jon McKennedy took control. Although Coby wouldn’t lead any more laps in the $20,000 to win race, the six-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion rolled to second in the final laps, but fell back on a late restart and had to settle for sixth. It was the first start of the season at Thompson for the Doug Coby Racing team. “I wish we had a better car at the end to go and race them,” Coby said. “The first couple of sets of tires, we were getting loose quickly. It’s just such a hard race with figuring out when to stay out and wondering if you’re going to get the caution you need if you do. That was the problem for us -- we didn’t want to use up all of our new tires early because we were sliding around, but we lost a lap because our car wasn’t good at that point. It’s just the name of the game in that type of race. I wish we had more at the end. The name of the game was having better tires than the guys you were around.” Doug Coby will return to the track one final time in 2021 at Seekonk Speedway on Saturday, October 23, with the Haunted Hundred presented by the Tri Track Open Modified Series. For more information on that event visit SeekonkSpeedway.com. For more information on Doug Coby Racing, visit DougCobyRacing.com and follow the team on Facebook for the latest news and updates. About Mayhew Tools Founded in 1856, Mayhew Tools is the oldest punch and chisel manufacturer in the United States, growing their extensive professional grade, American made product line to include pry bars, pneumatics, cable ties, and more. In 2020, the company extended their product line to include a complete line of dual drive and socket bits and sets. Serving the Industrial, Automotive, Hardware, and Construction industries, Mayhew’s premium hand tools are sold globally through an extensive distributor network. For more information, contact Mayhew Tools at 800.872.0037 or visit Mayhew.com. About Doug Coby Racing for more than 25 years, Doug Coby is a six-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion and one of the top short-track drivers to come from the state of Connecticut. Coby is a two-time champion at Stafford Motor Speedway, where he built his resume competing in the Late Models, Pro Stocks and SK Modifieds. Coby won his first tour championship in 2012, and followed it up by scoring four straight titles between 2014-2017, and another in 2019. In 2020, Coby opened his own team — Doug Coby Racing — scoring his first win as owner/driver. In 2021, Coby won the inaugural Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) event at Stafford Motor Speedway, besting top drivers from across a variety of racing disciplines, including Tony Stewart, Bill Elliott and Helio Castroneves.  Photo: Noah Watts/My Race News By Souza Media/Kyle Souza
MILFORD, Conn. -- For the first time this year, Doug Coby is heading to the high-banks of Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park for the return of a special event. The Thompson 300 lap race will be back in action this Sunday, October 10, as the headliner of the 59th annual Sunoco World Series of Speedway Racing. Coby and the Doug Coby Racing team will be heading to the Connecticut oval to chase a $20,000 winning prize, as the historic event returns for the first time in over one decade. Coby does have previous experience in the Thompson 300 -- nearly winning the event in his last effort -- before being collected in an accident racing at the front late in the race. Since the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour did not visit Thompson this year, Coby and the team will be looking to get up to speed quickly in practice, and be prepared for a variety of different strategies that could play out over 300 laps. Teams will be allowed 12 change tires in the race, plus the four they start the race on -- in a race that is green flag laps only. Coby knows the strategy could make the difference at the end. “I usually like to think that I think five steps ahead of everyone else,” Coby said. “I think you can find yourself in a position to capitalize on someone else’s mistakes. I think I over-strategize sometimes. But I have some guys on my team that are good thinkers and come up with good plans.” Coby isn’t concerned about not racing at Thompson so far this year, as the Milford, Connecticut, native is a six-time winner on the high-banks in Whelen Modified Tour action and has been running the track for two decades. It’s just the second Open Modified event of the year for the Doug Coby Racing team, but Coby is hoping it ends with a trophy for the entire Mayhew Tools team. “We don’t do too many open races with our team,” Coby said. “We’re going to go there and I’m excited for it. It’s always a race I wished could come back. Hopefully it has a good response and it’s a good race and it becomes the new World Series tradition. The evolution of racing is people coming up with new ideas and we’re going to try and support it.” There are two optional practice sessions on Friday and Saturday, followed by all qualifying and feature racing for the Thompson 300 on Sunday, October 10. Qualifying begins around 1 p.m. with the drop of the green flag in the 300-lap race scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Tickets will be available at the track for a full weekend of racing, which includes 17 different divisions. The Thompson 300 will wrap the show in style. For more information on Doug Coby Racing, visit DougCobyRacing.com and follow the team on Facebook for the latest updates. About Mayhew Tools Founded in 1856, Mayhew Tools is the oldest punch and chisel manufacturer in the United States, growing their extensive professional grade, American made product line to include pry bars, pneumatics, cable ties, and more. In 2020, the company extended their product line to include a complete line of dual drive and socket bits and sets. Serving the Industrial, Automotive, Hardware, and Construction industries, Mayhew’s premium hand tools are sold globally through an extensive distributor network. For more information, contact Mayhew Tools at 800.872.0037 or visit Mayhew.com. About Doug Coby Racing for more than 25 years, Doug Coby is a six-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion and one of the top short-track drivers to come from the state of Connecticut. Coby is a two-time champion at Stafford Motor Speedway, where he built his resume competing in the Late Models, Pro Stocks and SK Modifieds. Coby won his first tour championship in 2012, and followed it up by scoring four straight titles between 2014-2017, and another in 2019. In 2020, Coby opened his own team — Doug Coby Racing — scoring his first win as owner/driver. In 2021, Coby won the inaugural Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) event at Stafford Motor Speedway, besting top drivers from across a variety of racing disciplines, including Tony Stewart, Bill Elliott and Helio Castroneves.  (NASCAR photo) By Souza Media/Kyle Souza
MILFORD, Conn. -- Doug Coby Racing announced on Wednesday that crew chief Phil Moran will be departing the team at the end of the 2021 race season. Moran’s final race for the team will be on Sunday, October 10, in the return of the historic Thompson 300 at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, with Doug Coby behind the wheel. Moran will be departing the team following this special event and will pursue a new opportunity with Haydt-Yannone Racing in 2022 with driver Ron Silk. “Phil and I have a great friendship and a strong bond due to all of our success together with the No. 2 team owned by Mike Smeriglio and our No. 10 team,” Doug Coby said. “We made each other better and had great communication over the last eight years, winning five championships, and a lot of races together. I wish him well in the next step of his career with HYR.” The combination of Moran and Coby started working together in 2014, when Coby was tabbed to drive the No. 2 for Smeriglio on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. Their partnership struck almost immediate success -- winning four consecutive championships -- and winning 14 races in the four-year span. After a third-place finish in points in 2018, they won the title again in 2019 -- their fifth together -- just before Smeriglio retired in the offseason, which left both without an opportunity. That’s when Coby opened Doug Coby Racing for 2020 -- winning once in the COVID-shortened season. They have followed it up with two more wins this year on the Whelen Modified Tour, both at Riverhead Raceway. In their eight years together, Coby and Moran had five championships and 22 victories on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour -- along with multiple wins in Open Modified events -- including a win in the $10,000 to win Open Wheel Wednesday at Seekonk Speedway. In their first race together, they won the UNOH Battle at the Beach at Daytona International Speedway in 2014, and the combination also won major events including the Southern Slam 150 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and more. With the World Series Thompson 300 scheduled to be the last race of the season with Moran, Coby is already fielding questions about what the 2022 season might look like for the six-time series champion. Right now, he’s not sure, and focused on chasing $20,000 at Thompson. “I’m fortunate to have great sponsors who support my team,” Coby said. “Mayhew Tools is on board with us again for 2022, so we will evaluate our opportunities to continue to build our relationship together. I haven’t made a decision yet as to whether or not I will continue to own and operate a full-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour team next season or pursue a different path, like driving for someone, or even mixing in some other types of racing.” “The primary reason I started the No. 10 team was to keep Phil, myself and the crew together after Mike Smeriglio retired. With Phil moving in another direction, it gives me the opportunity to consider driving for someone else again. I’m just going to focus on finishing out 2021 and then consider what opportunities are available for next year. It seems as if I’ve been through this type of change more than anyone and great opportunities have always presented themselves, sometimes even when they’re not expected. I’m not going to rush into any decisions yet, but with the support of my sponsors and crew members, I’m confident we will have a game plan for 2022.” Doug Coby Racing will return to the track on Sunday, October 10 for the Thompson 300 at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, as one final ride for the Coby and Moran combination. For more information on Doug Coby Racing, visit DougCobyRacing.com and follow the team on Facebook for the latest updates. |
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