Doug Coby celebrates victory in the Whelen Modified Tour TSI Harley-Davidson 125 Friday at Stafford Motor Speedway (Photo: Adam Glanzman/Getty Images for NASCAR)
STAFFORD – On April 24 at Stafford Motor Speedway, reigning Whelen Modified Tour champion Doug Coby put a beatdown on the competition in rolling to victory in the NAPA Spring Sizzler 200.
Friday at Stafford Speedway, in the division’s return to the track, Coby didn’t let up one bit from April.
Coby, of Milford, led 129 of 130 laps and cruised easily to victory in the Whelen Modified Tour TSI Harley-Davidson 125 Friday at Stafford Motor Speedway. The race was extended to 130 laps because of a late caution.
Coby led 193 of 200 laps at the Sizzler. He has won the last three Whelen Modified Tour events at Stafford dating back to last season’s victory in the October NAPA Fall Final. He led the final 45 laps of the Fall Final last year and has now led 367 of the last 375 laps Whelen Modified Tour competition at the track.
“These guys never quit,” said Coby, who also fastest in qualifying to win the pole for the event. “Even though we’re fast, we always try to get faster. That’s what makes them champions and that’s what makes us win races. We kept dialing on this car all day in practice. Even right before the feature … my crew was making last minute adjustments just because they felt they needed to.”
It was Coby’s 19th career victory in 175 series starts tying him with Jerry Marquis and Todd Szegedy or eighth place on the series’ all-time win list.
Jimmy Blewett of Howell, N.J. was second and Donny Lia of Jericho, N.Y. third.
It was the second victory in four Whelen Modified Tour events this year for Coby, who has won the last two series titles and also was the 2012 series champion.
The race began with a long green flag run with Coby holding the lead and Lia staying within range in second. Lia caught and passed Coby for the lead while the two battled through lap traffic on lap 71, but Coby quickly regained the top spot on lap 72.
The first caution of the race flew on lap 76 and Coby’s team got him off pit road with the lead and he was able to get away from Lia easily on the ensuing lap 82 restart.
Caution flew again on lap 112, but Coby was again easily able to lead Lia behind. Coby was able to get away from the field on a lap 122 restart and a green-white-checkered final restart.
“You never know what’s going to happen,” Coby said of the late restarts. “I’m glad we had the restarts. I’m sure it was really interesting for the fans because it sure as hell was interesting for me. I knew that we had the best car, but you never know what’s going to happen on a late race restart. You get a little slide off the restart line and then you’re a little tight because you drive it harder to the corner and you don’t know if somebody behind you got a good run.”
Said Lia: “I thought at times maybe we were better than Doug. … He did a good job.”
Blewett was able to overtake Lia for second place on the final restart for a season best finish. Blewett was making his fourth start for the Bob Garbarino owned Mystic Missile team.
“It’s good momentum,” Blewett said. “… Things are getting there. We’re doing the best we can with it.”
After four events Coby holds a 24-point lead over second place Justin Bonsignore in the standings. Lia is 28 points behind in third place.
Glad I stayed home. Not going to pay 40$ to see the same guy lead every lap for every event at Stafford. He has the golden set up I guess.
He did not run away with this one. The competition is definitely gaining ground. The 8 car was not far off for sure. At the first Stafford race the 2 was much more dominant over the others. I am surprised Todd Szedegy was not there after a strong run last time. No complaints on the racing here from a new fan.
Perhaps its time to go back to inverting the top 6 to 10 in time trials?
You sort of new it was over when he won the pole. I use to hate the redraw but I wonder if it has its place now, Oh well, off to Thompson on Wednesday.
The Mod tour race was boring except for the last few laps. I wonder if the drivers that were missing could have added some excitement to the race. Ryan Preece, TC, Kidrock to name a few. What happened to Woody? What is Melissa doing out on the track? Evidently it was not the chassis that was causing her problems. I wish she would try an SK Lite race in an SK Lite car. Where were all the people? The late model race reminded me of some of the races I see at Thompson. 8 cars? It did not need to be 30 laps. 15 or 20 would have been enough. Woody in the 16 again might have added some excitement. Did Tony Mambrino criticize Tom Fox in victory lane? OMG. I’m done.
Hebs, they only charged me $33, and if you were a Coby fan it was worth every penny!
Was boring if not for late cautions. I’m sure Doug was a little nervous the last few with Pennick, Lia, and Blewitt restarting right around him. I’m glad we didn’t leave early. Small crowd again though.
If your a Coby fan of course it’s worth every penny. The team deserves credit but just prefer for a race not to be dominated. #82 for life! (:
How can you expect a good race at a Lousy 1 groove track….Good management Bad racing surface…..Think I am done with Stafford…I will fondly remember the racing on the old surface….Back when on a restart a guy on the outside could stay there for 10 laps and pass a few cars….If this race was free it still would have been a waste of time.
As long as the 2 is allowed to do what it is doing, the rest of the field is racing for P2. Given that, congratulations to the 4.
This has NOTHING to do with inverting the field, redraw, etc. If you take the 2 out of the event last night, it was a pretty good race. There was good jockeying in the pack. The 3, 4, and 8 had a tenuous lead on the pack.
If there was an invert, redraw, etc., the 2 would gain the lead in a couple laps. The bad part about that is the 2 sucks in traffic and would put other cars at risk while he is going for the lead.
Weather kept people away, unfortunately.
goodfella, were we watching the same race? “The bad part about that is the 2 sucks in traffic” What are you talking about? Who there got thru traffic better than the 2? The only car in traffic I saw him struggle with early on was the 24, and that was because the rookie doesn’t hold a line. Other than that, when Coby and Lia got to the 64, Silk, and the 29 it was more a matter of patience than not being able to get past them. And, as luck would have it, Coby was on the outside of the 64 when Woody spun out in front of them. Looked to me like the 64 locked up the brakes and plowed into Pitkat, but if he turns right to avoid it … Coby is in the wall.
TOO all the boys who sit to pee their is no such thing as a bad day at the races. Some are just better than others.If you don’t like it don’t go and if you weren’t their way post a comment?? Shawn I fully understand why you want to shut down the comments
Paul P., the 2 sucks in traffic. Loudon, Loudon, Bristol… Those were just some of the most galactic 2 car screwups. Thank goodness the 2 car has anomalous performance that keeps it away from the other cars.
DC is the new TC.
another boring tour race. single file, just like the cup cars, grand stands half empty, it all goes together. i’m done wasting my money for single file racing. give me the sk’s any day. if winning by 10 car lengths is close to some people, great, but not for this old time race fan! they r only good at waterford and nhis.
It’s a one groove track. I much prefer the bowl.
Let’s have an sk tour I said that a while back ; Mod tour will start losing fans ….there was more passing at riverside bull ring than what you saw tonite …….said from a fifty year fan …….
Where are the LFR groupies?
Much of the race was: 2, 8, 3, 4, then combos of 16, 9, 51, 58
LFR followed by a creaky old 8-9 year old Troyer, a 15(?) year old home made BRE.
We ain’t racing chassis, that’s for sure.