THOMPSON – The 2021 schedule for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour isn’t expected to be released anytime soon.
That doesn’t mean six-time series champion Doug Coby isn’t already in 2021 mode.
Coby goes into Sunday’s Whelen Modified Tour season ending Sunoco World Series 150 with almost no chance of catching Justin Bonsignore in the standings. So the Milford driver is getting himself prepared to beat Bonsignore next year.
Those efforts in looking forward to be ready for next year still paid off in the statistics for Coby’s first-year team Saturday at Thompson. Coby, of Milford, won the pole in qualifying Saturday for Sunday’s season finale.
Coby toured the .625-mile oval with a fast lap of 116.986 mph.
“For us it’s building with this race car,” Coby said. “This one has been awesome. This is the new one and it’s been running good everywhere. It’s got poles both times [at Thompson]. That’s promising for us for next year to have a car that – obviously we’ll see how tomorrow goes – but it’s been out five times and it has five top-fives and a win.
“So if we can get out of here tomorrow with a win or a top three the car is putting us in a good spot for us for next year to go after him. [Bonsignore] kind of proven that he’ll run in the top-five every week. I’ve got a ninth at [New Hampshire Motor Speedway] and a seventh at Jennerstown [Speedway] and those don’t cut it.”
Not long after Coby won his sixth Whelen Modified Tour title last October, his car owner Mike Smeriglio III announced he was retiring. Coby spent a few months looking to put together a deal for a new team owner to by Smeriglio’s operation. When that didn’t come to fruition Coby announced in late February that he would start Doug Coby Racing and be an owner/driver.
His first season as an owner driver saw Coby record a victory, six top-five’s and eight top-10’s in eight events this season. Saturday was his second pole.
Coby said he looks at the season as a positive.
“We didn’t know in February what we were doing,” Coby said. “Even when we put the thing together in March, or whenever we finalized it, it wasn’t even ‘championship is the goal’, it was just get a car on the track and keep the sponsors happy and keep the crew together. So we met that goal.
“I think we came out here this and in a nine race season we showed that we’re not really slipping up too much despite all the changes. If he had one slip up in the nine races we would be right there. This would be a single point deal this weekend. [Bonsignore] was just consistently better every week. For us, new car, new motor, all new equipment, new people helping out, uncertainty and getting out of our rhythm and flow, I’m really happy with everything.”
Patrick Emerling of Orchard Park, N.Y. was second in qualifying at 116.841 mph. Bonsignore, of Holtsville, N.Y. was third at 116.514 mph.
Bonsignore, who has three victories and top-five’s in all eight events this season, needs only to finish 23rd or better in the 27 car field Sunday to clinch his second series title. Bonsignore won his first title in 2018.
Bonsignore said he won’t be running conservative on Sunday. He is chasing his 30th career series victory at the track where 12 of those wins have come.
“We just have to go out and execute tomorrow,” Bonsignore said. “I want my 30th win. … Obviously we come to our best track. We’re in a good position. Obviously I’m not going to do anything stupid to jeopardize myself. And I’m not going to put myself in a bad spot anytime in the race. But hopefully by the time we get to the pit stops we know what kind of race we can run in the second half. But I’m not here to points race.”
The start is going too be awesome!!!!!
If Coby picks the outside, he’ll have the 07 with the 51 following on the inside.
If Coby takes the inside, he’ll have the 51 behind him, with the 07 on the outside.
All with Ronnie Williams and Lutz ready to pounce.
What’s with the 64, terrible qualifying.
Gotta say it’s probably for the best racing is ending in Ct.
Seeing Kyle Sousa with his face in Doug Meservy’s after a Pro Four win, both with no masks seems like it’s disconnected from reality. Literally one foot.. It just makes racing look ignorant. They aren’t immune any more then the Rose Garden ceremony was even with testing and see how that turned out.
The numbers are rising . Come on man.
The mask issue again? Oh Good Lord! Can’t it for once just be about racing?
I would definitely take issue with that. No one likes it but it is what it is. For 2020 safety protocols have been synonymous with every part of racing. From the Cup series to the smallest local track, from the stands to the pits.
Perhaps it’s inferring too much but my guess is that anyone who doesn’t get that is living in an alternate reality and we’ve seen how that worked out for the guy that downplayed safety pretty much from the start.
What I noticed with Kyle Sousa in three successive victory lane interviews is that he had no mask talking right into the face of Maservy. A mask on his chin that was useless talking right into the face of Pitkat. Then a mask on in the next interview. Really, why even bother at that point.
People will sight low mortality rates and pick other cherry’s of information that imply safety is not that big a deal. It is true that your odds of getting sick let alone dying are miniscule but that’s not the point.
Safety protocols and especially masks have relatively low value to one user but monumental value if everyone is using them. A mask is a symbol of patriotism in understanding the whole is greater then the sum of it’s parts. Something every citizen should inherently understand in a crises subjugating their own personal convenience and freedom of choice for the greater good. Kind of like every citizen did in WWII.
In May when things were bad I looked at the predictions based on science and was hopeful racing would resume in some form. Now I’m looking at the predictions based on science and thinking this is exactly the time to pay particular attention to safety protocols.
Racing and safety protocols for this year fit hand in glove. You’re not being asked to put your life on the line in battle, work at a defense plant or even give up your week end recreation. All you’re being asked to do is a very simple little thing.
And even after all that’s happened there’s still people out there willing to pass on the topic at hand and simply whine about the mere mention of masks like I farted in an elevator.
I’m not telling anyone what to do knowing it would be ignored if I did. What I’m doing is noticing every person at the track that is doing their bit like most everyone is doing in daily life.
The virus will pass eventually but the public figures I see doing the right thing at race tracks at their own personal inconvenience will have my respect as long as I can follow racing. Those that don’t I’ll remember as selfish and myopic, a detriment to racing when the call was for all hands on deck and get an F on their civics test.
Jesus Christ will this mask virtue signaling ever stop??? Patriotic to wear a mask? Really?
I’m not telling anyone what to do. What???? Yes you are by in the very next line calling them ignorant moron’s you are judging them purly by wether or not there wearing a mask with zero knowledge if person has a medical condition that makes wearing a mask almost impossible. Judgemental pile of 💩💩. See I can do it too.
I made the best case I could. You either get it or you don’t. You’re either civic minded or you aren’t.
In all likelihood the current president will lose the election. If he does the over riding reason will be the publics perception that he has failed to satisfactorily address the pandemic. . His infection and those of so many in the White House is a metaphor for his failure to embrace science including safety protocols.
I’ve never heard the term “mask virtue” but it’s apt. There is virtue to people that put the interest of their community above their own convenience. There is no virtue in the selfish and purposely ignorant people that have invested so much in being defiant and fool hearty as events of the past couple weeks have shown.
I’d like to believe Jesus Christ would not only have worn a mask but lead people to understand that for a time it is necessary and can make a difference.
“calling them ignorant moron’s”
Never said that. If you are inferring that then that’s on you. You’re entitled to your opinion. You are not entitled to change what is said to suit your anger.
Wow scribbled, “I’m not telling anyone what to do. What???? Yes you are by in the very next line calling them ignorant moron’s you are judging them purly by wether or not there wearing a mask with zero knowledge if person has a medical condition that makes wearing a mask almost impossible. Judgemental pile of 💩💩. See I can do it too.”
I love when people are being judgmental when they are accusing someone else of being judgmental. A poetic example of hypocrisy.
Since you, Wow, do not have any information regarding the health and pulmonary status of all those you are speaking of, I’d say it is a slam dunk that you are a hypocritical stinking pile of judgmental 💩.
This pandemic is something that needs all off us to work together. Wearing a mask is perhaps the most important. It has recently been observe that people wearing glasses have a far less incidence than those that do not wear glasses, further showing that this pathogen is airborne.
So yes, in a very real way, wearing a mask is patriotic. 😷😷😷😷 🇺🇸
And Doug, you are not without stink yourself. Doug bloviated, “Never said that. If you are inferring that then that’s on you. You’re entitled to your opinion. You are not entitled to change what is said to suit your anger.”
Doug, I stopped reading your 🤮💩 long ago because of this.
Any way, it was kind of a bummer seeing Coby take himself out. He hasn’t done something like that in a long time.
The 64 was penalized to only one lap because they failed frame height twice during inspection. He said since he had only one lap, he went for all he could get. Unfortunately he didn’t have any heat in the tires and pushing the car too much, he pushed up to the wall.
OK then. Now it’s become a battle of the vulgar emoji’s I shall let you two of like mind have at it.
Doug wrote, “OK then. Now it’s become a battle of the vulgar emoji’s I shall let you two of like mind have at it.”
Doug doesn’t know how to use emojis. He just uses vulgar words. Isn’t that right scumbag?
Doug wrote, “You’re entitled to your opinion. You are not entitled to change what is said to suit your anger.”
Doug thinks he’s “special”, above reproach. Or just an ignorant hypocrite.
Know what’s hypocritical da dope? Judging people purly by wether or not they are wearing a mask. How can you not see that? It’s like telling someone who has a handicap parking sticker that they aren’t really handicapped because they can walk. See what I’m saying about judging books by there covers it’s not wise.
Wow, if you aren’t wearing a mask, you are an idiot.
Don’t worry, I judge people for other things other than if they wear a mask.
Trump rallies tend to attract pulmonary compromised people that can’t tolerate wearing a mask. 😷