On May 15 Doug Coby slayed a dragon that has haunted him throughout his career on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.
Coby won the Whelen Modified Tour Miller Lite 200 that day at Riverhead Raceway. The Milford driver had been winless in 19 previous series starts at the quarter-mile Long Island bullring before that day.
Sunday the six-time series champion showed he was leaving the Riverhead winless streak behind by starting a winning streak.
Coby ran away from the field in winning for the second consecutive time at Riverhead Sunday in the Buzz Chew Chevrolet Cadillac 200.
“Who would have thought Doug Coby would be in contention to sweep Riverhead three times in a year when we come back here [September 18]?” Coby said.
Coby lapped all but three of the 24 other cars in the field on the way to his 31stcareer Whelen Modified Tour victory, which tied him for fifth on the series’ all-time win list with Jeff Fuller.
“My dad is here so Happy Father’s Day,” Coby said. “I don’t know that we’ve ever done this before. I love you and you started this so it’s all your fault. … We’ve hit on something here. Thanks to [track owner Ed Partridge] for paving turns one and two. … This is an awesome deal.”
The event was originally scheduled for Saturday but was postponed to Sunday due to rain.
The podium was an exact repeat of last month’s Whelen Modified Tour event at Riverhead. Series points leader Patrick Emerling of Orchard Park, N.Y. was second again.
“Hopefully we can get back here and do one spot better [in September],” Emerling said.
Reigning series champion Justin Bonsignore was third for the second consecutive event at Riverhead.
“Doug’s really hit on something here since they paved both ends,” said Bonsignore, who has eight career series victories at Riverhead in 19 starts. “… It’s not the same track that we were winning at for a while. We’ve got to do our homework a little bit.”
Ron Silk of Norwalk was the last car on the lead lap at the checkered in fourth place.
Coby arrived at Riverhead riding the high of winning the first Camping World SRX Series event on June 12 at Stafford. Because he ran the event at Stafford he was forced to miss the June 12 Whelen Modified Tour event at Oswego (N.Y.) Speedway. Chase Dowling filled in for him in the Doug Coby Racing ride at Oswego, finishing eighth.
Coby started third in the field at Riverhead. He passed Bonsignore for the lead on lap 55 and went virtually unchallenged the rest of the way.
Bonsignore fell from fifth to 12th on lap 96 after losing power briefly, but rallied back over the final 100 laps.
Those Dale Carnegie classes are working.
When your HOT your HOT…. Coby is becoming a national racing star on the rise.. How far can he RIDE THE WAVE……!!!!! Can he step into fields afar and unknown into the Trucks and Win ???? this storybook season just keeps rising like a tide higher and higher….. Winning is the best deodorant every thing he touches is roses. Slayed the Dragon Riverhead…. What is next… ??? hold on it’s going to be a fast and furious ride in 2021… COVID Who ?
Karma is good stuff.
Some people are smart enough to take a Dale Carneigie class , and some people are idiots and always will be , just wanted to use one of his favorite words
I thought I read coby got a truck ride at Bristol on 9/18, how can he be at riverhead same day for the sweep?
Where can you see a vintage 73 to 76 El Camino SS pulling duty as half the double hook brigade for some unfortunate soul in a circle track race? Riverhead that’s where.
“My dad is here so Happy Father’s Day,” Coby said. “I don’t know that we’ve ever done this before. I love you and you started this so it’s all your fault.”
Now is that a sentimental guy or what? Not only well deserved but true. Doug Coby Sr doesn’t make all the early racing happen for young Doug in the early years with great cars there is no Doug Coby Racing.
In the same vein happy fathers day to all my fellow fathers out there in RaceDayCt land.
Not a juggernaut but a Dougernaut. Everything he touches turns to a win so congratulations to all those that support the guy.
“Who would have thought Doug Coby would be in contention to sweep Riverhead three times in a year when we come back here [September 18]?” Coby said.
When you refer to yourself in the third person you’ve arrived.
All eyes are on the frequent visitor to victory lane but I’m loving Patrick Emerling turning in another solid finish. He may not have the glow of the Dougernaut but this could be a breakthrough year for the 07. What I’d like most is for something not predictable to happen like what’s happening in the SK’s at Stafford this year. Coby may have found something at Riverhead but Emerling has upped his game a bunch as well.
25 cars started, 10 out because of wrecks and Coby in a laugher. Are you still sure more cars make for better races or is that Jennerstown race starting to look better now?
Ding!!! That’s the reset button. Coby still out of the money in the points, Bonsignor and Emerling locked in a great race and our own Nutmegger Woody Pitkat in the thick of it.
You know what’s up next don’t you? That’s right the big dog. We love the big dog don’t we?
Ben Dover,
Camping World Truck Series event that Coby will run at Bristol is scheduled for Thursday Sept. 16. Riverhead race is on Saturday Sept. 18.
JBon is gonna have to run a couple weekly events to figure out how to run the apron. Gotta run the ‘head like a skid pad.
Love listening to Justin cry about getting spanked at home …… again!
DaDope, so can Doug drive in lapped traffic?? LOL
Goodfella , it must be tough on the shocks to hit the apron , what do you think rebound high ? compression a little slower ?
Lap 97 or there about Justin Bonsignor has some kind of gafluggle and drops to 11th. He made it back to the podium as well as spinning a good qualifying time and fast lap speed. Coby for now is winning the battles but that 51 team knows how to win wars. Lutz may need to consider hitting the panic button for sure. While there are always Fury’s in the Massa camp there will be no haste I’d bet with regard to any major unanticipated changes.
Suitcase, please explain what you mean by “hit the apron”.
Goodfella, when the left front suddenly drops off the banking & hits the flat apron the shock has a huge change of height and sudden up thrust of momentum … better have a fast rebound and slower compression i would think, referring to the comment that J. Bon needs figure out how to run the apron..
It would have been interesting to see a caution with 10 to go. I don’t know if JB had a shot at the win as I would guess the tires were pretty much used up from the lap 97 debacle and drive back to third. However, would have set up a good battle between DC, PE and JB.
Suitcase, thanks for that explanation. I don’t think the 10 is doing quite that. It looks like he’s on the apron at the end of the straights, cutting left onto the apron before the turn of the track proper, hence staying on the apron like the track is a flat skid pad. His right side tires might run along the track proper once in a while, but no abruptness there, it appears anyways. The only thing the shocks are working on is pitching from braking and roll due to the turn. I’m not seeing the abruptness from the “bump” of coming down off the banking of the track to the flat of the apron. And the 10 was also capable of running well in the normal line on the track proper when he got there. The 51 was not capable of running a low line, he couldn’t protect his bottom at all.
Moran effectively made a new lane, even lower than the bottom line. Heck, the 10 could have passed the 01 on the inside in a turn!!!!
Ryan Stone has his work cut out for him. Dug Kobe did say in an interview that it was something they (aka: Phil Moran) figured out at White Mountain Motorsports Park, another itty bitty track but doesn’t have an apron.
I know if you use Ackerman in left front it really helps you turn on the tight tracks, Bullrings… Not as effective on Big tracks but still helps to have some in LF…. Maybe they hit the sweet spot at White Mountain and carried it to Riverhead… Lots of Science & Engineering in Racing…..
Melissa is in the top 20 in points! Go girl go! Cheers! 🥂🥂🥂
Missy has run all races and is collecting points at an atrocious 20 points per race. If several more part-time cars ahead of her in points don’t show up at a couple more races, she can move up several more spots.
Imagine being Missy watching the Entry List to see who is not showing up and how many cars are entered so she might move up in the standings. 😝😝😝😝😝😝😝😝
It looks like the 01 was tossed at Riverhead extra early because the 10 was running that very low line and the 01 was an obstruction in that line. The 01 made a whopping 23 laps before a “problem” arose.
DAREALGOODFELLA MISSY AND NADS COUNTERS
DAREALGOODFELLA MISSY COUNTER
Missy can’t drive.
Missy is not the only
Missy tried to run the MRS,
Missy is 26 years old.
Missy can not drive fast.
Missy is not racy. Missy doesn’t get near the edge
Missy can run her NWMT car on the SK
Missy can’t drive and can not be trusted i
ran well over a second faster than Missy?
Missy seems to be afraid to go fast,
Missy stays up in the racing groove
Missy is not a victim of sexism
After six years, the performance of Missy as a driver
Missy is not helping the girl power movement
This racing deal with Missy has nothing to do with rights.
some of the ire focused on Missy.
no response from the crowd when Missy is announced
it was God’s will that Missy won the MPD
Missy is showing that the stereotype that girls can’t do it is true
No, I’m not upset that Missy won the MPD
Until Missy won,
ire focused on Missy.
Here’s a huge difference between Carroll and Missy
Is Missy really in the same class
Why is Missy the one being picked out?
look at Missy when trying
Missy would have been fired
If Missy didn’t run her own car
Missy is definitely not getting the love
Missy has no place on t
Missy. The stats of the 01 are horrible.
Missy can have any equipment she wants
Missy has run all races and is collecting points at an atrocious 20 points per race
Imagine being Missy watching the Entry List t to see who is not showing up
TOTAL NWMT EVENTS ENTERED BY MELISSA FIFIELD WITH A NWMT LEGAL CAR AS OF 6/22/2021……………..103
TOTAL NWMT EVENT ENTERED BY DAREALGOODFELLA WITH A NWMT LEGAL CAR AS OF 6/22/2021…………ZERO.
DAREALGOODFELLA NADS COUNTER
NADS COUNTER (DEMONSTRATED GUTS TO STRAP YOURSELF INTO A RACE CAR)
MELLISSA FIFIELD ……………..103 (NWMT ONLY)
DAREALGOODFELLA…………..ZER0
A human brain: 🧠
Doug’s (aka: WeldingWonders, et al.) brain: 🍳
Suitcase, I agree, the shorter the turn radius, more Ackerman helps.
Doug wrote, “ MELLISSA FIFIELD ……………..103 (NWMT ONLY)”
You spelled Melissa incorrectly, too.
DAREALGOODFELLA MISSY AND NADS COUNTERS
DAREALGOODFELLA MISSY COUNTER
Missy can’t drive.
Missy is not the only
Missy tried to run the MRS,
Missy is 26 years old.
Missy can not drive fast.
Missy is not racy. Missy doesn’t get near the edge
Missy can run her NWMT car on the SK
Missy can’t drive and can not be trusted i
ran well over a second faster than Missy?
Missy seems to be afraid to go fast,
Missy stays up in the racing groove
Missy is not a victim of sexism
After six years, the performance of Missy as a driver
Missy is not helping the girl power movement
This racing deal with Missy has nothing to do with rights.
some of the ire focused on Missy.
no response from the crowd when Missy is announced
it was God’s will that Missy won the MPD
Missy is showing that the stereotype that girls can’t do it is true
No, I’m not upset that Missy won the MPD
Until Missy won,
ire focused on Missy.
Here’s a huge difference between Carroll and Missy
Is Missy really in the same class
Why is Missy the one being picked out?
look at Missy when trying
Missy would have been fired
If Missy didn’t run her own car
Missy is definitely not getting the love
Missy has no place on t
Missy. The stats of the 01 are horrible.
Missy can have any equipment she wants
Missy has run all races and is collecting points at an atrocious 20 points per race
Imagine being Missy watching the Entry List t to see who is not showing up
TOTAL NWMT EVENTS ENTERED BY MELISSA FIFIELD WITH A NWMT LEGAL CAR AS OF 6/22/2021……………..103
TOTAL NWMT EVENTS ENTERED BY DAREALGOODFELLA WITH A NWMT LEGAL CAR AS OF 6/22/2021…………ZERO.
DAREALGOODFELLA NADS COUNTER
NADS COUNTER (DEMONSTRATED GUTS TO STRAP YOURSELF INTO A RACE CAR)
MELISSA FIFIELD ……………..103 (NWMT ONLY)
******CORRECTION PROVIDED BY DAREALGOODFELLA
DAREALGOODFELLA…………..ZER0
Silly me. I was so proud of the tour modified schedule that I put together and named after retired RaceDayCt curmudgeon JD but had a senior moment and overwrote it. Looks like the teams are getting a respite over the next week plus to catch their breath so how about a few harmless observations involving the NWMT record book.
Glen Reen, you remember him don’t you? Reen acres, Stafford SK’s and now on an involuntary break now from racing. Ya know he has a NWMT win? That’s right back in
2011 when he showed such promise.
How about the names of the best drivers that have quite a few NWMT starts but only a win or maybe none. McKennedy and Dowling would need to be on that list with only one win. Sapienza, great equipment but as a driver with 83 starts no wins. Two seconds in 2017 and 2020 but never quite the brass ring as a driver.
Tom Bolles another guy you’d probably forget about with a NWMT win way back in the last century 1997.
The youngest best driver that blasted to 22 wins fast and would be working his way to the top of the NWMT career wins standings were is not for his ability would be Ryan Preece. Too talented in every respect and destined for bigger things. Also in that category Santos, Santos, Santos. Lest Kristy invade one more time to bust my chops 19 wins that could have been double that were he not onto bigger and better things having a boat load of talent.
Gotta mention two of my favorites each the backbone of the NWMT with some success. The pride of Connecticut Woody Pitkat with 4 wins in 173 starts and Long Islands own Eric Goodale 4 wins in 181 starts. Neither destined for the bigs but each the heart and soul of local racing popping up all over the place in all kinds of races.
At the top of the list Stefanik with 74 wins a record that will likely never be beaten but how about second on down. That would be The Reg with 44, TC with 42 and Tony Hirschman at 35. Coby is getting all the attention now and may be viewed as the guy that can climb to number 2 on the all time list but how about Justin Bonsignor at 30 wins. Younger, on the best team in existence now in my view is the real threat isn’t he?
Matt Hirschman sure gets a lot of attention when he invades and wins in the NWMT but it’s not really that common an occurrence. Four wins in 104 races. Two way back in 2008 and only the two in 2018 and 2021 recently. So what’s the big deal anyway???
No one will have a record that cannot be beaten with as little success as Tomaino. 3 wins in 624 starts with the last win in 1994 and he’s still racing.
Guys that had one win that would surely have had more were they not at the end of their careers when the tour got started would include Ray Miller, Ken Bouchard and John Blewett Jr. . Corky Cookman would have won more then once were he not to have died and John Blewett III would surely have had far more then 10 times were he not to have died far to soon as well.
Finally the age old question of who was the best modified driver of all time Stefanik or Evans. One with unequalled success in a structured series. The other ranging far and wide amassing and enormous number of wins when the championship was more akin to the wild west of racing. The answer is simple none of the about. The best modified driver of all time was Chick Stockwell, Danbury RaceArena and it’s not even close.
Great start Doug, Great middle too , But putting Stockwell in the same League as Mighty Mike & the Indisputable KING RICHIE EVANS you dropped the ball there. Richie even got Mike in one of His cars and helped launch Mikes Modified Career…. If Richie didn’t help Mike at that critical time, Maybe Mike wouldn’t have those 74 wins…. Richie had 400 or so Wins….. Lost records .. Lost Speedways… Some didn’t even keep Records…. Richie is and Always will be King of the Modifieds with Bugsy @ Second place ….
Just one of those topics that everyone may not agree on. Everyone has favorites.
Suitcase, back in the “bugsy era” I also had a boatload of respect for Hamilton before he got his cup break. Who could argue with “steady Eddie Flemke” and the east coast bandits (honorable mention to Rene char land here)
Locally wild Bill Slater. Just too many to mention as guys who could hold their own on any given night, not to mention troyer, treichler, bodine, on and on and on. Maybe not all time greatest, but a threat to win every time they hit the track. What an era.
Just pondering here…..
Who would have had a huge modified career if they did not move up?
I think my vote would be Steve park. Jeez, that kid was fast all the time, particularly in the Brady bunch “00”.
But thanks Doug. Fun to reminisce for a bit.
Obviously my last paragraph was a ham handed attempt to troll the forum for some lively banter of past modified drivers. Luckily I was not barking at the moon and some great responses ensued.
What follows I will attribute to a simple fact. There is no definitive ranking of top modified drivers. It’s impossible when the comparisons are inter generational, there are different tracks, different series and different rules. A fan can’t be wrong in my view since each views it with their own perspective and experience.
The case for Chick Stockwell as best Northeast modified driver of all time.
Southern New York Racing Association
• Championships – Chick Stockwell – 9 (1954, ’55, ’60, ’61, ’62, ’63, ’68, ’70, ’71)
• Consecutive Championships – Chick Stockwell – 4 (1960, ’61, ’62, ’63)
• Championships in Multiple Decades – Chick Stockwell – 3 (1950’s, 60’s, 70’s)
• Career Total Wins – Chick Stockwell – 208 (52 Features, 51 Semis, 77 Heats, 26 Consolations, 2 B’s)
• Consecutive Feature Wins – Chick Stockwell – 7 (5/21/1960 – 7/23/1960)
• Most Seasons with a Feature Win – Chick Stockwell – 19
• Career Semi Wins – Chick Stockwell – 51
Not just a Danbury RaceArena/SNYRA driver but he drove all over New England before guys like Evans and Flemke. In 1957 he won the Rhinebeck championship on dirt. In 1963 and 1964 he took down the United Grand American Late Model Sportsman Circuit Crown.
Most would say that from the late 50’s to the early 70’s the Danbury RaceArena was the crown jewel of Connecticut circle track racing. At that time they raced only modifieds, the pits were packed, the stands were packed and it was all modifieds all the time. It wasn’t just heats and a consi in a given night it also include Semi Features weekly and each competitor having to race hard to simply get in the feature.
In much of that time from the late 1950’s to the early 1970’s the SNYRA rules called for flat head engines and solid front axels. The cars were all scrap yard stock parts, high, ungainly monsters so top heavy they used stock tires on the front left since the tire rarely hit the ground in the corners. Point is they were very equal and crude and unlike what would follow the true test of a great driver.
On a given night in the 1960’s you’d see carnage and a lot of it. Two ambulances always in attendance with the likelihood one would be gone in a delivery to the hospital highly likely. The good drivers having to negotiate all the terrible drivers in cars that were in most respects fairly equal to theirs. Chick Stockwell like no other could negotiate the carnage with almost a sixth sense to eventually arrive at the front as a winner with people scratching their heads on how he did it. So popular “Chick” was the only name necessary on the car.
Richie Evens is clearly the overwhelming favorite of the most fans of modified racing with a staggering record of accomplishments. In my view the most over rated. Simply put he garnered most of his success as a full time professional traveling hither and yon beating local guys at local tracks with day jobs. His equipment most always superior and the local competition over matched. As opposed to the reality in the SNYRA where the cars by rule and the lack of after market racing parts were very equal and Chick still excelled.
In my view Stefanik may be in the same class with Chick Stockwell competing head to head with the same equipment against the same drivers with the same rules and excelling. Evans with his inherent advantages more often then not, not competing on an equal footing.
What Evans could have done with flatheads and solid front axles against equal competition we’ll never know. It’s very unlikely he could have equaled Chick Stockwells pure success as a driver.
Doug bloviates, “It’s impossible when the comparisons are inter generational, there are different tracks, different series and different rules.”
And then Doug 🤮 follows that with, “It’s very unlikely he could have equaled Chick Stockwells pure success as a driver.”
So Doug says it’s impossible to compare generations, then does exactly just that.
Idiot. Pure idiot.
Bugsy , over 300 Feature Wins . Evans over 400 Feature Wins , Summers over 300 Feature Wins , Winning on every track from Maine to Florida … Doug , they didn’t even count heat or consi wins… They counted the WINS THAT PAID THE CASH… $$$$$$ Chick was a fine driver is his little world, But let’s be real here , Can’t hold a Candle to the National Championships , Track Championships that the Mount Rushmore of Modified Drivers Have…. RICHIE EVANS, BUGSY STEVENS, GEORGE SUMMERS, ED FLEMKE, RON BOUCHARD, MIKE STEFANIK…FRED DeSARRO.. PUT THOSE WINS AND CHAMPIONSHIPS TOGETHER , Doug it would take you a MONTH to add it all up….
BOBF, Huge Modified Career if the didn’t move up . Pete Hamilton…. Mike McLaughlin… Don McTavish….
Geoff Bodine.. Jimmy Spencer…..Steve Park…. Bobby Santos….
Don mctavish.
That one broke my heart, the way he went. While they are all tragic, that one really gets me suitcase.
“ hate me because I’m beautiful and smarter than you.
“And just a reminder, I was right, again.”
“See, I was right. Even Earl can finally get it.”
“wmass01013, you were correct when you addressed me as “genius”.
“Hey Doug, I was right again.”
STARRING DAREALGOODFELLA
THE 2021 DAREALGOODFELLA INSULT COUNTER DAY 175
348 Any idiot (Doug) that tries to tell people they need to patronize the ‘bowl to enrich the already extremely wealthy owner in preparation for the civil cases is just nuts, crazy, idiotic
349 And your (Doug) promoting the support of Bemer/’bowl as a means to help his victims is a gift that will go on giving forever. It will never get old. That was galactic idiocy.
350 Your (Doug) idiocy prevents you from playing such a role.
351 Doug, you are an idiot. It’s in the rules.
352 Who cares? Clearly an idiot.
353 And if you (Doug) don’t get it, you are an idiot.
354 Doug wailed, “Speaking of engines why don’t we know what these guys are packing? ”
355 Now get back to chasing birds out of your yard.(2020)
356 So Doug says it’s impossible to compare generations, then does exactly just that. Idiot. Pure idiot.
TOTAL INSULTS IN 2021 THROUGH DAY 175……………………………356
NEW TRAUNCH OF INSULTS SINCE DAY 158……………….…………..9
AVERAGE INSULT COUNT PER DAY THROUGH DAY 175.. …………2.03
PROJECTED INSULT TOTAL FOR 2021 BASED ON 2.03/DAY…………740
The video is Horrendous of Don’s Death, I pray He was gone before the second Impact, head on un-protected strapped in seat it looked like He was already passed … Reminded me of Mike Waltrips awful crash into wall opening, same thing engine , transmission and whole front end severed off at windshield sitting in seat with nothing in front of Him,, I thought Mike was also gone….. But mike didn’t get the second hit head on like Don did… Awful Awful memories….The safety of NASCAR has come leaps and bounds ahead since the 60’s , & after Dales Death….
So Dadope, you gonna answer my question. Can Dough drive in traffic? Cuz, that’s exactly what he appears to have done. Or are you gonna pull the typical liberal response of not answering a direct question when it contradicts what you have been wrongly claiming for years.
Suitcase;
NASCAR takes a lot of criticism. But one thing I think we can agree on is, racing safety has come a long way. Not perfect for sure, but a long way. And that takes a ton of dough and research. NASCAR leads in that department hands down, IMO. Of course I’m prejudiced because I mainly follow stock car racing. I’m sure f1 et al have their accomplishments as well, with safety innovations, as well as leading with on site medical teams.
It always amazes me when I see the old footages of the old cut downs, midgets, running in the early days, that more racers did not lose their lives in those things. Thank goodness safety has come a long way. In this respect, I’m glad the old days are gone. Godspeed all of you ladies and gentlemen that strap in on a regular basis. Thank you.