|
DOUG COBY
LOOKING TO GET BACK IN THE GROOVE
IN NAPA SPRING SIZZLER |
Coming
off three consecutive NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour
championships, Doug Coby and the #2 Mayhew Tools /
Dunleavy’s Truck and Trailer Repair team enter the
2017 season as favorites to once again be among the
championship contenders. After the first two races
of the season, Coby and the #2 team find themselves
sitting 16th in the points standings, 46 points out
of the lead. Fortunately for Coby and the #2 team,
the NAPA Spring Sizzler® at Stafford Speedway is
next on the schedule and will serve as the perfect
opportunity for them to get their season back on
track.
Coby and the #2 team led by crew chief Phil Moran,
won 3 of the 4 Stafford races during the 2016 NWMT
season and might have gone 4 for 4 at Stafford if
not for running out of fuel late in the Stafford 150
last August. After finishing 13th at Myrtle Beach
and last at Thompson after a first lap crash, Coby
is ready to get back to his winning ways, if not at
least running up front once again.
“Obviously things haven’t gone how we’re accustomed
to in the beginning of the year, but that’s racing,”
said Coby. “Sometimes you start off firing on all
cylinders and sometimes things just don’t go your
way. The two races have nothing to do with each
other but it really stinks when it happens back to
back. Myrtle Beach was my mistakes over the course
of the day starting with qualifying and then
Thompson was something that was out of our control.
We’re not too worried, it is what it is. A lot of
other teams have had to deal with this year in and
year out and it’s our turn now. We’re excited to be
going to Stafford. We won 3 of 4 last year and
probably would have won all 4 if we didn’t run out
of gas so it’s a good place for us to hopefully get
our season started. I feel like we haven’t even
gotten our season started yet. Our season begins at
Stafford.”
Coby’s Stafford performance isn’t limited to just
his three wins a year ago. During his NWMT career,
10 of his 22 race victories have come at Stafford.
While he might have an aura of confidence
surrounding him as he prepares to make his 12 career
start in the NAPA Spring Sizzler®, Coby knows that
due to his performance during the first 2 races that
he has to approach the Sizzler® differently than he
normally does.
“I think we approach the Sizzler a little
differently than if we had a couple of good
finishes,” said Coby. “At that point we’d try to
take it easy and get out of Stafford with a top-5
finish whereas now we need to go out and start
winning races. If we want to get back in the
championship race, finishing second or third when we
have a winning car isn’t going to be an option. With
how our season has started now, we need to be more
aggressive and try to win races so this will
definitely be a little different Sizzler for us than
in years past.”
The fact that Coby will have to be more aggressive
in his approach to the race than in years past also
means that a fourth career Sizzler victory would
mean a little more not only to Coby and his crew,
but for his sponsors Mayhew Tools, Dunleavy’s, Fox
Shocks, and LFR Chassis.
“A win this year would mean a little extra because
we’re trying to get Mayhew Tools their first
Modified Tour win,” said Coby. “With the history
behind the Sizzler, that would be a great race to
win for them as their first win as our sponsor. When
you start the season off as bad as we have, you want
to balance that with something good. If we can go
out and win the race I think it will show everyone
that we’re still in this thing and we can chip away
at it. It would definitely have a little bit
different meaning for us than last year or Sizzlers
in the past.”
With 3 career Sizzler victories to his credit, Coby
is no stranger to what it takes to be the first car
to see the checkered flag at the conclusion of 200
laps of racing. He has gone over several different
scenarios and is well prepared for when the green
flag falls as to what his race strategy will be.
“I think everyone will have to pit for gas except
for Bobby Santos if he runs his built motor,” said
Coby. Our car is always good on long runs and there
always seems to be a long green flag run during the
Sizzler. The strategy is going to be determined by
when the cautions come out. If a caution comes out
around lap-90, I think you might see guys do double
stops to take gas and tires at that point. If we
have to stay out until around lap 130 or 140 we can
do that and if we pit early and the long run happens
at the end of the race, the car should be as good.
Another scenario could be there is a long green run
at the start of the race and then 4 or 5 cautions
towards the end of the race, so anything can
happen.”
The “Greatest Race in the History of Spring,” the
46th Annual NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler®, takes
the green flag on April 29-30. Tickets are available
and on sale now at the Speedway Box Office. Tickets
are priced at $40.00 for adult general admission
tickets, $5.00 for children ages 6-14, and children
ages 5 and under are admitted free of charge when
accompanied by an adult. Reserved seating is priced
at $42.00 for all ages. As always, Stafford Motor
Speedway offers free parking with overnight parking
available. Tickets are good for both Saturday and
Sunday admission. All ticket prices include 10% CT
Admission Tax. Discount Tickets are now available at
all 71 participating NAPA Auto Parts stores. For a
full list of the 71 locations throughout
Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island,
and Vermont, please call the speedway office or visit us on the
web at
www.staffordmotorspeedway.com/participating-napa-auto-parts-stores.
For more information or to order tickets for the
46th Annual NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler®, contact
the Stafford Motor Speedway track office at
860-684-2783 or visit us on the web at
www.staffordspeedway.com. |
Source:
Scott Running /
Stafford Motor Speedway
Posted:
April 17, 2017 |
|
|