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NWMT SUNOCO
WORLD SERIES 150
Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park
by Polly Reid |
 Mild
temperatures helped pack the house at Thompson
Speedway Motorsports Park as six contenders vied for
the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour title including Doug
Coby, Justin Bonsignore, Timmy Solomito, Ryan
Preece, Eric Goodale and Rowan Pennink. The NWMT
Sunoco World Series 150 and Championship title came
down to a green white checker, overtime finish, the
event extended to 155 laps with Timmy Solomito of
Islip, NY making a winning pass on the final restart
to capture the NWMT Sunoco World Series 150 victory.
A fifth- place finish for Doug Coby was enough for
the Milford, CT driver to once again, etch his name
on the coveted NWMT Championship trophy. Coby is
officially a five-time NWMT Champion, his fourth
consecutive title with the Mike Smeriglio III team.
Ryan Preece of Berlin, CT brought the 6 car across
the line for the NWMT Championship Car Owner title
for Ed and Connie Partridge.
 "I
can't believe it, no quit, not with these guys
behind me," said Doug Coby at the trophy
presentation. "You guys saw us here on the
backstretch fence at the Icebreaker, we came out the
rest of the season and dug deep, got some good
finishes and did what we had to do to take care of
business. I'm so happy for my crew, everybody at MS
III Racing, especially Phil Moran who works on this
car day in and day out, all the guys in the shop,
Mayhew Tools who came on board this year, we finally
got them a championship. What a tight, tight season
it was, we all mixed it up pretty good, these guys
are fun to race with and really, amazing to come out
on top, four in a row."
The NWMT Sunoco World Series 150 was led to green by
pole winner Chase Dowling with Coby on the outside
of the front row. While the action was halted for a
red flag on the start for half a dozen cars tangled
and scattered in turn one, the action resumed
shortly with Coby taking the lead on the restart.
Solomito in the Eric Sanderson, Starrett Racing
sponsored machine qualified eighth in a backup car
after an incident in practice the previous day and
hovered just out of the top ten the first fifty
circuits. Meanwhile, Coby was in command out front
keeping his distance from Ryan Preece, Rob Summers,
Craig Lutz and Ron Silk the top five at lap fifty.
Without warning, Preece in the TS Hauler sponsored
modified was off the pace, stopping in turn one with
possible electrical issues, bringing out the fourth
caution of the day on lap 61. Solomito, Eric
Goodale, Rowan Pennink, Chase Dowling and Ron Silk
were among the sixteen cars that pitted under
yellow.
Coby stayed out along with Summers, Justin
Bonsignore, Jimmy Blewett and David Sapienza the top
five for the lap 66 restart.
Just past the half way mark, Coby still in command,
clenched the most laps led needing to finish now,
seventh or better for the title.
Solomito had cracked the top ten while Justin
Bonsignore was still in it running fifth.
Caution on lap 80 brought the leaders down pit road
including Coby and Bonsignore. Craig Lutz inherited
the lead and on the lap 85 restart was side by side
with Woody Pitkat, Ron Silk third and Solomito
fourth. Solomito quickly took over third while Coby
was in the pack running eleventh.
Lap 87, contact between Eric Goodale and Matt
Swanson sent Goodale across the front stretch grass
missing Coby’s bumper by a whisker.
Up front, Lutz was challenged by Pitkat and Silk
with Solomito now up to fifth, Coby eighth by lap
100. Ryan Preece was back on the track just before
the century mark, several laps down after repairing
the electrical issue and while not a factor for the
win, he had clenched the championship car owner
title for Ed Partridge.
 The yellow on lap 104, Coby and Solomito were among
a dozen drivers who came down pit road setting up a
restart on lap 111 with Ron Silk, Andrew Krause,
Matt Swanson, Justin Bonsignore and Rob Summers the
top five leading the way. Silk and Bonsignore broke
from the pack only to be gathered back in by a
yellow on lap 125. Two more cautions kept the field
tight with Silk, Bonsignore, Solomito now in third,
Pitkat and Coby the top five on the lap 141 restart.
Three title contenders, Bonsignore, Solomito and
Coby in the top five with nine to go, a three-wide
battle down the back stretch gone wrong unfolded
right in front of Coby. Pitkat had lost his lane,
Bonsignore was forced to pit with a left front flat.
Silk remained the leader with Solomito second and
Coby up to third. It was the final restart on lap
153 that Solomito made his move passing Silk for the
lead taking Chase Dowling with him. Coby kept to the
low lane and with the checkered flag in the air,
Solomito brought the Flamingo Motorsports 16 across
the stripe for his fifth win of 2017. Dowling, Silk,
Pennink followed with Coby finishing fifth - enough
to clinch the championship title. Andrew Krause,
Woody Pitkat, Dave Sapienza, Jamie Tomaino and
Justin Bonsignore completed the top ten.
Solomito pulled into victory lane while Coby and
Preece were held in turn three by NASCAR Officials
for their presentations.
"Yesterday we had to roll out the back-up car out of
the trailer,” explained Solomito. “Just goes to show
you how great these guys are. We qualified eighth
with no laps on the car and put it in victory Lane
today. There was a lot of determination after what
happened in practice yesterday. We ran really well
this year and will be even stronger next year. It is
probably the break of my life being able to drive
for this Flamingo team, everyone that's involved,
I'm just real lucky to be part of such a great
team."
 "I
knew we had a good car,” continued Solomito. “We had
that restart before that and I knew that we had to
get a really good restart to be alongside him (Silk)
going into turn one, we were able to get that
restart, obviously we were able to make a pass and
go home with the win. We didn't win the championship
we won the race. We did everything we could today.
From unloading the car yesterday, having zero
practice laps on it, I think it's pretty impressive.
It just goes to show you how good Flamingo
Motorsports, Starrett Tools team really is. Will
come back next year and fight for the championship
again."
Solomito finished the season six points short of the
title.
"We had a strong year,” said Solomito. “Five wins is
nothing to shake our head at, 3 poles and a lot of
laps led. I am proud of the entire team and just
lucky to part of such a great team."
Ron Silk posted a podium finish for the Stuart’s
Automotive, J&R Pre-Cast sponsored ride owned by
Robert Katon. "We were good the beginning part of
the race but we were just way too loose. The first
real yellow there on lap 61, I was running fourth
but I just couldn't go forward from there, I was
hanging on loose. We came in, made some adjustments
and took our tires then. The guys did a great job on
pit road, we almost nailed the adjustment we just
ended up being too tight but it was still working
pretty well. I think all those restarts at the end
combined with being on a little bit older tires, we
did a good job hanging on for what we did."
5X Champion
 Doug
Coby will need to change his driver suit to read 5X
Champion. Coby avoided two close calls in the Sunoco
World Series 150 to bring the 2 car home becoming a
five-time NWMT Champion, making history with four
consecutive titles. With the help of sponsors Mayhew
Tools, Dunleavy Truck & Trailer Repair, A.J. Romano
Construction, Coby will be the first to tell you, it
isn’t easy.
"This Tour is very different now,” explained Coby.
“It's crazy that I am one of the veterans on the
Tour. I look at the NASCAR race stats when they come
out on Wednesdays before the race and it shows
career starts at Thompson and it has Wade Cole,
Jamie Tomaino, Doug Coby. I'm like I'm old now,
that's weird. I used to love it when it was a number
of top fives, top tens, number of wins or poles and
your number would sneak into the bottom of that
behind Tony Hirschman or behind Ted Christopher and
now I'm like if you look at the 35 cars out there
today, I've been around the track more than 90% of
these guys which is nuts. To me, I still feel like a
young kid every time this championship stuff
happens, I still feel like I'm trying to get in a
full-time ride. That is always going to be locked
into my brain, the 2009 and 2010 driver who was
trying to prove myself. I think I'll feel that way
for the rest of my career."
"Finally, I got hooked up with the right people, the
right team, the right equipment and obviously it led
to this. We're on that roll and until somebody
knocks us off the perch we're going to stay there."
"This is kind of neat that they have come four in a
row just because it's one of those things where so
many things have gone bad for us this year that this
was tough, this was not an easy season for any of
us. The continuation of this is amazing.”
Phil Moran is now a five-time NWMT Championship crew
chief. His first coming in 2003 with driver Todd
Szegedy and car owner Don Barker. The last four with
Coby and car owner Mike Smeriglio. "It was a tough
year, we had a lot of ups and a lot of downs,”
admitted Moran. “It's all about consistency and
having a really good car. We had it, circumstances
didn't let us finish where we wanted to. Doug is
such a smart driver, he knows what he needs to do.
Today we had a winning car but we had to look at the
big picture after half away. The goal was to lead a
lap, lead the most laps and of course win the race
to take the max points but we got to the halfway
point, the car was good then we decided to play it
safe, do our pitstop, get our tires on and see what
we had."
MS III Racing opted to run the non- points race in
Charlotte the week prior. Heading south with a
limited crew, Moran realizes looking back, the tight
schedule may have kept him from over thinking World
Series weekend.
"The way the points battle was, actually going to
Charlotte took my mind off of it,” said Moran. “Then
winning at Charlotte, winning with a short crew at
Charlotte, it builds momentum. Even if everyone
wasn't there it got them all including Doug and
myself, back on a high. I had a busy week which kept
my mind off of stuff. It was good."
On the brink of making history again, the quiet
moments prior to the start of the action helped pull
the pieces together for Moran. "Driving up here
Friday morning for the parade, I was by myself,
that's where I cleared my head, getting ready for
the weekend. Friday night, I ran through the
scenarios, it was time to put the game on."
 "I
felt more pressure this year I think then years
past,” said Moran. “Even when we came into this tied
one year and the third-place car was three points
back. I think it was because of the fact a lot of
people expected us to get it and the way the year
was going it wasn't going to happen. We got our
stuff together and started running better and
better. I believed that we were back in it the last
time we raced here at Thompson when we crashed on
the last lap and got second. We busted our butts and
put that same car together to go to Bristol, the
shortest turn around we had all season long. While
other teams were fluffing and buffing their car we
were putting a front clip on and changing a motor.
We went to Bristol and finished a competitive
second. Coming out of there then going to Riverhead
and finishing second, that's what gets you on a
roll."
For car owner Mike Smeriglio III, this is what they
have worked for all year. "I have four words for
you, Doug Coby and Phil Moran." Smeriglio stopped
for a moment between the steady stream of
congratulations from the garage area to continue.
"I'm so happy to be a part of it. That is the key to
this team, no egos. We have a fearless leader in
Phil and Doug understands that."
"I'm a fan first,” said Smeriglio. “I grew up
sitting in the grandstands next to Randy LaJoie when
our families were racing. I never got behind the
wheel nor did I ever want to. My forte is to plan,
to budget, to execute and deliver on the upper level
with sponsors. With Mayhew on board and obviously
the success we've had with Doug Dunleavy it's really
second to none. I'm not knocking anybody but the
Tour is finally getting recognized as a unified
division- we're going north and south now- and it's
great to showcase what we have. To put Mayhew front
and center in Charlotte in victory lane, it doesn't
get any better than that."
Smeriglio is all smiles as he explains the ribbing
he is getting from 5x Coby and Moran. "Coby has been
very successful in the 2 car; championship after
championship. But being the owner, he has one more
than me coming into the series. I'm like Doug, we
have to even this out. He is like, I don't know how
to do that Mike. I said, well you got to figure it
out and he said OK.” Smeriglio hesitates, throws out
his hands and laughing says, “Now, he is two ahead
of me. That's a joke between us." Moran reminded
Smeriglio he is also 5x. The laughing started again
as the hands went up.
"All kudos to the 6 team, Eddie Partridge,”
Smeriglio sincerely continued. “Congratulations to
them, they had a stellar season. I hope the best for
Ryan, he belongs up, he wants to go up. We want to
stay, we will be back in 2018, hopefully a little
stronger."
NWMT Car Owner Champion Ed
Partridge
 For
the first time since the inception of the series,
the NWMT Car Owner Champion is different than the
driver champion. Ed Partridge along with his wife
Connie were presented the NWMT Owner’s Championship
Sunday by NASCAR’s Jimmy Wilson.
Ryan Preece tallied five NWMT wins in 2017 but
missed two races. George Brunnhoelzl III and Jon
McKennedy were the drivers that filled out the 2017
season. Preece basically needed to start the Sunoco
World Series 150 to secure the title for Partridge.
“We had a really solid year,” said Preece. “We won a
lot of races, we were really consistent and when we
were on the track we were really fast, that's all
you can really hope for. I have to thank Ed and
Connie for letting me drive this car, work on this
race car. Back in December I didn't know what I was
going to do and Eddie said he would give me a job
and let him drive his race car. I have 100% support
from Ed and Connie for that and in return I wanted
to do as much as I could to help them win this
owners championship."
“At the beginning of the year,” Ed Partridge
explained, “Ryan called me up - he wanted to come
back home. He asked about getting a job, maintaining
the cars, being crew chief, set up guy, paperwork,
doing everything. We agreed, he came home and we had
a phenomenal year. For him being a crew chief,
driver, set up guy, I was very impressed to say the
least. I thought at the beginning of the year we
would be in trouble with that, because everyone has
a crew chief. We were kind of old schooling it like
Richie Evans style. I'm just completely amazed at
the job he did."
It is not possible to mention Ed Partridge without
his wife Connie when it comes to racing. "Connie is
very supportive of this. We own Riverhead Raceway
now, she is very busy there plus we have the
trucking company, she's working and I'm working full
boat. The team, all my guys are 100 percent good
guys. They work hard, they've done a great job all
season."
Plans for 2018? There has been talk but nothing set
in stone with one exception, the TS Hauler 6 car
will be at New Smyrna in February.
NBCSN will air the NWMT Sunoco World Series 150 on
Thursday, Oct 19th at 6pm.
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Source:
Polly Reid /
TheChromeHorn.com
Posted:
October 17, 2017 |
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