Coby Heads To Thompson Seeking Third Straight Championship
Story By: JASON CUNNINGHAM / NASCAR SERIES MEDIA
Photos By: DICK AYERS / RACERSGUIDE.COM
Thompson Conn.- October 11, 2016- This Sunday afternoon at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, Doug Coby will be looking to collect his third consecutive NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship in the Sunoco World Series 150.
If he can accomplish the goal, it will be his fourth career title, which would inch him a little bit closer to Mike Stefanik’s all-time record of seven championships. Coby also trails Tony Hirschman in the list. Hirschman held up the title trophy five times during his career.
Coby would also become the first driver in the modern era to win three consecutive championship’s in the history of NASCAR’s oldest touring series. He knows the game. He’s been to Thompson over the last two years in the championship lead and he is now searching to complete the same task that he has over the last two years.
He will go into the event with a 20 point advantage over Justin Bonsignore, who is seeking his first title.
“I’m certainly not feeling any pressure or nerves because I think what we have accomplished speaks for itself,” Coby said after winning the pole on Saturday at Stafford.
“I’ve always said that at the end of the season the guy with the most points had the best season and the guy who wins the championship had the best season. If Justin (Bonsignore) beats us by a couple points and pulls it off it means he had a better season than us and we have to pick up our game. There is no real flaws in the points system that has someone go win a points championship that isn’t deserving.”
Even though 20 points seems like enough to just come home with a solid finish, Coby is quick to realize you truly never know what can happen at the season finale. And that’s why he took his Dunleavy Truck and Trailer Repair No. 2 to the high-banks of Thompson Speedway last week to do some testing for the World Series 150 weekend.
“We tested at Thompson last week and we got a little bit back that we had lost there,” Coby said. “We figured out a couple of things and I was very happy with the car. I think we are going to be pretty good. We probably just have to get a top 10 and I think we can do that, but you just never know.”
Coby can also tie the all-time record for the most Coors Light Pole Awards in the course of one season on Saturday afternoon. In 1995, veteran Steve Park — who went on to compete in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series — scored 10 pole awards while driving for Scotty and Pat Bandzul in car No. 8.
After capturing his eighth pole at Seekonk in September, Coby was awarded his ninth of the season at the Fall Final this past weekend. With a pole at Thompson, he would tie Park’s record. He also currently sits 11th in the all-time poles list.
Thompson has been a dominant track for Coby and his team over the last two years. He swept all four races during 2015 and has finished fourth, 11th and second in the three races at the track in 2016.
There is no better place to go — other than maybe Stafford — for Coby to search a championship. He will continue to etch his name forever into the record books of the tour if he can hoist the trophy on Sunday.
