Curry Picks Up Most Improved Driver Award
Third generation driver Doug Curry was awarded the Most Improved Driver Award at the New London-Waterford (CT) Speedbowl banquet. The Groton, CT driver was ecstatic at receiving the hardware Saturday night.
“It’s huge,” Curry said. “Anybody that was at last night’s banquet will tell you how excited I was to get that award. I feel that our peers are seeing our success for me as a driver, but in our team as a whole as well. And it feels good to get recognized for working hard and stepping it up when it comes to race time.”
Curry finished fifth in Mini Stock points last season with 1 win, 11 top fives, 16 top tens in 22 starts.
[Photo Gallery] by Nicholas Teto
“Overall I am pleased with the outcome. It was my best points finish of my career. … I feel that there was some stuff I could have done better as a driver that maybe could have given us a better points finish. But I just take it and learn from it. But at the end of the day, we achieved every goal we set out for ourselves as a team and that means that it was a good year.”
He opened the season with his first win after five years of trying. He started driving for his father at 16.
“It felt like a dream come true. We struggled for the couple of previous years to try and get good finishes. We were never really a front runner. So to come out of the box last year and dominate the opening race was such a huge deal for me, my team, and family. It took a couple of days to sink in, but when it did it was something that I’ll never forget and will always cherish. Taking my victory lap around the track and seeing everyone in the grandstands and pit area cheering was a great feeling as well.”
Curry will be racing in Mini Stocks full-time at New London-Waterford and Thompson (CT) Speedway Motorsports Park. His crew consists of his dad John Curry, Joe Tupay, Michael Previti, Cory Wisniewski, Geoff Weber, and his girlfriend Caroline Douton. While he is working on additional sponsors, Curry has support from Shantok Motors, Badazz Creative Coatings, Connecticut Asphalt and Sealing, CB Fabrication, Brian Watson Motorsports, First Turn Roger, Thirty Racewear and 32 Signs.
“We’re very excited to get going in the next month or two and want to say thanks to all my friends, family, fans, sponsors, and supporters for cheering me on and getting me where I am today.”
“I’ve been around racing my whole life. … I always helped him on the racecars as a kid.”
His grandfather William T. Curry raced Modifieds in the 1960s. His father drove Mini Stocks in the 1990s before becoming a car owner.
Sources: Nicholas Teto/YankeeRacer.com