NOTEBOOK: Coby’s Mindset Still The Same
Reigning Whelen Modified Champ Wants To End On High Note
THOMPSON, Conn. – Nothing changed once qualifying for the season-ending Sunoco World Series 150 presented by Xtra mart concluded on Saturday afternoon at Thompson Speedway, at least not as far as the two NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship contenders were concerned.
Reigning Tour champion Doug Coby, who is 26 points out of the lead heading into Sunday’s final event, qualified 11th and said it did nothing to alter his game plan – even after seeing the man he trails, Ryan Preece, qualify fifth.
“The reality is, we’ve got to go out there and finish in the Top-2 – preferably lead the most laps and win the race, and I don’t know if our car is going to lead the most laps or win the race,” Coby said Saturday. “It’s one of those things where (Preece) just has to finish, really. He just has to stay out of trouble, and that’s kind of how I was last year. His mindset’s probably a little different, because all he has to do is ride around and wait for six cars to get knocked out of the race and then go race if he wants to.
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“For me, this weekend is probably no different a mindset than anybody else here besides him – I want to try and win the race. It’s the last race of the season. If I can’t celebrate the championship, I’d like to celebrate with a win.”
Coby has just one win in 38 career starts at Thompson, and in the two previous races at the track this season, he’s finished seventh and fourth. Preece has never won at Thompson in his career, despite a stellar qualifying record, but it’s not Thompson where Coby’s title aspirations took a serious hit this season.
Coby was involved in a practice wreck at Riverhead Raceway in late June, and he never started the main event. Coupled with a win he gave up to Preece at Waterford Speedbowl a week earlier and a mid-pack finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in July, it became too many points to spot Preece and overcome.
It went from being what could have been a virtual tie for the point lead following Coby’s win at Stafford Motor Speedway in August to the huge hole the reigning champ is still trying to dig out of.
“I guess to me, that would have changed both of our mindsets from that point on,” Coby said. “But we didn’t race Riverhead, so his mindset’s been his and my mindset’s been mine.
“It’s just little missed opportunities. If you take Waterford, Riverhead and Loudon, those were the chances we had to make up points, and we didn’t capitalize on those chances. We only have ourselves to blame, but it would have been nice if we could have taken advantage of those.”
PREECE READY ‘TO RACE’: Preece saw the question coming long before it was posed, and his answer made it very clear that he’s only taking one approach to the Sunoco World Series 150 at Thompson.
“I’m coming here to race,” Preece said. “Everybody keeps asking me if I’m going to just ride around, but that’s not my style. If (the championship) is meant to be, it’s meant to be. If it’s not, it’s not going to be fun. But I can tell you, I’m planning on being the only one in Victory Lane (on Sunday).”
Preece made an early statement Saturday, posting the fastest time in a 75-minute practice session. He held the provisional pole early in qualifying after being among the first cars to take time, ultimately settling for the fifth spot on Sunday’s starting grid.
He’s one four of 13 races this season, and he has four career Thompson poles.
“Usually, the (season-opening) Icebreaker and the World Series, the track’s pretty much the same,” he said. “In the August race, the cars are usually a little bit freer than you want to be. But the track conditions are working for me right now, and I think we’re going to be pretty stout.
“Thompson’s one of those places where anything could happen, but we have a really good race car. I’m just looking to put this (car) up front.”
SANTOS STRONG: Bobby Santos started his racing career at Thompson Speedway, and the Franklin, Mass., driver has certainly put that experience to good use.
Santos qualified on the pole for the Sunoco World Series 150 – his fifth career pole at the track. He’s also won four times at Thompson, including twice in this event and once more when the Tour last visited here in August.
He’s got the same No. 44 Tinio Racing Chevrolet under him that he had two months ago.
“I think we had a really good car in August, so we would have been crazy to do anything different,” Santos said. “We have the same setup. We just have to not make any mistakes, and I think we’ll have a really good shot at winning the race.”
Last time out in the CARQUEST Fall Final at Stafford – where Santos won in April – Santos won the pole but felt he gave one up in the race. He’s trying to atone for that this weekend.
“It feels really good (to have the pole),” Santos said. “It’s a good way to end the year for us, and if we can do the same thing tomorrow, we’ll be really happy. We kind of missed it at Stafford in the race, so its a good way to rebound for us, to come back and have a strong weekend here at the World Series.”
Sources: Travis Barrett, Special to NASCARHomeTracks.com