Coby Drives Way Back to the Top
Second Whelen Modified Title In Three Years; Preece Wins Finale
THOMPSON, Conn. — It was the worst finish of the season for Doug Coby. But in the end, it didn’t matter, as the Milford, Connecticut driver lifted the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour trophy for the second time in three seasons Sunday.
The 35-year-old finished 17th and two laps down in the season finale Sunoco World Series 150 presented by Xtra Mart at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park. The race was won by defending tour champion Ryan Preece.
It was Coby and the No. 2 Dunleavy’s Repair/HEX Performance/Fox Shocks Chevrolet team, though, who earned the big trophy on the strength of an outstanding season that included a win and nine top fives in 13 races. Coby, who finished second in points to Preece last year, kicked off 2014 with a win in the non-points UNOH Battle At The Beach at Daytona International Speedway.
Donny Lia finished as the runner-up behind Preece Sunday, followed by Rowan Pennink, Ron Silk and Justin Bonsignore.
Matt Hirschman, Spencer Davis, Eric Goodale, Max Zachem and 2014 Sunoco Rookie of the Year Timmy Solomito rounded out the top 10.
Preece led twice for a race-high 137 laps, including the final 73. A late caution pushed the race to 151 laps.
It was Preece’s first win at Thompson after four runner-up finishes at the .625-mile banked oval. Earlier in the day, Preece wrapped up the track’s NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Sunoco Modified Division championship.
Ted Christopher, the 2008 tour champion, entered the event as the closest challenger to Coby. Christopher, however, was involved in a wreck and finished 10 laps down in 20th.
With his win, Preece jumped up to finish second in points – 22 behind Coby. Bonsignore finished third, five points back of Preece, while Silk and Christopher completed the top five. Second through fifth were separated by nine points.
The Sunoco World Series 150 presented by Xtra Mart will air on FOX Sports 1 on Nov. 1 at 10 a.m.
Coby will be honored for his championship season along with NASCAR’s other touring series champions on Saturday, Dec. 12 at the NASCAR Touring Series Awards in the Grand Ballroom of the Charlotte (N.C.) Convention Center at the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
RESULTS | RACE CENTRAL LIVE REPLAY | VICTORY LANE AUDIO: RACE WINNER RYAN PREECE | VICTORY LANE AUDIO: CHAMPION DOUG COBY | VIDEO: RACE WINNER RYAN PREECE PRESS CONFERENCE
NWMT Thompson 10/19/14 Results
Whelen Modified Tour
Race: NWMT Thompson 10/19/14
Fin Str Car Driver Team Laps Points B/Points Status
1 2 16 Ryan Preece Sanderson MacLeod/Diversified Metals Ford 151 48 5 Running
2 5 4 Donny Lia Mystic Missile Racing Dodge 151 42 Running
3 16 93 Rowan Pennink Monk Mechanics Hand Cleaner Chevrolet 151 42 1 Running
4 12 6 Ron Silk TS Haulers/Calverton Tree Farm Chevrolet 151 40 Running
5 10 51 Justin Bonsignore chem3.com Chevrolet 151 39 Running
6 24 52 Matt Hirschman B.C. Brennenstuhl/L.I. Mod Maniac Chevrolet 151 38 Running
7 15 79 Spencer Davis * Hillbilly Racing/Coors 21 Means 21 Pontiac 151 37 Running
8 17 58 Eric Goodale GAF Roofing/RBSCorp.com Chevrolet 151 36 Running
9 19 20 Max Zachem * Dunleavy’s Repair/Lu-Mac’s Chevrolet 151 35 Running
10 11 75 Timmy Solomito * Eastport Feeds/Axel Anderson Inc. Chevrolet 151 34 Running
11 9 07 Patrick Emerling Emerling Chevy/Buffalo Auto Auction Chevrolet 151 33 Running
12 3 22 Tommy Barrett, Jr. * Canto Paving/Ferguson Waterworks Chevrolet 151 33 1 Running
13 20 99 Jamie Tomaino Dunleavy’s Repair/Atlantic Sprinkler Chevrolet 151 31 Running
14 34 43 David Calabrese DiamondBack Towing/Dunleavy’s Repair Chevrolet 151 30 Running
15 25 14 John Beatty, Jr. * ElevatorEntrance.com Chevrolet 151 29 Running
16 28 33 Wade Cole Perf. Engines/Kendall Oil/Ryan’s Chevrolet 149 28 Running
17 4 2 Doug Coby Dunleavy’s Repair/HEX Perf./Fox Chevrolet 149 27 Running
18 13 8 Glen Reen Reflex Energy/Baja Construction Chevrolet 146 26 Accident
19 22 17 Kyle Ellwood * Riverhead Building Supply Chevrolet 141 25 Running
20 8 13 Ted Christopher Mr. Rooter/CT&E Chevrolet 140 24 Accident
21 23 3 Troy Talman * DCU/B&G Toys & Trains/NAPA Chevrolet 137 23 Accident
22 32 01 Melissa Fifield * Big Moose RV Chevrolet 133 22 Running
23 36 82 Danny Watts, Jr. Horton Avenue Materials Chevrolet 131 21 Electrical
24 14 15 Todd Szegedy 15-40 Connection/LFR Chassis Chevrolet 130 20 Running
25 30 38 Dave Salzarulo * Perf. Engines/Kendall Oil/Ryan’s Chevrolet 120 19 Accident
26 26 29 James Civali Hillbilly Racing/Coors Light Pontiac 116 18 Accident
27 18 35 Derek Ramstrom * Matthew’s Truck Svc./Seekonk GP Chevrolet 115 17 Accident
28 6 44 Bobby Santos Tinio Racing/Dan Kelley VL Stables Chevrolet 98 16 Alternator
29 27 5 Dave Sapienza * Frankie’s Towing/Heller Construction Chevrolet 98 15 Accident
30 31 18 Ken Heagy Buoy One Seafood Chevrolet 91 14 Rear End
31 29 26 Gary McDonald Lakeland Landscape/TRC Electric Pontiac 91 13 Handling
32 35 69 Jason Agugliaro * Tom O’Keefe & Sons/Bruneau Engines Chevrolet 80 12 Handling
33 7 48 Keith Rocco Wheelers Auto/Mr. Rooter Chevrolet 45 11 Carburetor
34 33 36 Frank Vigliarolo, Jr. Frankie’s Towing Chevrolet 26 10 Accident
35 1 88 Woody Pitkat Buzz Chew Chevrolet/Elbow East Restaurant 17 10 1 Accident
36 21 64 Shawn Solomito * Cystic Fibrosis Fdn./Acme Sanitary Chevrolet 2 8 Power Steering
RACE STATISTICS
Race Comments: Ryan Preece won the NAPA Fall Final 150, his 10th career NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victory overall, and third at Stafford Motor Speedway. Prior to green flag, the following cars dropped to the rear under penalty for the reason indicated: #33 Wade Cole, #36 Frank Vigliarolo Jr. (unapproved adjustments).
Fastest Qualifier: Woody Pitkat, Time: 18.816 Seconds, Speed: 119.579 mph
Time of Race: 1 hrs., 14 mins, 26 secs Average Speed: 76.075 mph Margin of Victory: 0.689 Seconds
Caution Flags: [Beneficiary] Laps 17-21 (Cars #26, 88, 13 accident (Turn 1) [01]); 49-54 (Car #8 spinout (Turn 4) [18]); 70-74 (Car #8 spinout (Turn 2) [13]); 100-107 (Car #5 accident (Frontstretch) [22]); 117-120 (Cars #29, 3, 35 accident (Turn 2) [none]); 122-127 (Cars #93, 75, 07, 38, 3 accident (Turn 4) [14]); 140-142 (Cars #13, 22 accident (Turn 2) [none] (Red Flag 3 mins.)); 145-148 (Car #2 stalled (Turn 3) [01]). 8 for 41 laps.
Lap Leaders: Woody Pitkat 1-8, Ryan Preece 9-72, Tommy Barrett, Jr. * 73-77, Rowan Pennink 78, Ryan Preece 79-151.
Total Laps Led: Ryan Preece 137, Woody Pitkat 8, Tommy Barrett, Jr. * 5, Rowan Pennink 1. 4 changes involving 4 drivers.
CONTINGENCY AWARDS
COCA-COLA MOVE OF THE RACE AWARD: David Calabrese, 43 DiamondBack Towing/Dunleavy’s Repair Chevrolet
COORS LIGHT POLE AWARD: Woody Pitkat, 88 Buzz Chew Chevrolet/Elbow East Restaurant Chevrolet
SUNOCO ROOKIE OF THE RACE AWARD: Spencer Davis *, 79 Hillbilly Racing/Coors 21 Means 21 Pontiac
WHELEN WINNER OF THE RACE AWARD: Ryan Preece, 16 Sanderson MacLeod/Diversified Metals Ford
* Denotes Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender
Sources: Jason Cunningham, NASCAR PR