Doug Coby Banks $10,000 at Seekonk Open Wheel Wednesday
SEEKONK, MA — Doug Coby now has three $10,000 checks signed by Action Track of the East in his career.
Coming into Wednesday, June 29, Coby had scored the victory at the annual Open Wheel Wednesday modified event in 2011 and 2013.
Coby grabbed his third trophy from Seekonk Speedway by winning round one of 2016 for the NorthEast Race Cars and Parts Tri-Track Open Modified Series Wednesday evening, behind the wheel of his No. 2 Dunleavy Truck and Trailer Repair, LFR Chassis mount.
“I wasn’t even planning on getting out front, I was going to just ride fifth for a lot of the race then those guys gave me the room,” Coby said following his victory.
“Whether I’m going to win or not, in the end, I wanted to be in the lead and be in control, I’ve always said that about these open shows. It’s easy for guys to roll up to your bumper here at Seekonk but when they go to pass you they just slide the rear end.”
Coby was slated to go off seventh based on where he finished in his qualifying heat race, but during the redraw on the track prior to the green, he drew a fourth behind the wheel of his No. 2.
He worked inside the top-five for much of the early portion of the race, riding fifth while drivers in front of him tangled for the lead. He started making his move on lap 30 when he slid by Jon McKennedy to fourth. Then, Coby made a move to the bottom, three-wide and quickly jumped to second.
He wheeled his No. 2 to the advantage over the rest of the field on a lap 40 restart and never looked back for the remaining of the event. He held off challenges from McKennedy, Justin Bonsignore and Ron Silk in the final stages and captured his first career win on the Tri-Track Open Modified Series.
“This is huge LFR Chassis and all of my team,” Coby said. “It was up in the air what car I was going to come with. This is a great series, Dick Williams, James Schaefer and these guys put a lot of time and money into these shows.”
Silk, who started outside the top-10 behind the wheel of his No. 50, quickly worked this way through the field and was inside the top-five by the time the field hit the halfway point. He was all over the back bumper of Coby in the final laps, but couldn’t find the way around to the big payday.
“Doug did a good job of protecting the bottom like you have to do to win the race,” Silk said. “I could roll the top and get to his right rear, but I was just that much tight that I couldn’t hold him down and get by. It was good hard racing in the front all night and really clean.”
Rowan Pennink drove the Gary Casella-owned No. 25 to a third place run and he was followed across the line by Les Hinckley, who piloted a Wayne Darling No. 52. Rounding out the top-five was Matt “Money” Hirschman.
The NorthEast Race Cars and Parts Tri-Track Open Modified Series gets back on track at Star Speedway for the SBM coming up on July 30.
For more information, visit www.tritrackopenmodifiedseries.com
Tri-Track 100 Feature Finish: Doug Coby, Ron Silk, Rowan Pennink, Les Hinckley, Matt Hirschman, Woody Pitkat, Richard Savary, Eric Berndt, Jon McKennedy, Dwight Jarvis, Dennis Perry, Chris Pasteryak, Keith Rocco, Andy Jankowiak, Todd Szegedy, Andy Seuss, Kirk Alexander, Todd Annarummo, Calvin Carroll, Branden Dion, Anthony Sesely, Dan Meservey Jr., Justin Bonsignore, Jeff Rocco, Carl Mederios Jr., Tommy Barrett
Tri-Track B-Main Feature Finish: Carl Mederios Jr., Earl Paules, Mike Holdridge, Troy Talman, Roger Coss, Austin Kochenash, Mike Benevides, Jeff Gallup, Eddie LeClerc, Ken Bouchard, Mike Douglas Jr., Dick Houlihan
Tri-Track Consi #2 Finish: Les Hinckley, Branden Dion, Andy Seuss, Earl Paules, Mike Douglas Jr., Jeff Gallup, Dick Houlihan, Troy Talman, Eddie LeClerc
Tri-Track Consi #1 Finish: Matt Hirschman, Jeff Rocco, Dennis Perry, Roger Coss, Mike Benevides, Carl Mederios Jr., Mike Holdridge
Heat Race #1: Todd Annarummo, Keith Rocco, Chase Dowling, Woody Pitkat, Austin Kochenash, Eddie LeClerc, Mike Benevides
Heat Race #2: Ron Silk, Doug Coby, Andy Jankowiak, Tommy Barrett, Branden Dion, Dennis Perry, Earl Paules, Andy Seuss
Heat Race #3: Anthony Sesely, Richard Savary, Justin Bonsignore, Kirk Alexander, Jeff Rocco, Les Hinckley, Ken Bouchard, Mike Holdridge
Heat Race #4: Rowan Pennink, Chris Pasteryak, Calvin Carroll, Dwight Jarvis, Dick Houlihan, Matt Hirschman, Mike Douglas Jr., Jeff Gallup
Heat Race #5: Jon McKennedy, Todd Szegedy, Eric Berndt, Dan
Meservey, Roger Coss, Troy Talman, Carl Mederios, Ted Christopher
THE FOLLOWING WERE STARTING LINEUPS ON WEDNESDAY:
Heat 1
57Rocco-13Dowling
12Annarummo-66Kochenash
52Pitkat-40LeClerc
85Benevides
Heat 2
50Silk-27Jankowiak
8Paules-70Seuss
04-Dion-76Perry
2Coby-44Barrett
Heat 3
47Bouchard-0Holdridge
1Sesely-52Hinckley
28Rocco-21Bonsignore
43Alexander-99Savary
Heat 4
25Pennink-80Houlihan
39Carroll-60Hirschman
28Jarvis-15ctPasteryak
23Douglas-4Gallup
Heat 5
17Coss-29McKennedy
50Mederios-85Szegedy
16Berndt-00Christopher
3Talman-45Meservey
Consi 1
66Kochenash-28Rocco
17Coss-76Perry
60Hirschman-85Benevides
47Bouchard-50Mederios
0Holdridge
Consi 2
04Dion-80 Houlihan
40LeClerc-52Hinckley
3Talman-8Paules
23Douglas-70Seuss
4Gallup
Tri-Track 100 Feature Lineup
25Pennink-29McKennedy
12Annarummo-2Coby
99Savary-57Rocco
1Sesely-52Hinckley
15ctPasteryak-85Szegedy
13Dowling-27Jankowiak
21Bonsignore-39Carroll
16Berndt-52Pitkat
44Barrett-43Alexander
28Jarvis-45Meservey
60Hirschman-52Hinckley
28Jarvis-04Dion
76Perry-70Seuss
50Mederios
Sources: Kyle Souza/NorthEast Race Cars and Parts Tri-Track Open Modified Series PR