Mechanical Issue Pushes Doug Coby To 13th Place Finish at Richmond Raceway
RICHMOND, Va. – In many ways, the second round of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season looked to be shaping up like another strong podium finish for Doug Coby and Tommy Baldwin Racing. In the Mayhew Tools No. 7NY, Coby qualified sixth on Friday for the Virginia is For Racing Lovers 150 at Richmond Raceway, but mother nature brought rain, winning the night, and rescheduling the race for Saturday, April 1.
At the outset of the event, which took place after the NASCAR Xfinity Series race, Coby rode inside the top-five, and it wasn’t long before a round of pit stops in the middle of the race that Coby was out front and pulling away from his challengers. However, a caution just inside the final 50 laps stacked the field up again and Coby was chasing the back of eventual first-time race winner Austin Beers on the restart.
While running second after the restart is when the day changed. The handling on the car drastically turned where Coby was lacking grip. The crew did find an oil leak after the race. Coby drove what he had left to finish 13th in the 150-lap race.
“The handling of the car was drastically different just after the last restart,” Coby said. “I don’t know if I had anything for the 64 (Beers) to try and win, but I had a strong top-three or top-five finish at least before we had that happen. By the end of the race, I just had no grip. Thanks to the Mayhew Tools and TBR guys for working hard over what ended up being two days at the track.”
The next event on the calendar for Doug Coby and the Tommy Baldwin Racing, Mayhew Tools No. 7NY team together is at Stafford Motor Speedway on April 29-30 for the NAPA Spring Sizzler, a $20,000-to-win race.
For more information on Doug Coby, visit DougCobyRacing.com and follow the team on Facebook. Fans can also follow Mayhew Tools on social media or visit them online at MayhewTools.com.
ABOUT MAYHEW TOOLS
Founded in 1856, Mayhew Tools is the oldest punch and chisel manufacturer in the United States, growing their extensive professional grade, American-made product line to include pry bars, pneumatics, cable ties, and more. In 2020, the company extended their product line to include a complete line of dual drive and socket bits and sets. Serving the Industrial, Automotive, Hardware, and Construction industries, Mayhew’s premium hand tools are sold globally through an extensive distributor network. For more information, contact Mayhew Tools at 800.872.0037 or visit Mayhew.com.
ABOUT DOUG COBY
Racing for more than 25 years, Doug Coby is a six-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion and one of the top short-track drivers to come from the state of Connecticut. Coby is a two-time champion at Stafford Motor Speedway, where he built his resume competing in the Late Models, Pro Stocks, and SK Modifieds. Coby won his first tour championship in 2012, and followed it up by scoring four straight titles between 2014-2017, and another in 2019. In 2020, Coby opened his own team — Doug Coby Racing — scoring his first win as owner/driver. In 2021, Coby won the inaugural Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) event at Stafford Motor Speedway, besting top drivers from across a variety of racing disciplines, including Tony Stewart, Bill Elliott, and Helio Castroneves. He also made his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut in 2021 with GMS Racing at Bristol Motor Speedway. In 2022, Coby won three races with Tommy Baldwin Racing as part of a part-time effort on the Whelen Modified Tour. In 2023, he will pilot the No. 7NY for Tommy Baldwin Racing full-time on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour to chase a seventh title.
Sources: Kyle Souza, Souza Media
Noah Watts photo