Coby Makes Late-Race Pass for Stafford Win
Veteran Gains Lead Late To Win TSI Harley-Davidson 125
STAFFORD, Conn. – Doug Coby slipped past Bobby Santos eight laps from the finish to win the TSI Harley-Davidson 125 at Stafford Motor Speedway on Friday and become the driver with more than one win this season.
Coby’s first win came in the tour's first visit to Stafford last month.
For the Milford, Conn., driver – who was making his 118th start – it marked his fourth career win and his third victory on Stafford’s half-mile oval.
The driver of the No. 52 Reynolds Auto Wrecking/Furnace & Duct Chevrolet started fifth but had to pit on Lap 27 under caution for a flat right front tire. He charged back and chased down Santos, who had won the Coors Light Pole Award earlier in the day and led the race from the drop of the green. Coby closed in on the leader with 10 laps to go and on his second attempt slipped by for the lead.
[Photo Gallery] by Nicholas Teto
Santos held on for second, followed by Ron Silk, Todd Szegedy and Rowan Pennink. Keith Rocco, Ted Christopher, Woody Pitkat, Jimmy Blewett and Justin Bonsignore completed the top 10.
Coby previously won the Spring Sizzler at Stafford in 2006 and earlier this year. With Friday night's win, Coby took the points lead over defending champion Silk by five points after four events.
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will be back in action when it visits Waterford (Conn.) Speedbowl for the first time since 2006 for the Mr. Rooter 161 on Saturday, June 23.
Sources: Kevin W. Green/NASCAR PR
NWMT Stafford 5/25/12 Unofficial Results
Whelen Modified Tour
Race: NWMT Stafford 5/25/12
Fin Str Car Driver Team Laps Points B/Points Status
1 5 52 Doug Coby Reynolds Auto Wrkg/Furnace & Duct Chevrolet 125 47 4 Running
2 1 44 Bobby Santos III Imperial Cars/Tinio Corp. Chevrolet 125 44 2 Running
3 9 6 Ron Silk Reynolds Auto Wrkg/Schnitzer Chevrolet 125 41 Running
4 14 2 Todd Szegedy Dunleavy Repair/A&J Romano Const. Ford 125 40 Running
5 6 93 Rowan Pennink Monk Mechanics Hand Cleaner Chevrolet 125 39 Running
6 16 3 Keith Rocco * Wheelers Auto/Silver Dollar Const. Chevrolet 125 38 Running
7 11 36 Ted Christopher Al-Lee Installations Chevrolet 125 37 Running
8 21 11 Woody Pitkat TSI Harley Davidson/Spectro Oils of America Ford 125 36 Running
9 13 76 Jimmy Blewett John Blewett Inc/Reynolds Auto Wkng/Ling Trucking 125 35 Running
10 20 51 Justin Bonsignore M3 Technology Chevrolet 125 34 Running
11 4 16 Ryan Preece Sanderson MacLeod/Monster Energy/Diversified Mtls 125 33 Running
12 15 64 Ron Yuhas, Jr. Haymond Law Firm/DreamRide.org Chevrolet 125 32 Running
13 8 45 Eric Beers Horwith Freightliner/John Blewett Inc Ford 125 31 Running
14 18 28 Ed Flemke, Jr. Ron Bouchard's Autos/Raceworks TV Chevrolet 125 30 Running
15 2 46 Eric Berndt Cape Cod Agts/North End Auto Parts Chevrolet 125 29 Running
16 12 58 Eric Goodale Riverhead Building Supply Chevrolet 125 28 Running
17 10 07 Patrick Emerling Emerling Chevrolet Chevrolet 125 27 Running
18 23 79 Jon McKennedy Hill Enterprises/Coors Light Pontiac 125 26 Running
19 3 88 Bryon Chew Buzz Chew Chevrolet/The Elbow East Restaurant 125 25 Running
20 7 4 Donny Lia Mystic Missile Racing Dodge 125 24 Running
21 22 18 Ken Heagy Buoy One Seafood/MacLad Drywall Ford 125 23 Running
22 26 26 Gary McDonald Lakeland Landscape /TRC Electric Pontiac 124 22 Running
23 25 33 Wade Cole Perf. Engines/Kendall Oil,/Ryan's Chevrolet 124 21 Running
24 19 39 Richie Pallai, Jr CARQUEST Filters/Bosch Spark Plugs Chevrolet 124 20 Running
25 17 99 Jamie Tomaino Supreme Manufacturing Chevrolet 123 19 Running
26 24 66 Mike Stefanik Robert B. Our Co. Chevrolet 2 18 Engine
RACE STATISTICS
Fastest Qualifier: Bobby Santos III, Time: 18.205 Seconds, Speed: 98.874 mph
Time of Race: 51 mins, 46 secs Average Speed: 72.440 mph Margin of Victory: 1.000 Seconds
Caution Flags: Laps 25-28; 33-37; 59-62; 78-81; 90-93. 5 for 21 laps.
Lap Leaders: Bobby Santos III 1-117, Doug Coby 118-125.
Total Laps Led: Bobby Santos III 117, Doug Coby 8. 1 changes involving 2 drivers.
Top 5 Driver Points: Doug Coby 172, Ron Silk 167, Ryan Preece 155, Jimmy Blewett 145, Justin Bonsignore 143
* Denotes Rookie of the Year Contender