NEMA Win ‘Another Good Thing’ for Coby
Brockton, MA — The list of Modified drivers who have won a Northeastern Midget Association feature is very short. Defending NASCAR Whelen Modified champion Doug Coby became the third member of the club Sunday winning NEMA’s premier event – the Boston Louie Memorial at Seekonk Speedway.
Coby, driving a Bertrand Motorsports Autocraft-powered Drinan, passed defending champion and Motorsports teammate Randy Cabral with a daring outside move in turn one late in the race.
“It is what it is,” says Coby. “You can add it to a lot of good things that have happened to me. Hopping into the car and winning shows that I’m a versatile race driver. I think that’s something all drivers want to show people.”
The Modified Tour and an SK-Modified commitment at Stafford Motor Speedway remain his priorities and opportunities to get back in the Midget are limted. Seekonk’s Open Wheel Wednesday July 17 is the next possibility. Still, there’s reason to celebrate.
Now, how about the winning move? “It was the only move,” Coby explains. “I’ve driven enough modified races at Seekonk to know it’s a two-lane place.” So with the lap clicking down Coby went to the outside of Cabral exiting four.
[Photo Gallery] by Crystal Snape
Both cars were loose at the time, but Cabral was “terribly” loose. Third place John Zych Jr., who had challenged Coby on a restart a few laps earlier, was very loose as well. Cabral later said he was in “survival mode” after lap 10.
“You try to figure out where your car is gaining,” Coby continues. “You try to discover when your car is better than the other guy, figure out where they are loose and you’re not.” It was, in this case, in turns one and two and up the track – like half a groove up.
“I wanted to pinch Randy a little bit, take away the cushion” continued Coby. “Once I cleared him he really drove it in and it’s tough to do that with a loose race car.” Coby was away and quickly opened a comfortable edge.
He clearly proved he could drive a Midget, turning laps in the high 10s (the SKs were in the low 12s while the tour cars are in the high 11s.).
There was one more reward. Pointing out there is traditionally little contact between the Modifieds and Midgets at a race track, Coby has “seen what it’s like on the other side. Midget guys are constantly working. They don’t stop.”
Hall of Famer Gene Bergin and present Coby foe Ted Christopher are the Modified drivers with NEMA wins. Another Coby foe, Keith Rocco, has a NEMA Lites win.