Coby is a student of his sport and knows the history of NASCAR modified racing. He knows Cook won each of his six championships under the old national championship system, where drivers traveled to various NASCAR-sanctioned tracks to earn points toward the national title.
Coby also knows that Stefanik was far from just a NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour driver. In 1997 and ’98, Stefanik won the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and what was then known as the NASCAR Busch North Series championships. The addition of the Busch North titles gave Stefanik nine NASCAR touring titles.
Then there is Evans, the undisputed king of NASCAR modified racing. Evans won most of his nine NASCAR modified championships under the national championship system. He also won the first NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour title in 1985 and likely would have won more had he not died in a crash at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway at the end of the ’85 season.
When comparing his results to Cook, Stefanik and Evans, Coby doesn’t believe he belongs in the same conversation, though he admits that because of his stats he’ll always be linked with the trio.
“The stats will always have me mentioned with those guys, so it’s an honor, obviously,” Coby said. “I’m always up for a good debate and I’m excited that I’m in a position where people are debating my career as worthy of wherever I stand in the history of modified racing. Some people this year were crazily mentioning the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
“To be the guy they’re debating about, I’m fine with that.”
Evans and Cook are already enshrined in the NASCAR Hall of Fame and Stefanik, who died on Sept. 15 in a plane crash at the age of 61, will likely enter the Hall in the coming years. When asked if his résumé was enough to warrant entry into the NASCAR Hall of Fame, Coby had a very straightforward answer.
“I think you describe legends as people from the past,” Coby said. “Maybe 100 years from now somebody might say, ‘Remember that Coby guy? He’s a legend because he went out and won six championships in eight years.’ So no, I don’t consider myself that. I don’t even know if I consider myself the best modified driver around right now. I don’t necessarily think I’m the most-talented driver behind the wheel.
“The Hall of Fame, I feel like what I’ve done in the modifieds could be a good base, a good foundation for that to be considered down the road if I’m ever able to add some experience in the trucks or the Xfinity Series on top of it.”
At age 40, Coby knows his chances of moving up are slim at best. However, he said in recent years he’s gotten the urge to prove himself in one of NASCAR’s national tours.
“Truthfully, I have this crazy urge in the last two years to go out and prove myself in a truck or Xfinity car, which I never really had before,” Coby said. “I just think it would be really neat to have an opportunity to really represent the modifieds on top of what Ryan Preece is already doing.
“If I ever had a shot in the next X amount of years to go out and run in competitive equipment in the Truck Series or Xfinity Series and can prove myself there, I think then I would maybe have a more solidified opinion on where my career stands.”
Coby’s focus is finding a job before the start of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season on March 21 after Smeriglio opted to retire at the end of last year.
“It’s always been about what’s the next step,” Coby said. “When you win one race you try to win the second. When you finish fifth in points you try to finish third in points and when you finish third in points you try to win the championship. When you win one championship you figure out how you’re going to win a second championship.”
He’s figured out how to win six championships so far and he firmly believes that if he continues to find motivation in the competition and the joy that he feels when he’s racing, he’ll continue winning championships for a very long time.
“My motivation still always centers around the competition side of things and the true, in a sense, joy that I get driving the cars and figuring out how to get it better and communicating and doing my best and my part to make the car go good that day,” Coby said. “I think that’s what helped me have a career that has lasted this long and it’s likely to last even longer because I’m still enjoying driving a race car.”