SEEKONK, Mass. — Doug Coby seems to be back in prime form.
The five-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion returned to victory lane for the third time in the first six races of the season on Saturday at Seekonk Speedway. Coby started from the pole, and although he was passed early by Matt Hirschman, the Milford, Connecticut, driver wasn’t going to be denied.
He dominated the Seekonk 150, scoring his 27th Whelen Modified Tour win and second at the Massachusetts third-mile.
“I think obviously we are establishing ourselves as a really dominant car at all different size tracks,” Coby said. “We have been on our game and picked up our game everywhere (compared to last year). It’s a long season, and we just need to make sure we keep learning if we are going to be the ones to keep winning races.”
Coby’s dominance was clear throughout the entire day. Although he was fourth in practice, Coby showed the speed under the hood of the No. 2 Mayhew Tools Chevrolet in qualifying, scoring his third Mayhew Tools Dominator Pole Award of the season.
Once the green flag waved, it was Coby’s race to lose. After he passed Hirschman for the lead on lap 15, the veteran never looked back. Coby now has four top five finishes in six starts at Seekonk.
“I want to start on the front row here anytime I can,” Coby said. “You can just get out front and if you made the right adjustments like we did, and you can get out front, you can ride around out front and wait for every caution. I was running three 50 lap races in my head. At the end of each 50, I was just trying to get the end of the next 50.”
Defending series champion Justin Bonsignore started eighth, but made moves through the front of the field and finished second. After winning the Seekonk 150 last year, Bonsignore found himself chasing Coby in the final laps, but couldn’t quite get the run he needed to get back to victory lane.
Craig Lutz was third, scoring his second podium finish of the season. Ron Silk continued his early success with a fourth-place finish, while Timmy Solomito scored his first top five since Riverhead Raceway last September, in fifth.
The finish:
Doug Coby, Justin Bonsignore, Craig Lutz, Ron Silk, Timmy Solomito, Chris Pasteryak, Anthony Nocella, Matt Swanson, Patrick Emerling, Andrew Krause, Woody Pitkat, Matt Hirschman, Max Zachem, Tommy Catalano, Blake Barney, J.B. Fortin, Chase Dowling, Sam Rameau, Jimmy Blewett, Gary Putnam, Timmy Catalano, Calvin Carroll, Wade Cole, Ken Heagy, Eric Goodale, Jeff Rocco, Melissa Fifield, Rob Summers.