|
|
|
12/10/2012 |
|
|
 .
NASCAR WHELEN MODIFIED TOUR CHAMPIONS HONOR CEREMONIES
Doug Coby Top Dog
for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour
.
by
Denise DuPont
..
|
The 2012 NWMT race season is officially ended this weekend with the honoring
of Champions in Charlotte, NC. NASCAR award ceremonies were held in the
Crown Ballroom of the Charlotte Convention Center portion of the NASCAR Hall
of Fame complex. Saturday’s celebrations were held for drivers from the top
ranks of NASCAR’s Touring Division. During ceremonies top performers were
recognized for their 2012 accomplishments.
 Doug
Coby and the race team of the #52 Reynolds Auto Wrecking/Furnace & Duct
Supply/Sims Metal Management, Wayne Darling owned Chevrolet made the
decision to run full time in 2012 with the NWMT division. Previously the
team had run a part time schedule fitting races in where they could. With a
full-time race schedule before them this year, the team immediately did what
they could to identify themselves as a front contender -- Coby won the
CARQUEST Spring Sizzler at Stafford Motor Speedway.
The team’s work paid off in October after Thompson Speedway’s World Series
racing completed. Coby crossed the line sixth and eleven points higher than
the second place runner, Ryan Preece. That was enough to officially crown
the Milford, CT driver the 2012 NASCAR Whelen Modified Champion.
“My guys just really worked hard all year,” said Doug Coby during
Charlotte’s Champion’s breakfast event. “They always gave me a good car and
they always tried to make it better even if we were not good. And that is
what I think really brought it home for us. We never quit or never stopped.
When we were good we kept working and when we bad we kept working. It has
been awesome. It is a huge deal obviously to win a championship. It is
really neat to be here and have all these guys kind of get to be a part of
the whole NASCAR Championship week.”
The #52 team started the 2012 race season with seven podium finishes in a
row. Then the team had a seventh place finish at Bristol Motor Speedway
followed by a thirteenth place finish at Thompson International Speedway and
a blown engine at Riverhead Raceway. The team did not give up but re-group
and came back strong. “We had such a good start to the season that we all
knew that anything could happen at any time. We knew that we were really
strong even when we had problems. So it was just something where you have to
make a decision on what are you going to do about it.”
”Each race is different and just because you blew a motor at Riverhead does
not mean that something bad is going to happen at Stafford.” Coby said
reflecting on their pinnacle of bad luck. “I think that you really have to
learn in this business how to respond when things go poorly. Everybody
always tries to make their things go best but the ultimate championship
teams are built on the idea of those who can rise to the challenge when
things go bad.”
 NWMT
Champion car owner, Wayne Darling, along with his crew chief and longtime
friend, John McKenna, made the decision to take the chance for a full-time
modified team this year. They knew the choice also meant an opportunity for
more risks, but the team needed to give it a try because they were ready to.
“We thought that we would give it a shot the first full time that we have
attempted with the modifieds and it turned out well. I am very pleased with
the results and everything fell into place all year long. We were very
fortunate”.
The team started out the year with what looked like a dream season and then
a few setbacks started happening. But Darling kept the team spirit’s up and
used his experience to encourage them to go forward. “I have always waited
for the other shoe to drop because it has always been that way in all my
racing endeavors throughout the years. Things that can happen, happen and
things that cannot happen, happen. I have seen things that have never
happened to anyone else happen to us. I just go through it and it is parts
of racing.”
With a smile on his face, Darling accepted the Owner’s Champion Trophy and
accolades for his dedication and support of racing. “This championship is
the highlight of my racing career. At the beginning of the year when we had
seven podiums in a row that to me was our highlight. From what I am hearing
we are going to try to do it again next year. It will be just like we said
last year. We will go and see how it goes.”
 Ryan
Preece took over the seat of the #16 Diversified Metals/R.B.
Enterprises/East West Marine Ford full time in 2012. This was an exciting
opportunity for Preece and from the beginning he called it and answer to his
dreams. Preece had a strong year with six poles, two wins and finished as a
second place runner for the NWMT Championship. But in the end the team was
just those eleven points out of a Championship. “It is not disappointing; it
is just hard to swallow. It was really like it was a first year team for us
to be together and we had a great year. It is just that Doug earned it. He
wanted the championship bad enough, just as bad as I did, so it made it
interesting. I know next year we will make it interesting again.”
Preece finds race tracks places that he can go to in order to unwind and
enjoy some time away from the rest of the world. “It is a lot of fun when
you go to the race track. It is a place where I do not get stressed. So
racing is something definitely good for me. There will be a lot of
preparation now for the planned 2013 schedule.”
Car Owner Eric Sanderson is very happy that Ryan Preece joined his race team
full-time in this year. Sanderson finished the Owner Point standings second.
“We did great this year. Even better than I expected having a new driver
coming into a team that he has never been with. He just did an extraordinary
job. All the guys worked really hard and we just had a lot of fun.”
 Ron
Silk started 2012 with a win at Thompson’s Ice Breaker ready to make it two
championships in a row. But the team had their share of racing challenges
during the season. Silk did go into the last race of the season with a long
shot chance at the tour championship. But a late race incident forced Silk
to settle for an eleventh place finish and it also pushed Silk back to third
in the championship run. “We had a real good year this year. The team did a
good job and we tried a lot of stuff throughout the year so in the end
things worked out all right.”
The team did chalk up a major win at Bristol Motor Speedway which ended
their battle to conquer the track. “The highlight of the team’s year was our
win at Bristol. That was a typical place to try to win a race at especially
as a team where we have struggled there the last few years. And to be able
to go there and win was very gratifying.”
This season Keith Rocco took over the wheel
 of
the Legendary Jan Boehler #3 modified. Rocco was a contender in the
beginning of the season, but a wrist injury sidelined the racer for a
portion of the year. Rocco returned at the end of the season though and
clenched the “Sunoco Rookie of the Year” honors.
“I am real happy that I received the Rookie title since you only have one
shot at it. To be able to squeak by and just get the eight races in is a
good thing. I would not have been able to do it without the Boehler’s and I
cannot forget about Katon (Robert) letting me borrow that car for one race
to try to make a start. But the season worked out for everybody.”
The 2012 race season has now come to an end and the 2013 schedule is
available for everyone to start their planning and dreams on what the New
Year will bring. Have a joyous, safe and happy holiday season and we will
see back in February as we head to Daytona Speedway for the Inaugural Race
At The Beach”.
Notes from Charlotte Night of Champion
Touring Awards (NWMT):
The trip top Charlotte and the Champion week climax the #52 team’s
dream season with stellar experiences and memories.
Doug Coby
“We had a lot of cool things to do and had a lot of nice dinners. We have
done a lot of things that people do not typically get to do. We saw Rick
Hendricks personal car collection that only X amount of people are allowed
to see, it was kind of neat. It is one of the greatest things ever and it is
really special. Everybody has said it was one of the best things ever and it
is really special and a real worldwind. It seems like it was Tuesday a few
minutes ago. It has been a long week and we have had stuff to do every day
so it is pretty cool.”
What are you plans for 2013 Race Season?
Doug Coby
As far as plans for next year: “We will wait and see what the schedule has
for us. If the schedule is similar to last year we will probably be back
full time. If something is drastically different Wayne and John will sit
down and decide on what they think is manageable. I will say that you will
probably see us back doing the same thing but you never know things can
change.
Ryan Preece
“I am looking forward to next year and hopefully we can keep doing what we
did this year and maybe even do a little bit better.”
Eric Sanderson, #16 NWMT car owner
“Next year we are going to be there again to run the full tour and we will
be in Daytona to start with even though it is not a point race we will be
there. We are going to have some fun next year.”
Ron Silk
“Next year we will do the same thing except and we will try to win the NWMT
Championship again.”
What gives you the zest to do what you can in racing?
Wayne Darling
“I grew up with racing. From when I was three years old, my father ran SCCA
Races. My father would pick me up from school on Friday and we would travel
all night to Virginia, Maryland and even Daytona for races. Then he would
drive all night to get me back to school in the morning. My father had a
very successful road racing career but work came first so he never took it
to the next level. I have had the opportunity to though to take things to
the next level.” |
|
|
Source: Denise DuPont / TheChromeHorn.com
Posted: December
10, 2012 |
|
|
