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RECENTLY
CROWNED NWMT CHAMP HEADING SOUTH FOR A SHOOTOUT
Three-time Champion Coby Looking for North-South Shootout
Win |
 It's
been nearly six years since Doug Coby has taken a
shot at winning the North-South Shootout. The last
time the Milford, Connecticut driver made the trip
south to North Carolina for the end-of-year event
was in 2009 when he finished third at Concord
Speedway.
A lot of things have changed since Coby's last visit
to the North-South Shootout. The race itself was
moved to Sophia, North Carolina's Caraway Speedway
in 2011. He won his first NASCAR Whelen Modified
Tour championship in 2012. Then he won another in
2014. Now, Coby is now fresh off clinching his third
NWMT title last weekend, the race is moving back to
Concord and Coby is making the trip south once again
to compete for the $10,000 payday in the Dunleavy's
Truck and Trailer Repair Modified event November
6-7.
"I'm very excited to get down there," Coby said.
"It's my absolute favorite track to race on, and
it's my favorite end of year race. I'm very glad
that we're going with the 2 car. We're taking the
car that we just won Thompson with."
Coby posted on Facebook that he and his Michael
Smeriglio III Racing Team would be making the trip
south almost immediately after the announcement was
made that the 13th Annual John Blewett III
North-South Shootout was moving back to Concord.
"As soon as I saw it announced I told Phil Moran
(his crew chief) we had to go," said Coby. "There's
very few times that I feel we have to go do
something. I think it was 10 minutes after I saw the
announcement that I turned to Phil and said we have
to go. He absolutely loves that place too."
Doug Coby is eyeing a North-South Shootout win at
Concord.
He explained that the uniqueness of the race track
and the speed that drivers carry there is why he
loves the place so much.
"I think it's crazy fast. When you haul down the
backstretch you're cranking there," he said. "Then
it gets very technical kind of like a quarter-mile
off of turn four when you have to get the car
straight and not spin the tires. It's also very
racy. It's a track that you think you can't pass on,
but once the race starts there's lots of passing."
The 36-year-old driver is just days removed from
clinching his third NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour
championship, his second straight, and also a win at
Connecticut's Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park.
Coby said the two tracks are very similar, and that
has him confident that he can take home the victory.
"I think the momentum from Thompson will definitely
carry over because the setups are very similar," he
said. "We typically run a Thompson setup down there,
and it's been quite some time since Modifieds have
really rumbled around there. We're taking the car
that we just won Thompson with. We should be really
good and it's also more track time and testing for
that chassis. Maybe we'll learn something for
Thompson next year."
Coby won all four races at Thompson this year, but
has yet to win at Concord. Winning this race would
be the ultimate way to cap off a year that has seen
Coby win seven NWMT races and the championship, but
there's more to it than just that. There's also the
fact that this race is run in memory of John Blewett
III, a New Jersey driver considered by many to be
one of the best Modified drivers at the time of his
untimely passing in 2007.
"Winning the race in general would be very special,
but the fact that it is his race makes it even more
special," said Coby. "It's a big deal. I'm glad to
go and be a part of it. It would be a huge deal to
win it."
While Coby and Blewett were never really friends,
Coby said he always looked up to Blewett and learned
a ton from him.
"He was not my best friend," Coby said. "I really
only talked to him a handful of times, but I've
gotten to learn more about him since his passing.
I've gotten much closer with his family because of
it, and I just try my best to have people remember
someone who really deserves it. He's that great of a
driver and I think a lot of us younger guys really
looked up to him because he was so aggressive and
really didn't fear anybody."
In addition to that, Coby wants to win this race
because he wants bring the trophy back to the North,
the area traditionally known as "Modified Country."
"It's definitely a pride thing," Coby said. "They're
very territorial of their southern turf and we want
to go down there and win some money and win another
race track. It's the North-South Shootout. It's a
special race to bring together the best of the two
series. We've proven that we have a really strong
car and if anyone wants to take a shot at it then
that's the place to do it."
Entry forms for the $10,000-to-win John Blewett III
Dunleavy's Truck and Trailer Repair Tour-Type
Modified North-South Shootout event, as well as the
$5,000-to-win Mr. Rooter SK Modified event, are
currently available by visiting
www.northsouthshootout.net.
Practice day kicks off the 13th Annual North-South
Shootout on Thursday, November 5. Additional
practice and qualifying will take place on Friday,
November 6, with the North-South Shootout main
events taking the green flag on Saturday, November
7. The features will consist of a 125-lap race for
the Pro All-Stars Series South Super Late Models, a
60-lap event for the Southeast Trucks, 75-laps for
the Limited Late Models, the Mr. Rooter 50 for the
SK Modifieds and the John Blewett III Memorial 125
for the Dunleavy's Truck and Trailer Repair
Tour-Type Modifieds.
For more on the 13th Annual North-South Shootout,
visit
www.northsouthshootout.net.
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Source:
51 Sports / North-South Shootout
Posted:
October 20, 2015 |
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