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By Souza Media/Kyle Souza
MILFORD, Conn. — At 42-years-old, Doug Coby has six NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championships, 31 tour wins and multiple track championships at Stafford Motor Speedway to his credit. Those are just a few of his accomplishments on his impressive resume — but this Thursday, September 16, Coby knocks another major race off his bucket list.
Coby will make his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut with GMS Racing at Bristol Motor Speedway driving the No. 24 Mayhew Tools entry in the UNOH 200. With no practice laps or qualifying due to NASCAR’s scheduling adjustments due to the COVID pandemic, Coby will have to adapt on the fly, as the Milford, Connecticut, native will start towards the back of the field.
However, Coby is hoping to rely on all of his racing experience — which includes a win in the Superstar Racing Experience (SRX Series) at Stafford earlier this year. On that night, Coby debuted, along with the rest of the series, in new cars, and beat the best of the sport, with names like Tony Stewart, Bill Elliott and Helio Castroneves. That victory helped him earn the ride for his Truck debut. And at Bristol, a place Coby has four top-five finishes in his eight Modified starts, he’s hoping to lean on the fast laps in the open-wheel Modified.
“I think Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, going over the race preparation stuff is when it’s going to hit me that we are going to Bristol and it’s go time,” Coby said. “I don’t have any reason to get stressed out about it, because I don’t know what to expect. If I adapt quickly and get comfortable quickly, we will just go out there and manage the race like we would manage a Modified race. We have to minimize the mistakes. When you’re a short-track guy and get an opportunity, you are representing more than just yourself. Suddenly your rivals become cheerleaders. You want someone from our level to perform well because it validates the tour and everywhere that we grew up racing. Any time one of us gets to do something like this, we are definitely representing the short-track community. To be able to go back to Bristol, it’s a very unique facility. It’s very challenging and very fast. I’m really excited for all of my sponsors and friends, family and everyone involved. Everyone is super excited.”
Coby’s Modified sponsor — Mayhew Tools — will join the Truck for a special red, white and blue, patriotic paint scheme that mirrors what Coby runs in events on the Whelen Modified Tour. The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series UNOH 200 at Bristol is set to take the green flag at 9 p.m., live on Fox Sports 1.
For more information on Doug Coby Racing, visit DougCobyRacing.com and follow the team on Facebook for the latest updates, especially on race day.
About Mayhew Tools
Founded in 1856, Mayhew Tools is the oldest punch and chisel manufacturer in the United States, growing their extensive professional grade, American made product line to include pry bars, pneumatics, cable ties, and more. In 2020, the company extended their product line to include a complete line of dual drive and socket bits and sets. Serving the Industrial, Automotive, Hardware, and Construction industries, Mayhew’s premium hand tools are sold globally through an extensive distributor network. For more information, contact Mayhew Tools at 800.872.0037 or visit Mayhew.com.
About Doug Coby
Racing for more than 25 years, Doug Coby is a six-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion and one of the top short-track drivers to come from the state of Connecticut. Coby is a two-time champion at Stafford Motor Speedway, where he built his resume competing in the Late Models, Pro Stocks and SK Modifieds. Coby won his first tour championship in 2012, and followed it up by scoring four straight titles between 2014-2017, and another in 2019. In 2020, Coby opened his own team — Doug Coby Racing — scoring his first win as owner/driver. In 2021, Coby won the inaugural Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) event at Stafford Motor Speedway, besting top drivers from across a variety of racing disciplines, including Tony Stewart, Bill Elliott and Helio Castroneves.
