NORTH WOODSTOCK, N.H. — Doug Coby’s made plenty of trips to victory lane, but not like Saturday night’s.
The six-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion picked up his first win as a driver/owner, as he piloted the No. 10 Mayhew Tools Chevrolet to the victory in the White Mountain Showdown 200 at White Mountain Motorsports Park.
The 40-year-old from Milford, Conn., picked up his 29th career win and moved into sole possession of sixth on the all-time tour wins list.
Coby had earned his most recent 19 wins with car owner Mike Smeriglio III. They had also paired for five of Coby’s tour championship. Smeriglio retired from racing after the 2019, and after an offseason of uncertainty, elected to form his own team.
Coby started the new era with a seventh in the opener at Jennerstown Speedway in Pennsylvania in June, but ran third in the first race at White Mountain on July 4 and nearly got Matt Hirschman at the line for second on the green-white-checkered.
Saturday night, he wasn’t waiting until the last minute to make his move. After stalking McKennedy through the middle of the race, he took over the lead on lap 135.
Kyle Bonsignore finished second, followed by Matt Swanson.
McKennedy was fourth. McKennedy won the Mayhew Tools Dominator Pole Award earlier in the day and led 133 laps before Coby was able to get by.
Justin Bonsignore rallied from running outside the top 10 in the early stages to finish fifth. He had won the first two races of the season — and three straight dating back to last season’s finale — including the inaugural tour race at White Mountain.
The win moved Coby to within nine points of Justin Bonsignore in the standings, while McKennedy is 16 back of the lead. Craig Lutz and Kyle Bonsignore are each 23 points out of first.
The finish:
Doug Coby, Kyle Bonsignore, Matt Swanson, Jon McKennedy, Justin Bonsignore, Calvin Carroll, Dave Sapienza, Anthony Nocella, Eric Goodale, Ron Silk, Craig Lutz, J.B. Fortin, Tyler Rypkema, Rob Summers, Patrick Emerling, Timmy Catalano, Timmy Solomito, Amy Catalano, Jeff Gallup, Chris Pasteryak, Sam Rameau, Jeremy Gerstner, Woody Pitkat, Tommy Catalano, Walter Sutcliffe Jr., J.R. Bertuccio, Melissa Fifield, Gary Byington.