Opportunity knocks, Coby answers for NASCAR Whelen Modified win at Daytona

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - Doug Coby was in the right place at the right time and came home with the big prize Tuesday at Daytona International Speedway.

Coby took advantage of a late-race incident involving a dominant Ryan Preece and drove to victory in the NASCAR Whelen Modified-Whelen Southern Modified Tour portion of the UNOH Battle At The Beach on the short track at "The World Center of Racing."

Daytona was Coby's first start in the No. 2 of Mike Smeriglio III Racing. The team won the inaugural UNOH Battle At The Beach a year ago with Steve Park behind the wheel.

The reigning Whelen Modified Tour champion, Preece led the first 147 laps after winning the Coors Light Pole Award earlier in the day. But lap car Dave Sapienza got into Preece on lap 141 to damage his left rear wheel.

On the ensuing restart Preece faded wide in turns 1 and 2 to open the door for Coby, who restarted third. Coby, the 2012 Whelen Modified champion from Milford, CN, then powered to the lead and held off a hard-charging Jason Myers for the victory.

Coby and Myers were followed across the line by Luke Fleming, Preece, Burt Myers.
Rookie Tommy Barrett Jr., Cody Ware, Ron Silk, Eric Goodale and JR Bertuccio.

The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour opens the championship points season April 6 at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park in Thompson, CN. The NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour kicks off March 9 at Caraway Speedway in Sophia, NC.

NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour
NASCAR Southern Modified Tour
Daytona International Speedway - Daytona Beach, FL
UNOH Battle At The Beach - Feb. 18, 2014

Fin Str Car Driver Team Laps Status
1 5 2 Doug Coby Dunleavy's Truck & Trailer Repair Ford 150 Running
2 6 14 Jason Myers SouthernVapesLLC.com E-Cigs Ford 150 Running
3 9 40 Luke Fleming AutosByNelson.com/K. Powell Mtspts. Ford 150 Running
4 1 16 Ryan Preece East West Marine/Diversified Metals Ford 150 Running
5 14 1 Burt Myers Citrusafe/Speedway Auto Auction/Adam's Ford 150 Running
6 15 22 Tommy Barrett, Jr. * Robert B Our Co/Canto & Sons Paving Chevrolet 150 Running
7 13 31 Cody Ware * RaceTrac Chevrolet 150 Running
8 17 6 Ron Silk TS Haulers/Calverton Tree Farm Chevrolet 150 Running
9 3 58 Eric Goodale RBSCorp.com/Heritage Flooring Chevrolet 150 Running
10 22 21 JR Bertuccio Gershow Recycling Chevrolet 150 Running
11 2 4 Donny Lia Mystic Missile Racing Dodge 150 Running
12 7 7 Patrick Emerling Emerling Chevrolet Inc. Chevrolet 150 Running
13 21 99 Jamie Tomaino Supreme Manufacturing Chevrolet 150 Running
14 11 88 John Beatty, Jr. * Meadowbrook Collision Ford 149 Running
15 4 75 Timmy Solomito * Eastport Feeds Chevrolet 147 Running
16 23 15 Rob Fuller 15-40 Connection Chevrolet 146 Running
17 26 36 Dave Sapienza * Frankie's Towing Chevrolet 141 Accident
18 8 51 Justin Bonsignore chem3.com Chevrolet 131 Mechanical
19 12 73 Cole Powell Copps/Tricar/Chester's Goat Milk Chevrolet 129 Rear End
20 10 7 Kyle Benjamin * RainEater Wiper Blades/Menards Chevrolet 106 Suspension
21 24 8 Dalton Baldwin * Children's Dream Racer Chevrolet 98 Mechanical
22 20 00 A.J. Winstead Health Diagnostic/Gator's Dockside Chevrolet 68 Mechanical
23 16 70 Jeremy Gerstner Hog Wild Transp./GMR Lawn Care Chevrolet 56 Running
24 25 71 Jimmy Zacharias * Central States Used Clothing Chevrolet 42 Mechanical
25 19 79 Dave Brigati Coors Light/JDL/Monster Energy Drink Pontiac 10 Mechanical

RACE STATISTICS
Fastest Qualifier: Ryan Preece, Time: 17.414 Seconds, Speed: 76.490 mph
Did Not Qualify: (2) Gary Fountain, Sr., Matt Montineri
Time of Race: 1 hrs., 4 mins, 32 secs Average Speed: 51.601 mph Margin of Victory: 0.322 Seconds
Caution Flags: [Beneficiary in brackets] Laps 18-23 (Car #15 spinout (Turn 4) [88]); 30-34 (Car 88 spinout (Turn 1) [none]); 36-41 (Cars #46, 70 accident (Turn 1) [88]); 43-47 (Cars #15, 88, 99 accident (Turn 3) [none]); 71-78 (Car #00 stopped on track (Turn 4) [58]); 122-127 (Car #4 spinout (Turn 1) [58]); 132-135 (Car #73 stopped on track (Backstretch) [21]); 143-146 (Cars #36, 16 accident (Turn 1) [88]). 8 for 44 laps.
Lap Leaders: Ryan Preece 1-147, Doug Coby 148-150.
Total Laps Led: Ryan Preece 147, Doug Coby 3. 1 changes involving 2 drivers.

*Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender