Column By: PHIL SMITH / RPW – SOUTH BOSTON, VA – The clock is ticking! Two weeks from this coming Saturday the green flag will drop on the 2020 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Series opener on March 21 at the South Boston Speedway in Virginia.
In some good news, Doug Coby will defend his title. As reported by RaceDayCT.com Coby announced the formation of a new team under his ownership, Doug Coby Racing. The team will make its debut on March 21 at South Boston Speedway (VA), the 2020 season opener for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.
Crew chief Phil Moran will remain with Coby, as well as other members of the former Mike Smeriglio Racing crew. With multiple sponsorship commitments for 2020, including from Coby’s primary sponsor of the past few years, Mayhew Tools, the intention of the team is to run the full season schedule on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, and chase Coby’s seventh Tour title.
The decision came in the wake of two of the former Mike Smeriglio Modifieds that had been driven in recent races by Coby, being sold to the family team of New York State driver Tyler Rypkema less than two weeks ago. Coby did secure the purchase of a third and sole remaining car for the new team.
Matt Hirschman, the king of the long haul has indicated that he will be at South Boston for the Mod tour opener and will compete in the Oswego Speedway Whelen Modified Tour Series event. He also indicated that he may partake in the Martinsville event and he may take in the Jennerstown event as the track is near his home. He will support the entire New York based Race of Champions Series and the New England based Tri-Track Series.
Hirschman says there are no plans of running in events at Thompson, Stafford or Loudon at this time.
Competitors at the Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park received a shot in the arm as it has been announced that Liquid Death Mountain Water will be the sponsor of the 46th annual Icebreaker weekend, April 3-5, and has also joined as a sponsor for the entire 2020 season. With a huge influx of money hopefully the speedway management will see fit to restore their weekly purse structure to what it was. Thompson Speedway’s Icebreaker is the annual beginning of the New England racing season, with a practice session on Friday, and two days of racing, headlined by the second race of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season. The Whelen Modified Tour event will be titled the Liquid Death 150 and will take place on Sunday afternoon, airing live on NBC Sports Gold’s TrackPass platform and tape delayed on NBCSN. Following the Icebreaker, Liquid Death will continue with the track for the duration of the 80th season of racing.
Liquid Death puts water, the healthiest beverage on earth, into aluminum cans, the most sustainable container on earth. With a mission to get people to drink more water, Liquid Death is creating one of the first sustainable alternatives to plastic bottled water – while making it fun and entertaining with their name choice.
