SRX’s debut presents a nostalgic aura and a local hero’s triumph

Ryan Preece did it four years ago with Joe Gibbs Racing in the Xfinity Series. Josh Berry did it two months ago with JR Motorsports at Martinsville Speedway. And on Saturday night, Doug Coby had his moment in the national limelight at none other than his home track of Stafford Motor Speedway in Connecticut.

Coby, the six-time champion of NASCAR’s Whelen Modified Tour, has been a staple of short-track racing excellence throughout his career. But the New England native has never had the attention that drivers who compete in national series get. In the Modified community, he’s regarded as one of the best in history, but when would he get a chance to show the entire country what his capabilities are?

That opportunity came when he drove to victory in the inaugural Superstar Racing Experience event at Stafford. He beat IndyCar champions and NASCAR champions in a spec car at the place he has dominated for years.

There are hundreds of short-track racers worldwide just like him that may never get the chance to impress such a large audience. But it’s not a surprise to see him do well. Preece, another Modified champion, had his day at Iowa Speedway in 2017 in a JGR Toyota, as did famed Late Model racer Berry in the Martinsville Xfinity event earlier this season.

If you didn’t know the name Doug Coby before tonight, you’re surely not going to forget it now.

It was a much-anticipated night of auto racing mixed with nostalgia. This columnist is 25 years old and grew up watching Bobby Labonte, Greg Biffle, Tony Stewart, Michael Waltrip, and Bill Elliott compete in NASCAR’s formerly called Winston Cup Series in the early 2000s. Never did I think I would see them competing against each other again two decades later.

SRX is reminiscent of the International Race of Champions series, which last ran in 2006. The field consists of recognizable drivers from a variety of disciplines in identical cars. Tony Stewart, one of SRX’s forefathers, was the last champion of IROC in 2006. When his creation came to fruition on Saturday night, it was almost like a high school reunion as he competed against drivers that raced with him in Indy cars and stock cars earlier in his career.

The concept of the series is great. The racing was decent, although Coby’s brilliance behind the wheel stunk up the show a tad. And if you’re a social media user who follows motorsports closely, you’ve probably noticed that the broadcast was praised for having Allen Bestwick be the lap-by-lap commentator for CBS.

The presentation for this made-for-TV series was well-done, but there was a learning curve. Danica Patrick, who served as the color commentator, couldn’t get ahold of Marco Andretti from his car for a brief interview before the green flag waved for Heat Race No. 1. Then she didn’t realize which lap was the final one at the end of the heat and made a mistake in calling it on-air.

The cars were designed to beat and bang against each other, and it certainly showed during the race. Several cars suffered damage during the night, including those of Biffle, Paul Tracy, and the most recent Indianapolis 500 winner Hélio Castroneves. But since these quasi-stock cars are only running short tracks, aerodynamics aren’t nearly as important as they would be for NASCAR or IndyCar. It is worth noting, though, that Biffle had to go to a backup car that was practiced earlier in the day with tires that were about 20 laps fresher than the rest of the field. That is an advantage that shouldn’t occur.

The race was entertaining because there were plenty of interviews and stories told throughout the broadcast. The element of nostalgia was prevalent as drivers in their 60s like Bill Elliott and Willy T. Ribbs raced. If anything, SRX brings together the older generation of fans with the younger one. This will especially be evident when 19-year-old Hailie Deegan runs at Knoxville Raceway.

This series is meant to be fun and stress-free, according to Stewart. He and Ray Evernham have achieved that. But don’t think drivers won’t be giving their all throughout the rest of SRX’s first season.