 Photo: Phil Cavali Press Release by South Boston Speedway
SOUTH BOSTON, VA -- Caleb Heady had never seen South Boston Speedway in person prior to last year’s SMART Modified Tour powered by Pace-O-Matic event at the .4-mile oval. So, like a lot of racers, he attempted to familiarize himself with the track prior to the event using the iRacing simulation. “It’s kind of funny,” Heady remarked. “Going into the South Boston race last year I told everybody I absolutely suck at that place in iRacing. I am probably the worst South Boston Speedway driver on iRacing you will ever meet. As soon as we got there, we figured it out. It clicked.” Click it did. The Shelbyville, Kentucky resident, driving for Tommy Baldwin Racing, finished third in last year’s 99-lap race. “South Boston Speedway kind of took me by surprise last year,” Heady said. “The place is crazy fast. It was really fun, really racy, and just a good overall time. I’m very excited to go back. It’s a track with a lot of grip and it’s a fast track. That’s the kind of place where I like to be.” Heady is excited about returning to South Boston Speedway for The Flying VA Classic, a 99-lap race for the SMART Modified Tour, that headlines the URW Credit Union Fools Rush 262 racing program on Saturday afternoon, April 1 at South Boston Speedway. He finished second in the season-opener at Florence (South Carolina) Motor Speedway and is looking to rebound from a 15th-place finish in last week’s race at Caraway Speedway. “It’s definitely a track I look forward to,” Heady said. “South Boston Speedway is an extremely fast racetrack. I really can’t get over how we got around that track for qualifying last year. It was pretty insane the speed we were able to carry into the corners and how much power we could get down on exit. It plays out to my cards pretty well.” The Kentucky native is confident about his chances heading into Saturday’s event. “I know as long as I keep the car beneath me and I set myself up right I can compete with just about anybody in the field,” explained Heady. “It’s playing chess, not checkers. You have to set yourself up for the end of the race, make sure all of the boxes are checked and that you’ve got the best car you can possibly have to go win the race at the end.” Heady, who has two career race wins and one career pole win on the SMART Modified Tour, entered the 2023 season as the defending series champion. In winning last year’s SMART Modified Tour title, he helped Tommy Baldwin Racing win its third championship of the 2022 season. “Last year’s championship came as kind of a surprise to us,” Heady pointed out. “It was our first time trying win the season championship. To be able to win it in our first time trying was really cool. “It takes consistency to win championships,” he continued. “Last year I got only one win on the tour. I know if we continue our consistent runs, we will be fine. This year I want at least two or three wins on the year, have some good races, put up some good performances, and try to distance myself and show people I am ready to step up and move up.” The list of Smart Stars that have filed early entries for Saturday’s event at South Boston Speedway includes current series points leader and last week’s winner at Caraway Speedway, Brandon Ward, former NASCAR Cup Series Champion Bobby Labonte, Matt Hirschman, who won last year’s South Boston Speedway race and scored 28 wins overall last season, and Burt and Jason Myers. Saturday afternoon’s URW Credit Union Fools Rush 262 racing program will consist of four races. Twin 71-lap races for the Sentara Healthcare Late Model Stock Car Division and a 21-lap race for the competitors in the Virginia State Police HEAT Hornets Division are scheduled in addition to the 99-lap SMART Modified Tour race.
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 Mayhew Tools No. 7NY Set For Action in Virginia
Race Advance by Souza Media MILFORD, Conn. – Six-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Doug Coby will return to Modified competition this Friday, March 31, when Coby competes with Tommy Baldwin Racing at Richmond Raceway. Coby will drive the Mayhew Tools No. 7NY in the Virginia is For Racing Lovers 150 – the second race of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season. In the opener of the 2023 season at New Smyrna Speedway, Coby led the most laps in the 200-lap race and finished inside the top-five. The team looks to carry the momentum into the ¾-mile Richmond track and come away with a strong run. In one previous Richmond start, Coby finished fifth driving for his own team in 2021. He is hoping to improve on that and park the historic 7NY in Victory Lane on Friday night. “It’s going to be another tire strategy race,” Coby said. “I didn’t race there last year and that probably puts me at a little bit of a disadvantage because everyone has another year of setups on the changing track. But, we will lean on Tommy’s knowledge and experience setup wise. You just will have to hit the strategy right to be in contention for the win. It’s early in the season and everyone wants to go out there and end up in Victory Lane.” Fans can follow race day action at Richmond through the Doug Coby Racing Facebook page. Practice rolls from 12:45-1:55 p.m., followed by Mayhew Tools time trial qualifying at 4:15 p.m., and the green flag for the 150-lap race at 6:30 p.m. The race itself will also air live on FloRacing.TV for fans to watch. For more information on Doug Coby, visit DougCobyRacing.com and follow the team on Facebook. Fans can also follow Mayhew Tools on social media or visit them online at MayhewTools.com. 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. He also made his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut in 2021 with GMS Racing at Bristol Motor Speedway. In 2022, Coby won three races with Tommy Baldwin Racing as part of a part-time effort on the Whelen Modified Tour. In 2023, he will pilot the No. 7NY for Tommy Baldwin Racing full-time on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour to chase a seventh title.  Photo: Noah Watts Story By Souza Media
MOORESVILLE, N.C. – Tommy Baldwin Racing driver Caleb Heady will begin his quest for a second straight SMART Modified Tour championship this weekend. As the 14-race SMART Modified Tour schedule begins at Florence with the Low Country 99 this Saturday, March 4, Heady will drive the TBR historic No. 7NY at the South Carolina oval looking to get the season started on a high note. Last year, Heady won the SMART Modified Tour title and picked up a win at Caraway Speedway along the way. Two years ago, he picked up his first career Modified win at Florence on the SMART Modified Tour. Although the ultimate goal is another title in 2023, Caleb and the team would also like to score a few more checkered flags along the way. “Super excited to get back to Florence,” Heady said. “Because I scored my first win there, it’s always a sense of home for me when I head to Florence. I love the flat, worn-out surface and the tire strategy that comes into play during the race. I really feel like it plays into my favor. Obviously, the only goal we ever have showing up to the race track is to win. We will be heading there with the Tommy Baldwin Racing No. 7NY with the mindset to win – but also work hard and have fun.” Race day at Florence Motor Speedway begins on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. with qualifying for the SMART Modified Tour. The green flag for the 99-lap season-opener should be around 5:30 p.m., live on FloRacing.TV. All of the 14 SMART Modified Tour races for the season will air live on Flo Racing. For more information on Tommy Baldwin Racing, visit TommyBaldwinRacing.com and follow the team on social media for the latest updates. |
