During the past decade, thousands of short track racers have entertained fans at race tracks throughout North America.  While each and every grassroots racer deserves a pat on the back for what they do, there are a handful of racers who established themselves as the best of the decade.

In recent weeks, the Speed51 staff has worked to narrow down the list to a group of 10 drivers who stood above the rest during the 2010s We are thrilled to see that our own Doug Coby has made list! Doug joins nine other top short track drivers including Bryan Clauson, Bubba Pollard, Derek Thorn, Donny Schatz, Josh Richards, Lee Pulliam, Matt Sheppard, Mike Harrison and Scott Bloomquist. Due to the various divisions that these drivers compete in, our list is not in any particular order.

Congratulations Doug!

Doug Coby

To begin the decade, Doug Coby didn’t have a full-time ride on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.  Now, at the end of the decade, Coby has put himself into the conversation of being an all-time great within the Modified ranks.

Coby’s rise to stardom began in 2011 when he partnered with car owner Wayne Darling and won his first race in five years.  One year later, he scored five victories on the way to his first NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship.

The next step of his career took place in 2014 when he was named the driver of the No. 2 car owned by Mike Smeriglio.  That pair, including crew chief Phil Moran, found instant success on their way to a record four straight championships from 2014 to 2017.

During the decade, Coby visited NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victory lane 28 times, with seven of those wins coming during a dominant 2015 season.

Outside of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, Coby has also scored wins with the Tri-Track Open Modified Series, Valenti Modified Racing Series and NEMA Midgets.  He added another feat to his resume in 2019 when he traveled south to New Smyrna Speedway and won his first World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing feature.With a new decade here and the 2020 season approaching, Coby is currently searching for a ride after team owner Mike Smeriglio announced his retirement following the 2019 season.  Regardless of where he ends up, we expect to once again see Coby competing for wins and championships during the 2020s.