July 13, 2010
Coffman Posts A Career Best After Returning From Injury
Grafton, WV- Josh proved to be ready to return faster
than he and the fans expected after his injury. The team
headed to Tyler County Speedway on July 10th, unsure
of the strength of Josh's arm after he had his cast removed
only 4 days before the event. However Josh would shock
many by leaving no doubt that no rust formed after missing
7 weeks of racing.
Josh started on the pole of the first heat with a 21 car field in attendance for the Late Model Class Saturday night. At the drop of the green Josh and Robbie Scott of Shinnston, West Virginia raced hard into turn one as Scott pulled ahead
as they exited turn two. Josh continued to apply pressure on Scott as Paul Wilmouth Jr. of Clarksburg, West Virginia was working his way through the pack and was closing in on Josh quickly. On lap 3 Wilmouth showed his nose under Josh as they worked through turn one and two. They pulled even as they went down the backstretch and into turn three, as Wilmouth pulled a slide job on Josh. However Josh switched it up and crossed over on Wilmouth pulling even as the two passed the flagstand on the fourth lap. Josh and Wilmouth would work running inches from each other for the next three laps when finally Wilmouth pulled a two and half car length lead over Josh. Robbie Scott had then only two laps left and a half a straight away lead over second running Wilmouth and third running Coffman. They three cars would then finish in that position and transfer to the A-Main with Billy Brown fourth and Ed Shuman fifth.
In the A-Main Josh would start 7th out of the 21 car field. At the drop of the green flag all 21 cars rushed into turns one and two, all made it out without a wreck as Josh quickly started his way from his starting spot. Josh first passed Mike Eaton on lap 1, then Scott Irvin on lap 2, then Stevie Wilmouth on lap 3, moving Josh into the top 5 on just the 3rd lap. A yellow flag then would slow the field on lap 4th. After that Josh would work hard on Greg Baumberger but just could not get enough traction to get all the way around Baumberger for 4th spot. The two would pull even a few laps, but Baumberger would be relentless in his efforts to hold onto the 4th spot. Josh would clip a cone on the inside of the track around lap 13th when trying to get around Baumberger. (When this occurs any driver found clipping a cone while trying to pass is docked one position for each cone clipped) Josh then would get a bad start on lap 17 and loose two spots to Scott Irvin and Butch McGill dropping Josh back to 7th place. Josh and Butch McGill would put on a good show running side by side for the remaing laps as Josh would then make a big mistake that would hurt him in his finishing order as Josh rushed down into turn one and two and tried to pull a slide job on McGill by diving in too low and sliding up but in the process he would catch a cone and knock it up in the running groove as the track official would call a yellow for debri with only 2 laps remaining in the event. Josh was charged for the caution and docked two spots for the cones he had hit knocking him back to 9th with only two laps remaining. On the drop of the final green flag, Josh pulled to the top of the track trying to get back around at least two more cars but failed in his efforts and finishing with a 9th place effort.
Josh and the team were happy however with how well they ran for coming back after a 7 week delay. The team will head to Tyler County Speedway again this Saturday July
17, 2010.
END OF PRESS RELEASE
Top 10 Finishing Order:
1st Robbie Scott, 2nd Chris Garnes, 3rd Paul Wilmouth Jr., 4th Steve Wilmouth, 5th Greg Baumberger, 6th Ed Shuman, 7th Butch McGill, 8th Scott Irvin, 9th Josh Coffman, 10th Steve Weigle.
