Kobyluck Has Clear Goal For New Hampshire

By On September 14, 2009 · Leave a Comment

Matt Kobyluck leaves no room for wondering what he and his Mohegan Sun Racing team want for the NASCAR Camping World Series East event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on September 18th. The 2008 defending series Champion is going with the distinct goal of winning the race.

“We want to win,” said Kobyluck. “We have everything to gain in the points, while the leaders right now have everything to lose. We want to get back in victory lane this year and New Hampshire would be a great place to do that.”

Kobyluck is currently tied with Steve Park for fourth place in the 2009 NASCAR Camping World Series East point standings. Kobyluck has posted two top-five and six top-10 finishes in nine starts this season. Only two races remain to attempt to end a winless streak that started after his victory in the Toyota All-Star Showdown back in January.

The Mohegan Sun Race team will face some stiff competition, however. Ryan Truex, Eddie MacDonald, and several others will try and make Kobyluck’s goal hard to obtain, but the Uncasville, Conn. native feels they can rise to the challenge.

“We’ve had a pretty decent car there in the last couple of years so we just have to stay out of trouble and be there at the end,” said Kobyluck. “Ryan has been good everywhere he’s gone this year and Eddie has been consistently good at New Hampshire so they will definitely be contenders at this race. A lot of it will come down to qualifying. It’s so important there to start up front, and we’ll have a strong focus on our qualifying effort.”

Tackling New Hampshire Motor Speedway would be one of the biggest accomplishments of Kobyluck’s career. It is one of a select few tracks that the 39-year-old driver has yet to win on.

“We’ve won at a lot of places, but winning at New Hampshire would just be incredible. All my wins have meant a lot to me, but we’ve worked really hard at New Hampshire and we’ve struggled there in the past. I think pulling off a victory would be a memorable moment for both me and the crew.”

The Heluva Good Fall 125 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway takes the green flag at 5 p.m. eastern time on Friday, September 18th. For more information on Matt Kobyluck, Mohegan Sun Casino, or the Mohegan Sun Race team, visit www.mattkobyluck.com.

Tagged with: •
 

Bad Break For Kobyluck, Mohegan Sun Racing At Lime Rock Park

By On August 16, 2009 · Leave a Comment

Lakeville, CT (August 16, 2009): Sometimes, no matter how hard you prepare, things just don’t go right.

Matt Kobyluck and the Mohegan Sun race team were keyed up about the Mohegan Sun 200 at Lime Rock Park this weekend. Not only was Mohegan Sun sponsoring the race, but Kobyluck’s record to date at the 1.53-mile course has been stellar. They were expecting nothing less than a podium finish. After setting fast time in both practice sessions, all indications were pointing to just that. But then the car stalled in the esses on his first qualifying lap.

Things just went downhill from there.

Kobyluck’s crew cleaned out the fuel cell, including drying out the foam, flushed out the lines, and changed out the carburetor. They replaced spark plugs and got the car running again. Because the NASCAR Camping World Series East event was an impound race, Kobyluck had no chance to take the No. 40 Mohegan Sun Casino Chevrolet out for a test drive.

The team was still optimistic despite a 21st starting position, but on the first lap of the 200-mile race, Kobyluck’s No. 40 came to a stop in the esses once again. The tow trucks were summoned and Kobyluck went to the pits.

There, he went 32 laps down while the crew addressed the problem once again. He did return to the track and Kobyluck was fast. He posted the second fastest lap of the day and gained a lap back by passing the leaders.

“We changed the fuel pump twice and changed the carburetor on pit road. When we pulled behind the wall we discovered there was a problem with the fuel pick up line. It had collapsed,” said Kobyluck. “When we did get back out there, we were running a second or so faster than everybody. If everything had gone right we had a shot at winning the race, but it is what it is.”

Kobyluck’s bad luck didn’t end there, however. At lap 70, Kobyluck was thrown into a dangerous situation that ultimately ended his day.

“The back end started coming around a little bit on me after I wheel-hopped it going into the corner on the uphill,” explained Kobyluck. “I got into the tire barrier, and I couldn’t back up so I was sitting there waiting for the local caution. It never came. After the 10 tagged me, it spun me around into the middle of the track. No one slowed down. It was one of the most unsafe positions I could be in. I was very fortunate because I was in the racing groove with my driver side door at traffic.”

Fortunately, Kobyluck was not hurt in the incident, but the No. 40 Mohegan Sun Casino Chevrolet was done. There was damage to both the front and rear of the car.

“It’s extremely frustrating,” said Kobyluck. “We’re out of the championship hunt now. Mathematically we still have a shot, and we will give it everything we’ve got, but with the way the 00 is running it’s going to be hard.”

For more information on Matt Kobyluck, Mohegan Sun Casino, or Mohegan Sun Racing, visit www.mattkobyluck.com.

Tagged with: •