WATERFORD, CT :: The last two races at the Waterford Speedbowl have seen Doug Coby and Ryan Preece battle it out for the win. So what’s their key to success at the 1/3-mile Connecticut oval?

“Basically having a car that can go to the top or the bottom,” said Preece. “Picking the lane on the last restart, I think we’ve all seen on the past, is what can win you the race.”

Coby agreed, but said that picking what lane to take on restarts will be harder this year than in the past thanks to a change in the restart procedure. In years past the leader had to be the first car to the line on restarts, but now that isn’t the case. And Coby said he feels that Waterford is the one place where that change will be most noticeable.

“I think last year the outside as the leader was a fair choice because you always had to be leading at the line on every restart,” said Coby. “And that’s all you really need on the outside on a restart at Waterford is just that wheel ahead going into turn one. Now it’s a little different.”

But to have success at Waterford you need to have a car that can run either groove at will for longer than just a lap or two after a restart.

“I really like to see my car where we can run up top real good,” said Coby’s crew chief Phil Moran. “It always seems to make a crew chief kind of proud if he can get a car to pass people on the outside where no one else seems to really want to go.”

Moran said the car setup for Waterford is dictated by the weather more than any other race track.

“If it’s a hot and humid day the outside doesn’t really come in too good,” he said. “So I’m hoping it’s a nice, dry, clean day where we can have some really good side by side racing.”

Preece said it usually takes about 50 laps for the outside groove to come in, but he knows it will be there and it will be the place to be. But he said the key is figuring out where his car is running the strongest to pick the right lane on the restart.

“It’s definitely going to be the place to be,” said Preece. “It really comes down to whatever you think your car is best doing. You’ve got to be willing to defend what you’ve got. Or if you’re the guy in second you’ve got to really time it right to get that great restart.”