DURHAM, ON- Fresh off of a week-long effort to repair his ride after sustaining damage in an unsanctioned Open Wheel Modified event on June 6th, short track veteran Tommy Robb is ready for his first career Barrie Speedway OSCAAR Modified event.
“I can’t wait to get to Barrie and see where we size up” said Robb. “I cut my teeth at Varney, which is just as tight as Barrie, so I know a thing or two about racing in close quarters”
“Each track is its own animal, but I think the same combination of reflexes and discipline that pay off at Varney is what’s going to get us to the front at Barrie”, continued the OSCAAR Modified freshman.
When asked of the damage done to his lone chassis, Robb is quick to illustrate just how much work has gone into having his No. 88 ready for its Barrie debut.
“We’ve put so many hours into this car, it really is unbelievable”, stressed Robb. “The entire front end of this car was apart at the start of this week. I’ve got some of the most dedicated help around, and they came through for me on this one. I can’t thank my brother Jacob, Jay Tolton, Tom Eckenswiller, Doug Gibson, Adam McCullough, Greg Gibson and Tim Schreinhert from Revolution Race Products enough. This wouldn’t have been possible without them”
The former Ltd. Late Model competitor will enter Round 3 of the tour on the strength of a head-turning top-5 performance in Round 2 at Kawartha, and has every intention of following-up with another strong outing.
“Our whole team is pleasantly surprised with how quickly we’ve come up to speed with this new program”, explained Robb. “Coming from the world of Late Model racing, there’s so much we’ve been able to learn in two races. This season is all about learning for our team. With a new car, and a schedule that will take us to a few speedways we’re unfamiliar with, we’re looking to build off of every strong finish we have”
“We’ve made a tonne of progress so far”, Robb continued, “and we have every intention of keeping that trend alive”
When asked if his team will carry a strategy with them to Barrie, the likeable Rookie laughed off the notion.
“I’ve learned in an awful hurry that strategy doesn’t do a whole lot for you in these Modified races. Things happen so quickly, that the number one goal early in these races is to survive”
“Barrie is the sort of speedway that invites contact, which is exactly what we’re looking to avoid. We’re just going to look for a strong performance in our heat race qualifiers, which should give us the chance at a good starting position. There isn’t a driver on this roster that wants to start deep in the field on a tight track, so hopefully we can roll off at the front of the grid and go from there”
Round 3 of the OSCAAR Modified Tour presented by Hanover Holidays is scheduled for Saturday, June 14th at Barrie Speedway. Gate times and ticket prices are available at www.OSCAAR.ca.
Tommy Robb’s 2014 Rookie of the Year campaign is powered by First General Services of Hanover and Kitchener, Sturrock Construction, Roymar Construction, Revolution Race Products and the ever-present support of Tommy’s Mother and Father.
By Spencer Lewis (@itsspencerlewis)
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