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Fan favorite Robinson to return from retirement for 2008 Civil War Sprint Car Series
by Bill Sullivan,John Padjen Motorsports
The following is the second in a series of articles by Bill Sullivan that will illustrate several of the highlights and expectations that lie ahead in the 2008 California Sprint Car Civil War Race Series. Be sure and visit johnpadjenmotorsports.com often over the next four weeks to learn more about the latest version of California's premier series for winged 360 sprint cars as it heads to PlacervilleSpeedway.
PLACERVILLE, CA – Following a two-year hiatus from the sport he grew up in, Foresthill resident David Robinson Jr. has announced he will return to full time open wheel racing in 2008 and will compete in the Hoosier Racing Tires Civil War Sprint Car Series. The campaign will open on Saturday, March 15th at Placerville Speedway.
Robinson will return to the seat of the F&F Racing X1 sprint car owned by Steve Tuccelli and Alan Bradway, the same team with which Robinson earned two Placerville Speedway championships and the 2004 Hoosier Tires Civil War championship title. Robinson announced his retirement from the sport at the end of the 2005 season to assist his son Ryan with the start of his kart racing career.
"The past couple of years have been great," said Robinson. "It's given me the time to enjoy Outlaw Kart racing with my son Ryan and family. This time has also allowed me to do a little soul searching on what my desires are."
Robinson made headlines in the final months of the 2005 racing season when he submitted his resignation as F&F's hired wheel man and announced he would hang up his helmet for the first time since the age of five years old. His decision to bid farewell surprised fellow drivers, fans and especially Tuccelli and Bradway who later replaced Robinson with veteran driver Colby Wiesz of Colfax in the wake of "Powerfeed's" unexpected retirement.
"We're very excited to have David back in the seat. He's part of the original team that got F&F Racing off the ground and has a driving style that adds to the excitement of sprint car racing," said team co-owner Steve Tuccelli. As Wiesz parts ways with the F&F Team to allow Robinson's return, he will now become the full time driver for veteran car owner John Taylor, driving the #35 sprint car formerly wheeled by former Placerville and Civil War champion Greg DeCaires of Elk Grove.
"When David announced he wanted to come back we were faced with a tough decision as Colby was a true asset to this team and organization over the past two years," added Tuccelli. "But it all worked out for both drivers and he will surely be quite the contender for us on the track driving for Taylor Motorsports. It's definitely going to be an interesting season ahead."
Robinson has raced open wheel race cars since he was five years old including quarter midgets, half midgets, speedway dirt carts, 360 sprint cars and 410 sprint cars with notoriety in every class he has competed. The 33-year-old machinist by trade, a father of two, has been honored with championships at Baylands Speedway and Oakdale Speedway in his younger years as a driver. He has earned multiple titles regionally and nationally before advancing to sprint cars in 1996, when he earned the Rookie of the Year title at Placerville Speedway.
In 1998, he won the prestigious Pacific Sprint Cup at Silver Dollar Speedway and that same year won the Placerville track championship before winning the 1999 Civil War title and the 2003 Placerville Speedway track title.
In 2004, Robinson capped his career with duel titles, winning the Placerville Speedway championship and the Civil War title in the same year. Since driving for F&F Racing, Robinson made 64 starts, earned four fast time awards, won 11 main events and finished in the top five of 27 different feature events.
After launching his son's young racing career, Robinson is focused on climbing back behind the wheel. With the support of his family he will return with his sights set on "finishing business," as he puts it.
"I left sprint car racing because I wasn't giving 150% to the sport I love. It wasn't fair to my team, family and friends that had been a tremendous force of support through the years. I was just showing up," said Robinson. 'Racing is a privilege and should never be taken for granted. I realized, I was doing just that. I feel I have some unfinished business to take care of here and I'm ready to give the sport I love my undivided attention and I am more prepared both mentally and physically than I have ever been. In other words, I am ready to give it my all."
As a youngster, Robinson sat in the grandstands with his father, Dave Sr. at places like Baylands, San Jose, West Capital and Calistoga. He couldn't wait for Saturday night to come so he could go watch his favorite drivers wheel their way around the track. As Robinson returns to the track this season, he takes great pride in knowing that two of his young fans will be his own children who both have asked "Dad" to race again.
"My kids have asked me to do this again and Jodie and Ryan are both old enough to know what is happening on the track. I am so excited to know that I can be that driver that my kids will be rooting for. The best part of it all is I can now have the best of both worlds. Red Bluff runs one of the best Outlaw Kart winter programs which allow Ryan to compete with the best young drivers during my off season. I'm looking forward to coming back to the Civil War and a great year with the F&F Racing team."
The Civil War series will officially open on Saturday, March 15th at Placerville Speedway located on the El Dorado County Fairgrounds, in Placerville. Placerville Speedway will be the home track for the series. The Civil War Series includes a total of 15 events at multiple facilities in California between March and October.
The series is slated to visit Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, Petaluma Speedway, American Valley Speedway in Quincy, Antioch Speedway, Ocean Speedway in Watsonville and Calistoga Speedway. Additional information about this exciting campaign may be obtained on the official website at www.johnpadjenmotorsports.com. For event sponsorship opportunities or media information please contact Bill Sullivan at [email protected] or contact the track business office at (916) 969-7484.
* For complete article and additional photographs, visit www.johnpadjenmotorsports.com
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