Ryan Robbins of Dixfield sits behind the wheel of his Super Late Model car at Oxford Plains Speedway. Wil Kramlich/Sun Journal

One week Ryan Robbins races his way to an Oxford 250 provisional, the next week he’s “out to lunch,” in his words.

That’s the way it’s been for the Dixfield native, who is in his third year racing Super Late Model race cars at Oxford Plains Speedway and in the Pro All Stars Series.

Ryan Robbins of Dixfield stands next to his Super Late Model car at Oxford Plains Speedway. Wil Kramlich/Sun Journal

“We’re just so hit or miss right now,” Robbins said. “Some weeks are good, some weeks are bad, and we’re terrible right now. So, you know, we’ll keep working hard for it, you know?”

It’s been a tough pill to swallow for Robbins, who has previously won championships in both strictly stock and modified race cars in what is now his 10th year as a competitive driver.

His career started when his father, Kenny, a former racer, received an inheritance from his own father’s passing. The Robbinses then started a race team, beginning in Oxford’s Wednesday night racing.

Ryan Robbins said he was “born into this deal” and “it’s just a big family thing.”

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“Everything we’ve pretty much built on our own,” Robbins said. “I’ve got pretty much the same people when we started racing, other than a few.”

Robbins’ racing heritage extends to his cousin, Scott Robbins, who was the 2002 Oxford 250 champion.

“I think we kind of pick each other’s brains kind of equally a little bit,” Robbins said. “You know, they’ve been a tremendous help. And even when we jumped into this, you know I had tested a few times anyway so I kind of knew what to expect, but me and Scott work really good together, which is great.”

Robbins was hoping to work with his veteran cousin for the PASS 150 race at Oxford, which is the final tuneup for the series at the track before the 250 in late August. Unfortunately for Robbins, his cousin hurt his back and wasn’t able to get out on the track and be someone Robbins could “bounce some ideas off.”

Things seemed better for Robbins the week before, when he finished fourth in a 100-lap feature at the track, which granted him a “half provisional” into the 250, but which still guarantees him a starting spot.

“You know, one week I think we’re kind of on to something, and the next week we’re just out to lunch, so I’m not really sure. It’s frustrating, you know,” Robbins said. “We’re at the point of the year where we got to be consistent, and we’re just not.”

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Robbins was hoping to make the 150-lapper one of his last times out at Oxford Plains before the 250, but if his luck doesn’t come around he might need to enter a few more races to get the car where he wants it.

“It’s tough. But like I said, I got the best guys doing this. We’re struggling right now, but when we make it work we’re as good as the rest of them. You know, we really are. We’re just in that rut right now where we just can’t make it all work,” Robbins said.

“There is speed there, we’re just hit or miss.”

 

 

 

 


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