In choosing to make his Super Late Model debut on Saturday night at Southern National Motorsports Park in the CARS Super Late Model Tour, Robby Lyons understands that he has given himself quite the uphill battle.
But the 26-year-old Florida native wouldn’t have it any other way, joining Chad Finley Racing during the off-season in order to learn the straight rail Late Model game and test himself against some of the best in the industry.
Lyons, a standout in Legends competition, is no stranger to full-bodied stock cars having competed in Late Model Stocks at Caraway Speedway last season and tested an ARCA Racing Series machine for Randy MacDonald Motorsports at Daytona International Speedway in December, posting the 21st fastest time and proving to be a fast learner during the session.
With that said, the CARS Tour and the ultra-competitive Super Late Model scene will test Lyons like never before — and he knows it.
“I know 2015 is going to bring a new set of challenges, but for those that know me, I feed off challenges,” Lyons said. “I can’t wait to see what these incredible machines can do. I’m definitely going to be listening and learning as much as I can.
“I’m excited to race with some of the most talented drivers in the Southeast and the country as a whole.”
By choosing to compete in the full CARS Tour campaign, Lyons has completely bypassed the shallow end of the pool in his first full season driving full-bodied stock cars. Instead, he’s diving head first into what is expected to be the most prestigious and competitive Super Late tour in the country, featuring names like Bubba Pollard, Stephen Wallace and Clay Rodgers.
It’s admittedly a bold approach for Lyons but it’s a fitting compliment for his new partners in Chad Finley Racing, who relocated its shop from Michigan to North Carolina during the off-season with the hopes of testing its equipment and a development driver against the best of the best.
In Lyons, CFR and 220 Ventures has their driver and he’s excited, even if the results may take time to manifest.
“When we planned out this season with CFR and the 220 Ventures team, the goal was to help build their new driver development program with myself as their driver,” Lyons said. “The CARS Tour seemed like a great fit — an incredible variety of racetracks and now boasting a pretty insane entry list.
“I think it’s safe to say we made the right choice.”
Before competing for victories, Lyons understands that the adjustment period must come first.
“I’ve had to do a lot of thinking about my approach,” Lyons said. “The majority of my racing experience has been behind the wheel of a Legend car — and we’re talking about 30-40 lap races vs. 150 laps on Saturday night. I’ve talked with a few drivers, crew chiefs, media, and even some fans to get a better grasp on how these races normally go, and of course studying some video online.
“These races ultimately come down to being there at the end and having something left buy the finish.”
Lyons, who hopes to speak to fellow Legends ace turned Late Model competitor Daniel Hemric, says he will likely stay near the back of the field on Saturday — at least during the first half of the race. He hopes to miss the handful of incidents that inevitably decide the outcome of these races, while striving for a top-10 at the end of the day.
“These guys I’ll be racing with, they are the key to my success,” Lyons said. “I want to learn everything I can from following them, racing around them, and at the end of the season hopefully beating them.”
Lyons will be driving the same car that Finley himself shook down during the Rattler 250 weekend two weeks ago at South Alabama Speedway. Unfortunately, the maiden voyage of that car ended during the lap two crash that involved 13 cars and forcing Finley out of the event.
Fortunately, most of the damage was cosmetic. After repairing the car over the past few days, both Finley and Lyons say the car should be just as strong as it was at South Alabama when it was consistently posting some of the fastest times of that weekend in practice and time trials.
Lyons tested the car for the first time on Tuesday and said with conviction that he felt comfortable right from the start as he turned laps under a variety of different track conditions in advance of his debut on Saturday night.
“It was really a perfect case scenario, we had our first 2 runs when the track temp was around 67 degrees, and by the end of the day it was up to 112,” Lyons said. “I got to feel a lot of changes as the track heated up, tires wore out, and I got more laps under my belt.
“Obviously as the track got hotter and more slick, it got to be quite a handful which was a sketchy but great experience too.”
Lastly, it’s his communication with crew chief Wayne Setterington that may make all the difference during this transition period and the pair have hit it off in the early goings.
“It’s been awesome,” Lyons said. “I feel like we understand each other when it comes to what the car does and what changes we make.
“All around, we had a really great test and we’re right where we want to be for this CARS Tour season opener.”
