AUBURN, AL :: At the conclusion the 2013 Snowball Derby, now Auburn University graduate Hunter Robbins stood alongside his No. 18 Ronnie Sanders Racing Super Late Model (SLM), basking in the glory of what would eventually, after the disqualification of unofficial winner Chase Elliott, he recorded as a fourth-place finish — his highest ever in the event.
That very same No. 18 car will return to Five Flags Speedway for this year’s running of the event, but under the discretion of new guidance: Robbins himself.
“Fortunately, [last year’s car] will be the same car that we’re taking down there this year,” Robbins said. “It was under Ronnie’s leadership, guidance, and everything last year, but it’ll be the same car this year — my car.”
The race car won’t be the only thing that remains the same heading into Robbins’ upcoming outing in the premier SLM event of the year, however. Though Robbins’ car ownership is in new hands as a result of his parting from a two-year partnership with Ronnie Sanders, the driver looks to improve on his personal-best finish of fourth by taking a familiar approach: a primary focus not on the outcome of the race, but on the starting position.
“We’re just taking the same approach as last year, which was just putting decent amount of emphasis on qualifying,” Robbins said. “Because that’s well over half the battle down there — not only for getting in the race, but getting a good spot for pit selection and everything, and staying out of trouble.”
Qualifying in a “good spot” seemed to be the story of Robbins’ year in the Southern Super Series (SSS); despite not being able to compete the entire season without the funding of Sanders’ operation, Robbins managed to post fast times in three of his ten total starts.
“Being able to go out there and post fast times was a big deal,” Robbins said. “We did pretty well in the Blizzard [Series] and the SSS races, and to go out there and post fast times in the Super is really cool for me since I’d never been better than 3rd in the SSS before this year. To post three fast times was a big confidence booster.”
A confidence boost was ideal for Robbins after a 2013 SSS season marked by the close-but-no cigar narrative and the resulting mutual separation from former Snowball Derby winner Sanders’ team, though Robbins described the parting as “very peaceful.”
“With me graduating from college in August and not really knowing what I was going to do or where I was going to get a job yet, [the parting] was pretty mutual,” Robbins said. “I learned a lot from that team, and I’m still able to take that with me and use that.”
However, as a result of the parting with Sanders’ team, 2005 Snowflake 100 winner Robbins will be without sufficient funding to attempt the Pro Late Model precursor in addition to the Snowball Derby this time around. Robbins said that not having the extra track time and practice in Pensacola won’t be a significant disadvantage, though, because of the fact that “the races are so different.”
“I really just practice the Snowflake car once I get up there anyway,” Robbins said. “But I’m always looking to be in a seat, and I’ll miss out on that.
“I think it will help to only have one focus, though. Rather than focusing on both the Snowflake and the Derby, I can put all of my effort into the Derby and try to get my best finish out of that.”
And Robbins aims to put a substantial amount of effort into his attempt to record a new best finish. Having not been in a race car since September of this year, Robbins said that he’s “just excited to go out there and race” — but not excited enough to sacrifice his clean style of racing.
Due to the driver’s insight into the behind-the-scenes work on race cars, Robbins said that aggressiveness isn’t his typical approach, nor will it be in this Derby outing.
“Being one of the guys who works on these cars — I know a lot of guys say that they know what goes into working on these cars, but I’m hands on working on them — I know the amount of effort that goes into this,” Robbins said. “That is why I always try to race people cleanly and not rough them up.”
But no matter the situation, the approach, nor the narrative heading into the race, the goal remains the same for both Robbins and each of his other competitors: to hoist arguably the most coveted trophy in short-track racing — a trophy that would “stay in [Robbins’] living room forever” — and the driver firmly believes he has the potential to be in contention to do so.
“We’ll just take the same approach [as last year] — and we were there at the end contending for a solid top five last time,” Robbins said. “The goal would be to improve on that, and if we move up a couple of spots from where were last year, we’ll be right where we want to be.”
“I haven’t gotten to race a lot this year; I haven’t been in a race car since September, so I’m just excited to go out there and race. Last year was my personal best outing in the Derby; I posted a top-10 finish a couple of years back, but yeah, that was pretty cool,” Robbins said.
With an eye on improving the recent personal-best finish of fourth, Robbins plans to approach the race with a primary focus not on the outcome, but on the starting position.
“I don’t think it’ll be a big disadvantage because of the fact that the races are so different. We just don’t have the funding this year. I’m thankful for my sponsors that let me run the Derby, but we just aren’t able to pull off the Snowflake too this year.”
