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Hunter Robbins Looking to Pick Up Where Ronnie Sanders Left Off in World Crown 300

Robbins Piloting Same No. 18 That Sanders Drove to Victory Lane in 2005

Ronnie Sanders finished seventh in the inaugural running of the World Crown 300 at what was then Georgia International Speedway in 1983.  Twenty-two years later, after a host of failed attempts and a slew of mechanical misfortunes, Sanders finally wore the crown in victory lane at the then-Peach State Speedway in 2005.

Now retired from the driver’s seat, Fayetteville, Georgia’s Sanders calls the shots for Shorter, Alabama’s Hunter Robbins.  Robbins has piloted Sanders’ famed No. 18 machine since mid-2012.  On August 10th Robbins will take the very car Sanders put in victory lane eight years earlier back to the same patch of Jefferson, Georgia land now known as Gresham Motorsports Park for the Slack Auto Parts World Crown 300.

“I'm looking forward to going back for the World Crown with the Super (Late Model), said Robbins.  "The car we’re planning on taking is actually the one he did win in.  It’s an older car chassis-wise but everything else has been updated.” 

In talks preparing for the 300-lap event, Sanders learned the year he wore the crown in victory lane was the last time Robbins ran the event.

“That’s kind of weird,” said Sanders.  “I was very unaware of that.  But we had a really good car that day.  For about the last 25 laps, I knew if someone was going to beat us it was going to have to be a really good car.  I let it go and I ran it as hard as it would go until the end of that one.”

Robbins equaled Sanders’ awe and is hoping to put the car back in victory lane, only with the Alabama driver wearing the crown this time. 

“It’s funny to think that the last time I ever ran it was the first time he ever won it,” said Robbins.  “And on top of that we’re going back in the same car; that’s kind of neat.  We’ve been making great strides and getting better and better at all the Super races and maybe we’ll start to hit at the right time with the World Crown coming up.

“That race has always been a big deal.  Even when he didn’t win it, and it still is.  I know it meant a lot to him and I know it would mean a lot to win it again.”

After what has turned out to be an up and down season for the Ronnie Sanders Racing team, both driver and owner agree that any win is a good win at this point.

“It would be pretty awesome, to be honest,” said Robbins.  “That car has been a great car for us – it’s been a great car since he got it.  To win any race would mean a lot now and the World Crown would just be indescribable.”

“It would be wonderful, especially at the bank,” said Sanders.  “It’s quite an expensive deal but it would be good for us and it would be really good for Hunter especially.  He’s a good kid.  Winning at Montgomery a few weeks ago (in a Pro Late Model event) was good, but winning at Gresham would be even better.”

For Sanders, returning to the original 300-lap format as opposed to the segmented layout is a welcomed reunion.  

“I really like it this way,” said Sanders.  “We’re not going to hire a pit crew.  We’ve got our own bunch and I believe they’re pretty good at that.  I think it will be better for us this way than it would be with the breaks and I’m really looking forward to it.”

For Robbins, a mechanical engineering student at Auburn University, the wide-open strategy that comes with this format is right up his alley.

“We sit around and talk and joke in the shop about ‘Would you do this? Or would you do that?,’” said Robbins.  “Everybody tries to make a big strategy race out of it but it always seems to change throughout the race so you never can tell.  In some of the races this year, we’ve seen a lot longer green-flag runs than we have in a while.  People just aren’t really wrecking as much so I expect some really long green-flag runs. 

"I think everybody will be getting their tires whenever there are cautions because you can’t really stay out on old tires.  We’re just going with our guys that have been with us all year and people that have helped Ronnie in the past and just kind of throwing a crew together.  We’re just going to go out there and have some fun.”

Nine of the last 10 World Crown 300 trophies have gone home with Georgia drivers.  Robbins hopes to end that statistic by taking the 2013 edition back home to the Yellowhammer state. 

“That would be pretty cool,” said Robbins.  “That’s the kind of thing you kind of forget about until you’re the one trying to break the streak.  There aren’t a whole lot of Alabama drivers, just me and Augie (Grill) and a few others.  And Augie sure has won a ton and I’d like to win the others.  So that could really be awesome.”

For more information on the Southern Super Series presented by Sunoco's Slack Auto Parts World Crown 300 presented by Peach State Freightliner and Ford Power Stroke Diesel on Saturday, August 10th, visit RaceGMP.com.

For more information on the Southern Super Series, visit SouthernSuperSeries.com.  The Facebook page for the Southern Super Series is located at www.facebook.com/southernsuperseries and on Twitter it’s @SoSuperSeries.  For advertising or sponsorship questions, please contact the track representatives.  For media inquiries, please contact Matt Kentfield at 51 Sports via matt@51sports.net.

August 6, 2013