The Driver
Our driver is Chris Roberts. The 2012 season will be his 15th year of racing. He started racing when he was 8 years old running go-karts. he won the Rookie championship at Barberton in 1999. He then moved up into a Jr. Champ kart. He ran that on dirt for one-and-a half years. Chris then went back to the asphalt at Barberton for 1 year before ,moving up to the WKA National tour. He ran 8 races in the 2 years that he did it and finished in the top 10 five times and also had 1 top 5 and unfortunately 2 DNFs.
In 2004 he moved up to the Compact class at Mansfield Motor Speedway. He was up front consistently and came away with 4 heat wins, Rookie of the Year, and a 3rd place in the year end points. In 2005 he made another big jump into the Super Late Model class at Mansfield, at the age of 16. He had a rough year with the 1st two weeks out blowing up 2 motors. It was about mid-season when they found the right motor package. He was always able to finish in the top 15 and was on pace for his first ever top 5 in a SLM until, on a restart the 2nd place guy did not go and Chris got run over from behind. In 2006 it was the same outcome, with no blown motors.
At the end of 2006 Mansfield shut down the weekly show, so we had to find somewhere else to go. We decided to run Lake Erie full time, but we got off to a late start. Chris had to learn 3 new tracks in the course of 2 months. He raced the first 2 weeks at Lorain County Speedway and was in the top 10 both weeks until they dropped the SLM class. Then it was off to Lake Erie for the MAARA 200. Chris was tough competition, but did not make the show. After that we went to Jennerstown for 2 races. Chris was a little off the pace, but that was due to a weight penalty for a built motor and an illegal intake. The intake was legal at Lake Erie and that is where he finished the season running in the top 20 every week out of a 30-35 car field. The next season was ran full time at Lake Erie Speedway. The season was up and down and the team came away with a 17th place finish in points out of about 50 cars.
The 2009 season was not a full season. The primary sponsor for the Late Model withdrew from the team. The team through a 1995 Chevy Cav together and run in 2 enduros and some select races.
The 2010 season saw the team compete at Sharon Speedway all season and come away with a third place finish in points. Chris also achieved a record of 2 heat wins, 7 top 5s, and 16 top 10s. After such a good season the team is looking towards the 2011 season to try and improve and compete for the championship and also may be running a second car every night full time. After a couple of races hopefully the second car could be up front and competing for a win every night just like Chris did in his #93 Muffley's Auto Service Dodge Neon this year.
The 2011 season was also run at Sharon Speedway. Chris only raced half the season due to relocating to Statesville, NC. It was an up and down half of the year, but he performed well enough to finish 10th in points with some help from Mother Nature canceling some of the races.
Career Highlights
2011: 10th place finish in points at Sharon Speedway with only racing half the year. He had 2 Top 5s, and 8 Top 10s in the 8 races he ran.
2010: 3rd place finish in points at Sharon Speedway with 2 Heat Wins, 7 Top 5s, and 16 top 10s
2009: 4th place finish at the Trumbull County Fair during Fair week
2009: 11th place in the Jack Frost 150 Enduro at Mercer
2009: 6th place at Sandusky in the Mr. Heater Hangover
2008: 17th in points at Lake Erie Speedway
2007: 23rd in points at Jennerstown
2005-2006: Youngest Late Model Driver at Mansfield
2006: Top 25 in points finish at Mansfield
2005: Top 16 in points finish at Mansfield
2004: Rookie of the Year in the Compact class at Mansfield
2004: 3rd place in points in the Compact class at Mansfield
2003: 5th place finish WKA National, New York
2002-2003: Top 15 in points in WKA Nation points
2001: 3rd in points for WKA Ohio Divisionals
2001: 3rd in points for RCCCA at Barberton
2000: 4th place in points for Goodhope Speedway Dirt Series
1999: Track Champion in Rookie Alcohol at Barberton
Tracks Raced At:
Lake Erie Speedway- PA Jennerston Speedway- PA
Lorain County Speedway- OH Hickory Motor Speedway- NC
Mansfield Motor Speedway- OH Sandusky Speedway- OH
Chapel Hill- NY Fast Track- IN
Beaver Run- PA Barberton Speedway- OH
Circleville Raceway- OH Winchester Speedway- VA
Goodhope Speedway- OH Orange County- NC
Columbus Indoor- OH Naugles- PA
Mercer Raceway Park- PA Raceway 7- OH
Expo Speedway- OH (Trumbull County Fairgrounds)
Sharon Motor Speedway - OH Motordrome Speedway- PA
