Contesting last Saturday night’s second and final round of the Mr Modified Series for V8 Dirt Modifieds at Lismore Speedway, Mark Robinson narrowly missed out on taking out the overall point standings win.
Following a third-place result in the opening series round on Boxing Night, the driver of the NSW # 9 Castrol / Southside Truck Centre supported Troyer car was hoping to consolidate his position in the Mr Modified Series point standings to take over first place, and he was certainly on his way to doing so last Saturday night, being the equal highest point scorer after the qualifying events.
For Robinson, a top-eight inversion meant he started the 40-lap feature race from position seven, where he quickly became embroiled in a fierce battle over fourth, which lasted 12 laps, before battling with the leaders.
It all came crashing down on lap 19 when Robinson made slight contact with the race leader while in second, spinning out and being sent to the rear of the field as a result. Not losing sight of his goal, he began to work his way back towards the front, making it back up to sixth place by the fall of the chequered flag.
“The feature race didn’t really go according to plan for us, and in the end, it cost us a chance at winning the Mr Modified Series, but second place is still a good result,” commented Robinson.
“My team worked hard throughout the night and gave me a great car that adapted well to the changing track conditions; however, it was a mistake from me that denied us of a winning result.”
Now looking to add a fourth Australian Championship victory to his list of achievements, Robinson is hoping to go one better in the upcoming Australian Championship at Toowoomba’s Hi-Tec Oils Speedway on the Friday and Saturday night of January 18 and 19, after placing second in last season’s running of the event.
“The Australian Championship field is going to be very open, as V8 Dirt Modifieds haven’t had too much recent experience on the Hi-Tec Oils Speedway in its current configuration,” added the defending 5 Star Dirt Series Champion.
“It’s definitely going to be a case of being able to read the track as it changes throughout the course of the two nights, which is something we’ll really be focusing on as we chase another Australian Championship win.”
In other news, Robinson on New Year’s night (January 1) contested the annual Paul Britten 44 Memorial at Brisbane’s Archerfield Speedway, but it didn’t all go according to plan, as in the feature race, he sustained front wheel damage that brought his run a premature end as he was fighting over a top-five spot.
Robinson would like to thank his 2018-19 season sponsors: Castrol, Southside Truck Centre, Global Lubricant Distribution, GSR Suspension Development, Trevan Ford, Northern Truck Coolers, and A1 Signs.
Special thanks must go to Robinson’s hard-working pit crew – Bud, Larry, Micka, Andrew and Jake – along with his mum and dad (Faye and Steve), his wife Chloe and the kids, along with the rest of the team and supporters.
To find out more about Robinson and his team, LIKE them on Facebook by searching Robinson Motorsport.
