Remembering Roy Robbins
Roy Robbins
Saturday, October 17, 2015
by Track Historians Eric Arnold and Bob Wilson
All of us at Knoxville Raceway and with the Marion County Fair Board are deeply saddened by the passing of Roy Robbins. Robbins was an instrumental figure to the success of the Knoxville Raceway and the Knoxville Nationals. He was the winner of the inaugural Nationals in 1961, known as the Super Modified National Championship at the time.
Robbins and car owner O.J. Huffman were one of two cars to race with an ‘air-scoop’ in the 1961 Nationals as they raced to the $1,000 to win prize. The ‘air-scoop’,or wings as we now call them, were banned after the 1961 season until the 1970’s. Robbins was quoted about the event in an interview by Track Historian Bob Wilson years later. “The first set of time trials we didn’t have it (the wing) on,” said Roy. I had it in the 4H barn. I brought it across the track for the second round. I don’t remember a crowd (gathered), but we knew there were a lot of people there. We had run those at home but at Knoxville it was new.” Air-scoops had been used locally in Indiana where Robbins raced but the technology was unheard of at Knoxville.
Robbins began racing in 1948 at the Jeffersonville Sportsdrome in Indiana and traveled to 15 states to compete at 80 different tracks across the country stretching from Indiana, Texas, Kansas, Minnesota, Florida, and Pennsylvania. He won two track championships at Lawrenceburg Speedway in Indiana, but was known for his “outlaw” status of traveling throughout the 1950’s and 1960’s as a racer. He also tested a NASCAR stock car at Daytona in 1964.
After winning the Nationals he was regularly making appearances back at Knoxville with promoter Marion Robinson paying appearance money to help draw a crowd. Since he retired from racing Robbins never let the status as the legendary winner of the first Knoxville Nationals phase him. He won several big money events in his racing career that he was proud of and to him the Nationals was just one of those big money events in his time. He truly never understood the importance of his legacy at Knoxville. The man won the inaugural running of the most iconic race in our sport, but never wanted the fame or recognition.
He was born September 19, 1927 in southern Indiana near Little York. He moved to nearby Louisville, Kentucky to make his living as an iron worker, but moved back to Indiana years later where he lived a quiet life. Robbins was also known for being an extremely strong man with large arms and hands that surely helped him manhandle race cars.
Roy Robbins was inducted into the Knoxville Raceway Hall of Fame in 1983. Although it has been roughly fifty years since Robbins has been to this historic place, he has always been remembered fondly and we thank him for his contribution and place in Knoxville Raceway history. We offer our sincerest sympathies to his family for their loss.
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