An Interview with former Reliant Robin World Champion 96 Ian Robins
(interview published January 13 2015 in the lead up to the opening round of the 2015 points championship)

Age: 57
Home Town: Grain technician
Family: Partner Sue and two stepchildren
Racing career: Started racing in Autograss at St Neots aged 17 in a Morris Minor, steering column came out in the first race and throttle jammer open in the second

The Reliant Robins make their annual Winter Series appearance at Mildenhall on January 25, is this a meeting you are looking forward to or is it one you are less excited about, given conditions are often not the best at this time of year?
I always look forward to and enjoy the meetings, whatever the weather, it’s just part of our racing isn’t it, sometimes it rains and that is that, you just have to get on with it the best you can and make the most it. The meeting in November was one of the wettest I’ve done in quite some time but I managed ok and had a few results and scored some points so hopefully I’ll be able to do the same again here. Don’t get me wrong I would prefer the weather and raceway to be dry, I think our racing is usually better when it is but it’s not something you control so not point in worrying too much (laughs).

You’re currently enjoying something of a purple patch in the Robins and are third in the World Qualifying points, is that something you are pleased about?
I had no idea I was (laughs). We don’t have internet or computers at home so to be honest I’m a bit out of the loop and usually find things out when I go racing but that’s brilliant to hear. Things have been going pretty well the last few meetings, having the win in October was especially good because it was my first win in quite some time and I think it’d almost been a long time coming because I’d had a few near misses and a bit of bad luck which cost me some results so to get a win was pretty great.

Have you been doing anything different for this World Qualifying series or is it more a case of good fortune?
I think it is because I’ve not done anything different really but I do seem to have had a little bit of good luck and in racing you always need luck on your side if you are ever going to do well, without you won’t stand a chance. I guess I’ve had quite a bit of bad luck recently so it’s been nice to have some things go well. But I’m not too worried about the points and stuff like that, for me if I can finish a race I’m usually quite happy with that and anything else is a bonus. That’s the big difference with racing the Robins compared to the Autograss, the races are usually around twice as many laps so it is much more of a challenge to finish a Robin race I think and also I prefer having more laps because it gives you a chance to do well as the race unfolds, whereas a lot of Autograss races are won at the start and if you make a bad start it can be very hard to come back from that.

Having mentioned your long Autograss racing career, can you tell us a little more about it?
I started about 40 years ago now, my first car was a Morris Minor in the Juniors or Novices class and I had quite the first meeting as the steering column came out in my first race and then the throttle stuck open in the second and then I moved onto Escorts and I raced quite a few of them and then I moved up to Class 7 which are the cars where the engines are super charged and in the back of the car and then I went into Specials which I’ve continued in ever since. They are a real handful, very powerful cars but a lot of fun to race.

Do you still race Autograss regularly?
Yes but I didn’t do so much last year for one reason or another but it is still something I really enjoy doing and I’m hoping to do a bit more this year if I can but the biggest problem is there are an expensive formulas, especially the Specials I race and a lot of drivers do spend a lot of money on the cars which can make it difficult to compete sometimes but again the cars are just a lot of fun to race.

What was the appeal to Reliant Robins for you?
We’d been coming to Mildenhall to watch and I quite fancied a go myself and the Robins just looked like so much fun so I decided to give that a go and I’ve been doing them ever since, I think my first Reliant meeting was around 2001 or 2002, something like that , I remember it was a World Final meeting and I couldn’t race until after the World Final because I was a new driver and I’ve enjoyed it ever since which is why I keep on doing it. It does help that it’s a fairly cheap formula to race in, especially compared to my Autograss car which is a lot more money. I still spend a bit of time on my Robins, especially because I like my Robins to look like Robin and look tidy and presentable but again it’s a lot easier than the Autograss car and that is a big appeal for me.

You won the World Championship in 2006, does this rank as the highlight of your racing career?
It does I guess because I have never won anything particularly special in the Autograss racing so to win that race was really brilliant and a massive deal for me at the time and it still is now I suppose. The Grand Prix was the first significant thing I won and that was in 2002 which wasn’t long after I started in the formula and that was great as well because it was my first big win and I also came second in the Mildenhall points in 2002 and 2003, it was always nice to do well in the points and although it would have been fantastic to win one, I was always really pleased with how well I did.

How much would it mean to win the World Championship again and given how well you are currently doing in the qualifying points could you have a good chance this year?
I suppose if I qualify near the front I would have a chance but so much of that race, like any other, is all about your luck on the day and I think that would be the biggest factor but it would certainly be amazing to win the race a second time, especially as so few have done that.

The formula experienced some significant and much talked about problems in September, but the meetings since appear to have been more positive, is that something you agree with?
Yes, I think so. Apart from the weather at the November meeting the last few meetings have been pretty good and things appear to be better. Unfortunately things did get out of hand at the British Championship, I try not to get involved in that, it’s not what I go racing for but it was a great shame that it happened but it’s good that the meetings since have been good ones and it’s also been really nice to see some different and new drivers coming out and racing which helps a lot as well.

Is there anyone else you would like to thank or mention?
Just Sue really for all her help and support.