Robbie Skipper has been a race fan since he was 10 years old. He has been a racecar driver and began competing in 2001. He raced four years in the IMCA Hobby Stock division and one year in the four cylinder class. He became an official at Lakeside Speedway when then Competition Director J. D. Green invited him to the “other side”. He was active in the Central Auto Racing Boosters (C.A.R.B.), first serving the organization as a Sergeant-at-Arms, then as a Board Member, then as Chairman of the American Cancer Society fundraiser. His work culminated in the prestigious Virginia Nelson Award in 2007.
He first attended the races at Jamesport with his dad in 1987. He met Dean and Cory Wray and they helped him get into a sports mod. He appreciates the Wray family because they are always giving back to the racing community. Robbie loves the racing family because the racing family is a true family, we may have our disagreements but let anyone mess with us and our sport and we come together like brothers and sisters. This family feeling led to a change in Robbie’s life.
Robbie was raised attending church, taken there every week by his grandparents. Church taught him to do what you are supposed to do not what you want to do. In 2013 Robbie volunteered to go on a mission to Nicaragua. The group was to work in the village building houses but Robbie became friends with a local villagers and became a mentor to the 15 year old boy. The mentoring led Robbie to realize his calling was to be a mentor and an ambassador.
Upon his return to the states, he became Facebook friends with Alyssa Lasater. She challenged Robbie to become part of the Motor Racing Outreach Association. This led to attending classes in Nashville, Tennessee. The weekend training included building relationships, how to deal with people during a crisis, how to deal with addiction, protocol with family and friends, what to do and what not to do concerning pre-race prayer, and most importantly stay within the time the track gives for the invocation.
His work with MRO has led to him working at Kansas Speedway where he met Kyle Busch, Joe Gibbs, and was recognized by NASCAR Camping World Series Director Chad Little. Chad has a niece that suffers from the same disease Robbie suffers, Cerebral Palsy. Chad took the time to sit and talk with Robbie. Every week at I-35 Speedway we are blessed to have Robbie say the invocation. So next time you see Robbie wobbling strong, give him a shout and let him know how much we appreciate him and his efforts.