Robin Roberts picked the perfect time to get hot in the No Prep Elite playoffs, winning the Invitational at Alabama International Dragway and leaving as the new points leader heading into the season finale at the Texas Motorplex.
Roberts also won two events earlier this year, but those were in the regular season. With the stakes raised in the new NPE format, the importance of this win was not lost on him.
Danny Stogner photo
“This was the biggest win of the year for us,” Roberts said. “It was a really big deal. We needed some redemption, and this was the place to get it. I feel like it’s all coming together at the moment when it should, and we’ll see if that continues through next week.”
Roberts defeated Bobby Ducote in the first round, then outran Nate Sayler – who has played the role of spoiler the past couple weeks – in the quarterfinals. That win, combined with Murder Nova’s second-round loss, moved Roberts to the top of the standings.
In the semifinals, Roberts was paired up against Scott Taylor, with the two drivers tied for the points lead. Taylor had defeated Roberts twice in the past three events, but this time Roberts returned the favor, turning on the win light and moving on to the finals against Jim Howe. In a side-by-side race, Roberts grabbed the trophy and $10,000. Roberts admitted afterward that it was some of the stiffest competition he’s faced all season.
“Bobby’s no slouch – that’s a tough car to get by,” said Roberts “Nate has taken out the two number one’s each race in a row, so we were worried about that one a lot. Scott’s got me the last couple times, and that got me fired up. I really wanted to win that race. And whenever we arrive at a track, we try to gauge who the fastest cars are – and Jim Howe was one of the few we named. He was running really good and the track was good for a blower car. We knew we needed to get out of the hole fast and get ahead early in order to win, and we were lucky enough to do that.”
The victory comes on the heels of a semifinal-round finish the week prior in Rockingham. And while the NPE playoffs started off on a sour note for Roberts, who suffered catastrophic engine failure in Tulsa during a first-round loss to Chris Rankin, the last two events have been worth points-and-a-half, allowing him to secure a 30-point lead over Scott Taylor. Shawn Ellington sits in third, 35 points back.
With double points available at the season finale, there are still a lot of drivers with a mathematical shot at the championship. But with a two-round lead over his nearest competitors, Roberts has put himself in a great position to take home an extra $100,000 in Texas, as well as the title of first ever No Prep Elite champion.
“We made a decision early on that we were going to race every round to win, make the car do the best it can, and for me to do the best I can,” Roberts said. “I’m trying to take all the emotion behind wanting to be a champion – obviously it’s important to me, obviously it’s something I want to accomplish, we’ve been chasing this for years – and just diminish it down to it’s just another race. The rest of the team is looking at it the same way. Everybody settles in, we have our routines, and when we do our routines, we win. We’re going to try to continue that without getting caught up in all the fanfare.”
Danny Stogner photo
Nate Sayler Relishes Role of Spoiler: Although Nate Sayler is a mathematical longshot for the championship, he has made a huge impact on the points chase. For the second week in a row, Sayler defeated the points leader in the first round. In Alabama, he beat Clay Cole; he defeated Murder Nova the week prior in Rockingham. Those drivers now sit fourth and third respectively. And while he may not be at the top of the standings, Sayler plans to continue making it uncomfortable for those who are.
“We knew we had a top-five car, and this confirms it,” said Sayler. “Coming late into the season put us in a bad spot for the [playoff] seeding, but I think the points leaders don’t like it more than us. We have a badass hot rod and we intend to keep doing what we’re doing.”
Stat Guy’s Stat of the Day: With his victory in Alabama, Robin Roberts won the fifth Invitational of his career. According to “Stat Guy” Chris LeCLoux, that ranks Roberts fifth in all-time event wins, behind only Ryan Martin, Kye Kelley, Lizzy Musi, and Justin Swanstrom.
Up Next: It all comes down to this – a champion will be crowned at the season finale, October 25-26 at the Texas Motorplex.
This story was originally published on October 21, 2024.
The post Robin Roberts Takes Points Lead After No Prep Elite Win in Alabama first appeared on Drag Illustrated.