NASCAR Whelen All-American Series News
Roberts Savors Second Championship
Jan 20, 2015 - updated Jan 20th, 2015 7:48am
Web posted by Tim Southers

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Veteran Racer Tops Others At Anderson Speedway

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 19, 2015) — Experience is something you can’t buy, it’s earned. Drivers who have that knowledge know how to use it to their benefit, and David Roberts is a perfect example.

Roberts combined one win and his depth of experience to hold off a plethora of former track champions to win the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series track title at Anderson (South Carolina) Motor Speedway in 2014 after the track returned to NASCAR sanctioning earlier this season.

“I wish we would have won more races, but we were consistent all season and used a lot of top-five and top 10 finishes to hold on and win the track title over some great drivers,” Roberts said. “I will take winning championship over race wins every year.”

While it was not the first NWAAS championship for Roberts – he won at Greenville Pickens Speedway in 2007 – it was the first for the Simpsonville, South Carolina, native at Anderson.

“Winning a track title at Anderson is really special for me as I got my very first race win ever at that track years ago when it was still a dirt track,” Roberts said. “I started racing when I was 14. I am 53 now and I still love to get behind the wheel of a race car every chance I get.”

That might not have been the case a few years ago when Roberts was going through a tough time and he might have hung up his racing suit for good if not for the encouragement of his wife Marie.

“After one season I didn’t know if I was going to keep racing or not as we had a rough season,” Roberts said. “After a few weeks of thinking about it, Marie came to me one day and said what do we need to make the car better and she basically wouldn’t let me give up. She loves racing more than any of us on the team I think, and if not for her being tenacious we might not be here today (celebrating a championship).”

Besides having his wife on the team, Roberts also has his two sons in the shop helping out to make it a true family affair. Ryan is the crew chief for the team and Adam helps out as well while also working on cars for others drivers they keep in the same shop.

“I am blessed to have my family with me each week and it makes every accomplishment that much more special,” Roberts added. “In addition to my family we also have my right-hand man Larry O’rear, John ‘JT’ Taylor, Brian Wood, Jerri Lewis and Harry Stone on the team that volunteer and help in any way they can. I couldn’t do this without them.”

Now that he has two championships, Roberts said he needs one more for a very special reason.

“I have given each son a helmet that we are awarded by NASCAR for winning the track title,” he said. “Now it’s time to get my own helmet and we are going to try and do that in 2015.”

Roberts has the support of sponsors he quickly credits that made it possible for his to keep living his dream after 37 years.

“We have Pacific Equipment, Martin Brothers Construction and LP gear on the car no matter which make we race in,” Roberts said. “If I am running a Chevrolet I use motors from Chris Harrington and if we run the Ford I used a motor built by Charlie and Robert Long.”

One thing Roberts wanted to make clear and that was he has no intentions of slowing down anytime soon.

“Racing is all I have ever known, and other than working at Renewable Water Resources and being married to Marie for the past 37 years, all I have ever done is race. I want to keep doing that as long as I am having fun and competitive,” he added. “I don’t know what Red Farmer’s record is for years racing, but I plan on breaking it.”

If desire and determination are any factor, the likelihood of seeing Roberts on the stage again during the NWAAS Awards ceremony in Charlotte is a definite possibility.

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