A ‘monster’ presence in the community
by Holly A. Lawton
As the owners of Aftershock monster truck, Lawtons residents Bob Robbins Jr. ‘and his wife, Kim, are making their contribution to the local community and also raising the visibility of motor sports in the Western New York area.
This summer, Aftershock has been lending its considerable weight in support of some local causes. The hulking truck drew attention during the Harley Happening at the Hollywood in Gowanda June 4-6, taking up residence under the Hollywood Theater marquee and leading a procession of Harleys during the parade.
When the Robbinses learned that a benefit was being held on July 10 to help defray medical expenses for 4-year-old Dyllin Tillinghast, who was diagnosed with a brain tumor at age 1, they volunteered to bring their truck and donated all of the proceeds from selling photographs. After having his second brain surgery on May 21, Dyllin began another round of intensive chemotherapy on June 14. Dyllin’s parents, Carrie and Keith, are Lawtons residents as well, and Keith is one of Robbins’ cousins.
Aftershock is very much a family endeavor. Robbins, Kim and their 2-year-old son, Triton, travel to the shows together. While Robbins tends to the mechanical work, drives the monster truck and signs autographs, Kim handles the booking arrangements and sells a line of t-shirts, hats;and other items. Robbins’s father, Bob Sr., does his part by taking some turns driving the transport trailer that hauls Aftershock to and from show locations. Mom Jean comes to shows to support her son.
Robbins started out with a frame, axles and tires that he bought. In six months, he transformed the skeleton into Aftershock monster truck with the help of his brother, Pete, who is a mechanic in Florida, and Mark Noto and other friends. In addition, Pete will sometimes fill in driving the monster truck when his brother can’t make it to shows.
Robbins gives credit for his mechanical ability to his grandfather, Clarence “Pete” Winter of Langford, who passed away on July 5. “I learned about it from being around it all my life with my grandfather. When I was young, we really did a lot together,” he remarked. Winter’s involvement in the railroad business also had an impact upon his grandson’s choice for a day job. Robbins is a railroad conductor.
According to Robbins, the monster truck is a second job. “When I’m not at work, I’m working on the truck, traveling or racing. It’s a lot of work, but it’s worth it,” he commented. “I like traveling, seeing new places and meeting people.”
Robbins participates in both monster truck races and freestyle events. He explains that, for the races, there are time trials with two trucks running side-by-side, leaving crushed cars in their wake. In the freestyle, drivers are able to go out and show their creativity, choosing their own maneuvers, such as doing doughnuts or jumping over vehicles. Robbins says that the freestyle is more about getting a reaction from the crowd.
“We’ve seen our number of fans grow in the time we’ve been involved,” Kim noted. She added that her husband spends hours meeting fans and signing autographs.
This week, monster truck fans and newcomers will have several opportunities to see Robbins and Aftershock in action locally. They will be appearing in the freestyle event at the fair in Caledonia on Aug. 5, in the races at the fair in Little Valley on Aug. 6, and in the freestyle event at Holland Speedway on Aug. 7.
The Robbinses would like to see enthusiasm for monster truck racing, and motor sports in general, develop in the Western New York area as it has in other parts of the country. They are particularly interested in getting kids more involved. A new project they are undertaking is building a second truck that they can use to give kids rides.
To see a complete schedule of appearances for Aftershock, visit the Web site www.aftershockmonstertruck.com. For booking information, call Kim at 337-0569.