Bob Robbins spends most of his time working as a county mechanic or maintaining his family’s 60-year-old derailment service company.

But on weekends, he likes to let off some steam by launching a five-ton truck through the air at stadiums and fairgrounds across the country.

Robbins and teammate Lloyd Twitchell will do exactly that on Saturday night during the latest Monster Jam event at the Carrier Dome. Drivers of After Shock and Krazy Train, respectively, the pair will represent Team After Shock, the racing organization Robbins founded back in 2001.

And with team headquarters located only a short drive across Interstate 90 in Lawtons, N.Y., both are excited to showcase their driving talents in front of local fans.

“The jumps are real cool. The Dome is cool,” Robbins said. “I bet you (the truck) will be going home in a bushel basket.”

A bold statement coming from a small race team that sits on a 100-acre farm.

A racing veteran, Robbins started competing in the After Shock truck 13 years ago. As the Buffalo native’s family and team grew, however, the need for a larger workspace arose. So a short time later, Team After Shock was moved to its present location in Lawtons.

As he continued to compete, Robbins decided to expand his operation and build a second truck. Thus, Krazy Train was born in 2006.

But with a second truck, Robbins needed a second driver.

Twitchell grew up on a farm near Shortsville, which sits roughly one hour west of Syracuse, racing mud trucks. He was introduced to Robbins through a friend. At first, their relationship was business-driven, as Twitchell often bought parts from Robbins for his vehicle.

Eventually, the latter asked if Twitchell would like to join Team After Shock as a crew member. He did, and his hard work has earned him a chance to pilot Krazy Train.

“(Bob) needed a driver, so I started part-time,” Twitchell said. “Now, I’m driving full-time for him and it’s been a really great experience.”

As a rookie driver on the Monster Jam circuit, Twitchell has enjoyed mingling with monster truck fans more than anything else.

Both he and Robbins said that Monster Jam fans are the most passionate in racing. They especially love chatting with young kids, who make up a large portion of the series’ dedicated group of followers.

“If it wasn’t for them, we wouldn’t be here,” Robbins said.

The ability to bring families together is at the center of Team After Shock. Robbins’ wife Kim and their two sons, Triton and Montana, travel with him to most competitions and always lend a helping hand at the shop. He said that without their support, he’d probably be out of racing.

Robbins hopes that both of his sons rise through the monster truck ranks and get to enjoy the experience of performing in front of packed arenas.

Meanwhile, Saturday night will also mark a milestone in Twitchell’s monster truck career.

“It’s every kid’s dream to drive in Monster Jam, let alone near their hometown,” Twitchell said. “A lot of the local four-by-four clubs will be here. It’s pretty huge.”

Robbins and Twitchell expect to have close to 60 friends and family members of the team in attendance. Although they are huge underdogs in a field with three former World Finals champions, the two drivers are ready to compete for the trophy against some of the biggest names on the series roster.

Not bad for something that started as a weekend hobby.

“It’ll be a heck of a ride,” Robbins said.

Published on March 7, 2014 at 11:58 pm

Contact Tyler: tfpiccot@syr.edu