Pete Robinson (drag racer) facts for kids

Robinson's 1966 dragster

Lew Russell Robinson (born June 2, 1933 – died February 6, 1971) was an American drag racer. People knew him best as "Sneaky Pete". He was famous for his smart engineering and for making his race cars very light.

About Pete Robinson

Pete Robinson was born Lew Russell Robinson in Atlanta, Georgia. He married Sandra Robinson on October 27, 1962. They lived in Atlanta, where Pete owned a company called Pete's Engineering. Sandra often traveled with him to races and helped with his business.

Pete's Racing Journey

Early Racing Days

Pete started drag racing in 1950. His first race car was a 1940 Ford with a Buick engine. He raced this car in the B/Gas class until 1961.

Dragster Racing

Pete then bought his first "slingshot" rail car. He was obsessed with making his cars lighter. He once joked that "Anything that falls to the ground when you let it go from your hand is way too heavy to be on my race car."

He worked hard to make his new car lighter. He reduced its weight from 1,256 pounds to 1,120 pounds in three months. This helped him improve his race time from 9.50 seconds to 9.13 seconds.

To make his car even lighter, he switched to a smaller, lighter Ford Cobra engine. It was 50 pounds lighter than the Chevrolet engine he used before.

Pete became well-known at the NHRA's 1961 U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis. He won the AA/GD class and then beat other racers to win the Top Eliminator title. He also set the fastest time of the event, 8.68 seconds. This amazing speed helped him earn his nickname, "Sneaky Pete."

At the 1962 NHRA Winternationals, Pete reached the semi-finals in Top Eliminator.

Top Fuel Racing

Moving to Top Fuel (1964-1965)

In 1964, Pete moved up to the powerful Top Fuel class. He also raced in Top Gas that year, losing in the final race.

In 1965, Pete used a new 427 cubic inch Ford "Cammer" engine. He reached the Top Fuel Dragster (TF/D) final at the Springnationals but was eliminated.

First Top Fuel Win (1966)

Pete started his 1966 Top Fuel season at the AHRA Winter Nationals. He faced tough competition at other races that year.

His first big Top Fuel win came at the 1966 NHRA World Finals in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He beat several strong drivers and won the final race with a time of 7.17 seconds.

Continued Success (1967-1969)

Pete began 1967 with a victory at the Winternationals. Later that year, he broke his arm during tire testing. But he still made it to the TF/D final at the 1967 Springnationals. He also matched another racer's record-setting time of 6.92 seconds.

In 1968, Pete raced at the AHRA Winter Nationals again. He reached the final but lost to Don "The Snake" Prudhomme.

The 1969 season saw Pete continue to compete against top drivers. At the NHRA Nationals, he was eliminated in the first round by Don Prudhomme, who went on to win the event.

A Strong Year (1970)

In 1970, Pete won the TF/D class at the NHRA Summernationals in Pennsylvania. He also won the 1970 AHRA World Championship in Bristol.

Later that year, he raced at the 1970 NHRA Nationals. He won two rounds before losing to Don Prudhomme.

After a successful 1970 season, Pete decided to retire from driving. He was the only driver still using the 427 Cammer engine and had lost factory support. He wanted to focus on building lightweight parts for race cars. He hired Bud Dabler to drive his new dragster, which had a special "ground effect" design. However, Dabler did not like the car.

Final Race (1971)

In 1971, Pete raced at an AHRA TF/D event. He was eliminated in the first round. Soon after, he recorded his fastest time ever, 6.50 seconds, in his new car. This made him decide to enter the 1971 NHRA Winternationals.

At the Winternationals in Pomona on February 6, Pete qualified with a time of 6.77 seconds, which was the fastest time of the day. On a later run, his car's chassis twisted. The front tires came off, and his car hit the guardrail and broke apart.

Pete Robinson's Legacy

Pete Robinson was taken to the hospital in Pomona and passed away later that day. He was 37 years old.

Pete was known as "one of the sport's best-liked gentlemen." Other famous racers, like Don Garlits, respected Pete's engineering skills. Garlits said, "Pete was always on the edge of the envelope..."

Pete Robinson was listed as #22 on NHRA's list of its Top 50 Greatest Drivers. His wife, Sandra, passed away in 2020. Pete and Sandra are survived by their daughter, Kelly Robinson Vann, and other family members.

Images for kids

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  Robinson's 1966 dragster