RPW Column: Coming Back With Vengeance: Adam Roberts Returns Four Weeks After Wild Ride

Column By: MARTY CZEKALA / RPW – CANANDAIGUA, NY – Adam Roberts’ season could’ve been over before the season opening feature concluded at Land of Legends Raceway on May 15th when he tumbled end over end in one of the scariest wrecks you’ll ever see.

Roberts is a driver that only has one car, keep in mind.

“I don’t know when you’re going to see me at Land of Legends again, but if we get back, I’ll be back in full vengeance,” Roberts said that day after his sidewinding ride.

Who would’ve thought that four weeks later, with a small budget, Roberts and his crew would roll out a new #63 Troyer chassis out the trailer in the Canandaigua pits?

Last week, I was unable to miss his return due to prior commitments at Oswego Speedway for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. This week, my schedule was set for Land of Legends so I got a chance to talk with him about his team’s road to recovery.

“It’s been a good process,” Roberts said. “Everybody at Troyer has been a real good help. We took apart the old car, figured out what was good and not good. Made a list. Called down Troyer and got what I needed. Whatever product I needed, got on the phone. We’ve just been working away at it. I had some spare stuff, mostly everything I had spare. I didn’t have another cage, wheels, tires. I had to get another body. There’s a lot in a little bit of time and I’m just very thankful I have great people around me to get back out here.”

A week after the wreck, Roberts still showed up to support his Saturday night home, and track promoter Paul Cole told “A-Train” to bring his apparel so “he [didn’t] go back home with any of his apparel left to help get a new car put together.” Roberts claimed it was a weird night not taking his racecar with him, saying it was his first time watching a race from the stands.

“It was a little different,” Roberts said. “I got to stand up in the tower with Paul and watch Matt Sheppard and Peter Britten go around there and see things do a little different than I do now. I look at every situation as an opportunity to learn something. I know it was a nasty wreck, but we learned everything about the manufacturer, a lot about parts I put on the racecar, and the safety stuff. Hats off to everybody in this deal, I couldn’t be happier.”

Roberts also waved the green flag for the Pepsi Big Block Modified feature that night.

All the money from selling merchandise went towards a new racecar and that Saturday night, Roberts made $617 off of apparel of hats, shirts, drawstring bags, etc.

“I had about $250 invested between the product,” Roberts explained. “We made all our own shirt. Bought my wife some stuff so she can do her own thing. We’re just trying to do that. It all went back to my Dad, I just get the privilege of driving the thing and work on it. Every contribution that we got from any of this went right towards operation. I couldn’t be more thankful for everybody who stepped up.”

The same day, Roberts picked up his replacement TD5 chassis at Troyer’s shop, and three weeks later, Roberts was back on track for the first time. No prior test sessions needed, it was a regular Saturday Spectacular at Land of Legends.

“We rushed to get here. I don’t want to have time, especially after a big wreck, to think about it sitting in the car. We got here, heat races were out there. Got right in, got right out there. Got my nerves out of me. Everything happens for a reason.”

Roberts finished 12th out of 17 drivers in the Big Block feature on June 12th.

Of course, Roberts cannot do it without his supporters. They include, but are not limited to…

“My parents at Roberts Automotive Sales & Service, Stan Tibbles and the Tibbles family at Ken Tibbles Roofing, the Nethers family at Glory Construction & Development, Nick Guererri stepped up at NG Promotions (he raffled off some concert tickets, gave Roberts some of the proceeds), Joe Cook at L&J Landscaping, my brother at The Repair Shop, would like to welcome Wilcox Brothers Transportation…it’s the sharpest car in the pits in my opinion. Eagles Club in Watertown, the Sheppards, everyone that has reached out. I have a bunch of friends and family that gave me $100 here and there. I’m very grateful for everybody that surrounds the 63 machine.”