Robinson brothers adopt calculated approach for AORC finale

Photos: Terry Hill Photography

Western Australian brothers Travis Robinson and Beau Robinson plan to execute, with patience and a degree of caution at this weekend’s Black Diamond Drilling Kalgoorlie Desert Race, their bid to secure a historic one-two in the 2025 BFGoodrich Motorsport Australia Off Road Championship (AORC).

Trophy Truck drivers Travis (2374 points) and Beau (2044 points) sit first and second respectively in the outright AORC Drivers’ Championship standings after the opening four rounds, with fellow Western Australian Jared Percival (1596 points) a distant third.

A bumper field of 94 cars, and 172 bikes, have entered the Western Australian event this weekend.

With championship points being boosted by 50 per cent at the final stop on the calendar – generating a maximum points haul of 1050 points – the Robinson brothers enter their home round with a long-game mindset.

“The ultimate goal is to go one-two in the championship and that has been the case all year,” Beau Robinson’s navigator, Shane Hutt said.

“You can see their strategy in the manner of driving, and the reserved amount of aggression that’s been on display. It’s all very calculated this year.

“It’s a long season. Plenty of times we’ve gone into the first round thinking ‘we’ve got to win the prologue and then every single point on offer until the final round in Kalgoorlie’, but with age comes wisdom. This other approach seems to be working well for us so far.”

The Robinson brothers’ newfound conservatism is for good reason; the AORC has dealt its fair share of blows over the years, both in individual races including Finke, and in previous Championship situations.

The most recent was Beau Robinson’s unexpected downfall in the 2024 season, where a brake failure on the final day in Kalgoorlie culminated in him ultimately handing the championship to father-and-son Pro Lite pairing Mel and Liam Brandle.

“Last year, we had a similar approach leading into Kalgoorlie. We knew we were in with a chance and we cruised through the weekend. Then on Sunday morning we woke up and the brake pedal went to the floor 5km into the section,” Hutt explained.

For that reason, the OBR crew that manages both Robinson entries has undertaken an extensive mechanical once-over of both Trophy Trucks in the lead-up to Kalgoorlie. Beau’s entry lobs in Kalgoorlie with a fresh engine, with head mechanic Drew Latham burning the midnight oil in order to have the #413 machine ready in time.

“We are constantly learning. Beau has been off-roading for 20-odd years, and every day you still learn something. You might have been unaffected by a rule for those 20 years but then, come championship day, that’s the day something happens that’s never happened. You’ve got to be prepared for anything and everything,” Hutt said.

Elsewhere in the AORC title race, things are heating up in the competitive Motorsport Australia SXS Championship, with Lachie Bailey (2048 points), Greg Campbell (1724 points) and Glen Ackroyd (1462 points) all in contention for the title.

Glen Ackroyd is a surprise entry for the Western Australian event. He led the SXS Championship momentarily until a dramatic end-to-end rollover at the KMC Wheels St George 399 event in August cruelled his chances.

For Bailey, 2025 presents his very first visit to the Kalgoorlie course – brought by the prospect of securing the SXS Championship.

“The main objective, first of all, is to finish,” said Bailey. “And second, to finish in front of the guys in front of us for the Championship.

“It’s not a long race so hopefully that suits us. We lead Greg in the SXS Championship, but in the class championship (AORC SXS Pro) we’re virtually even, so the goal is to finish in front of him in both to secure that as well.

“I’ve never done or been to the event before, so this is all new to me. Apparently it’s fast and a fun, flowing track – which I like. I’m excited.”

Bailey explained that outside commitments usually preclude him from competing at the Kalgoorlie finale, however the prospect of a maiden championship in 2025 was simply too enticing.

“We’re usually very busy with work at this time of year, so the event doesn’t normally suit us. But we’ve made it work this year,” said Bailey. “We’ll do what we normally do for Prologue and the first couple of Sections and then evaluate where we’re sitting – whether we just manage, or if we need to reassess.”

All the action at the Black Diamond Drilling Kalgoorlie Desert Race gets underway from Friday, with a 21km Prologue determining the running order for the weekend. Saturday will encompass a 121km Section One, with Sunday comprising separate 121km Sections Two and Three.

Friday’s Prologue commences at 2pm AWST. Keep an eye out for the AORC social channels, YouTube and aorc.com.aufor updates across the weekend.

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