Driver, builder, innovator, components maker

His innovations in weight-saving, aerodynamics, engines, traction and safety earned him the nickname “Sneaky Pete” and the respect of the entire sport. After a 1967 crash, Robinson developed now-required arm restraints. In 1968, he made passes in a vacuum ground effect car, two years before inductee Jim Hall’s Chaparral 2J. Not every innovation was welcomed. When Robinson raised his rear tires off the ground via an onboard jack to drop at the green, it worked great — and was quickly outlawed. He was as fast as he was clever. An AA/D Top Eliminator victory at the 1961 NHRA Nationals — over heavily favored inductee Tom McEwen — put him on the map. Other major wins included the 1966 NHRA World Finals (@7.17 sec), 1970 Summernationals and 1970 AHRA Grand American Series Top Fuel Eliminator. Robinson was #22 on the NHRA’s 2001 list of 50 greatest drivers and inducted into the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame in 1992. Said NHRA founder Wally Parks, “Pete was an innovator whose discoveries were the leading edge of technology.”