“Danger, Will Robinson” is something the actual Will Robinson has heard plenty of times throughout his life.
Yet Robinson has never seen the show where the phrase originated from in Lost in Space, or the Netflix reboot that came out in 2018. His legal first name is not even Will; it’s John.
But much like the fictional television family, high speeds have always encompassed Robinson’s life, albeit on Earth instead of in space. The next chapter of Robinson’s motorsports journey occurs at Tucson Speedway this weekend, when he will pilot the No. 70 Toyota in a collaborative effort between Jerry Pitts Racing and Nitro Motorsports for his ARCA Menards Series West debut.
The test session Robinson took part in prior to the Tucson ARCA Menards West 150 immediately pegged his excitement. Saturday for Robinson will be about gaining crucial full-bodied stock car experience while simultaneously enjoying the environment around him.
“I’ve never driven a 3,500-lb. car; I’ve only driven Super Late Models and Pro Late Models on an oval before this,” Robinson said. “Tucson is such a cool place. The tire saving and the strategy going into that is going to be amazing. I’m just excited to come out here and learn. I don’t expect too much myself, but it seems like [it will be] a ton of fun.”
WEST SERIES AT TUCSON:
During his teenage years, Robinson was more focused on modifying and driving cars instead of racing them. There were no tracks near Robinson’s hometown of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, so the idea of being a professional driver seemed unrealistic.
A speeding ticket would ironically be the catalyst that guided Robinson to motorsports.
The infraction occurred in a national park, a federal traffic citation that can result in a massive fine or a potential jail sentence. Following the incident, Robinson’s father got him connected with a close friend in racing who helped Robinson channel his desire to go fast in a more positive manner.
That friend was Chris Dyson, a seasoned road-course competitor who has starts in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Rolex 24 and the 12 Hours of Sebring. Dyson encouraged Robinson to attend the Skip Barber Racing School so he could understand the fundamentals that were essential to not only being fast behind the wheel, but efficient.
It took time for everything to compute for Robinson, but he eventually found both the confidence and the resources to started running professional events. Robinson spent most of his time in 2025 with the Trans Am Championship TA2 Series, scoring two overall top 10s that would include a career-best of ninth at Virginia International Raceway.
As he was finding a cadence on road courses, Robinson also participated in a handful of events at New Smyrna Speedway last year. Robinson managed to find Victory Lane in New Smyrna’s local divisions before later making his national Super Late Model debut there during the season-ending Florida Governor’s Cup.
Both road course and oval track racing offer plenty of elements Robinson enjoys, but he appreciates how aggressive the latter can be. No matter what discipline he races in, Robinson knows responsibility falls upon him to understand the needs of his car and how to improve with every event.
“Driving is driving,” Robinson said. “It’s all a balancing act. Once you get used to that balance and rhythm in the car, everything is more or less the same. I’m still working on that myself, but ovals are more about the general competition. Every time I get on an oval, it’s a hard-nose, work to the grindstone [mindset].
“I don’t care if you have the best car out there, you’re still going to have somebody that you’re going to have to work your ass off to race.”
From Robinson’s experience, the heavier the car is, the more enjoyment he feels. With the West Series chassis being the heaviest Robinson has driven to date, he anticipates a thrilling weekend at Tucson that will also require him to be astute and open-minded.
Tire conservation is going to be a focal point of Saturday’s Tucson ARCA Menards West 150, a concept Robinson has minimal experience with so far. Last year’s West Series race at Tucson saw Tanner Reif make the race-winning pass in the final two laps after saving his tires at the back of the field during the first half.
Patience through 150 laps is only one part of the formula to success for Robinson in his debut West Series outing. By the time practice and qualifying conclude, Robinson hopes to have found a comfort zone with managing the horsepower and braking, the latter of which has been his biggest learning curve during his transition into asphalt short-track racing.
“This is a totally different style of braking,” Robinson said. “Road courses are primarily about threshold braking; your initial brake application is usually in a straight line unless it’s a high-speed corner. When you come into oval stuff, it’s all about getting the car to rotate. You’re never trying to slow down the car; you’re trying to get it to turn with the brake.”
Robinson has plenty of people across both Pitts’ and Nitro’s programs to ensure Tucson goes according to plan Saturday evening. One of them is Michael Self, a winner of 17 races between the national ARCA Menards Series and the West Series, who also has plenty of road-course starts to his name just like Robinson.
While he would love to win in his debut, Robinson simply wants Tucson to be a solid first race for him on the ARCA Menards Series platform. He does not know what the rest of his 2026 schedule looks like, but any kind of progress and knowledge obtained at Tucson on Saturday is something Robinson knows will be beneficial going forward.
A few years ago, Robinson never would have imagined his lifelong love for cars would eventually lead him to become a professional racer. He is enjoying everything road course racing and oval racing have to offer, adding he would love to have a sustainable full-time career in either discipline.
“I love racing,” Robinson said. “I want to get to a point where if I’m paying, I’m not doing too much and where I can just run it for the rest of my life. Whatever facet that is, I don’t care. I just love it and want to find some form of it where I can do it for as long as I want to. Every form of motorsport I’ve tried so far has been mind blowingly fun.”
For now, Robinson is focused on overcoming any danger in his way at Tucson so he can make a strong first impression in the West Series. Everything is in place for Robinson to excel on Saturday with a seasoned team behind him along with a great car and plenty of confidence to boot.
All Robinson needs is to execute on his end so he can continue finding himself in motorsports.
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