Robb on the rebound with an assist from coaches’ input

Late in the opening race of the IndyCar season at St. Petersburg, Sting Ray Robb was featured on the FOX broadcast for all of the wrong reasons. Barked at for getting in the way of the leaders who were trying to put the Idahoan a lap down and settle the contest without interference, Robb eventually moved aside and ambled home to an unremarkable 21st-place finish.

Two races later and it was Robb, turning lap times that were in line with the best drivers in the field, running in the top 10, and with the FOX cameras trained on his car while leading for 12 laps. Using the same alternate tire strategy that vaulted Arrow McLaren’s Christian Lundgaard nine positions forward from 12th to third, Robb improved by 10, motoring from 19th at the start of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach to ninth at the checkered flag.

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From an in-the-way backmarker on March 2 to a legitimate leader and contender on April 13, the Juncos Holling Racing driver answered his critics in the best way. Robb is by no means a finished product in his third IndyCar season, and he’s keenly aware of how much progress needs to be made in order to race among the best in the series. It’s the recognition of this fact, and the healthy level of humility that Robb draws from in his quest to improve, that’s propelled his progress.

Seeking help through renowned driver coach Rob Wilson has been the most beneficial move for Robb. Between visiting England to receive lessons directly from the former professional racer and the assignment of ex-Andretti IndyCar driver Adam Carroll to his timing stand as a coach on race weekends, the 23-year-old is starting to reap the benefits of their education plan.

He may have reached the top level of U.S. open-wheel, but Robb is still eager to listen to all the quality advice he can. Chris Owens/IMS Photo

“Last week (before Long Beach) I was over in England,” Robb told RACER after climbing from his car on Sunday. “People thought I was on vacation, but I wasn't. I was working. I was working with my driver coach Rob Wilson. Amazing guy. I’ve got a good group around me, so I'm thankful. No doubt this is for a reason, and hopefully I can do the best I can to steward it.”

Wilson’s students have included everyone from a young Juan Pablo Montoya to Marco Andretti, whose offseason coaching and training with Wilson led to the best IndyCar season of his career with a run to fifth place in 2013. Seeking help at the top level of any sport can come with derision, but Robb isn’t concerned about any criticism that comes his way.

If anything, the willingness to employ Robb and Carroll might recalibrate the perception some hold for Robb. Having changed to his third IndyCar team in three years, the kind of consistency a new driver needs to build a proper foundation has been missing. A return to Juncos Hollinger, where he won the 2020 USF Pro 2000 championship, has been the first step towards creating a stable base to learn and grow at the IndyCar level.

“I don't know why you wouldn’t want to bring coaches in, as iron sharpens iron,” he said. “That's why I try and surround myself with the right people. And I just got lucky enough to have these guys with me today. I've had a great group at different points in my career, and winning a championship with these guys, I know what I was coming back to.

“I know that the level of commitment, the level of passion that they have, is super high and I think that we're gonna keep going. I don't see a limit for us yet. I don't think that we've hit our potential. I think that there's still more to come, and that makes me excited.”