It seems my old enemy is back in the headlines and finally his fellow officials have had enough ! Robbo the Yobbo is to be dragged up before the NKC to answer for his repeated bad behaviour and mis-treatment of Karters after being "protected" by Denton and Co for many years. I hope they nail him this time and we see him gone for good. Good on the VKA for finally speaking up on behalf of Karters and confronting this rude arrogant man who constantly brings the sport in to disrepute. Its time to go.... Robbo.
26th June 2013
To: NKC
Complaint to be placed on the agenda for the next NKC meeting and to be dealt with and dealt with immediately.
Re: Complaint against an official from CIK meeting held at Geelong on the 14/15/16th June 2013
The Officials of the meeting wish to lodge a complaint against the Chief Steward - Mr Chris Robinson in regards to the manner in which he intimidated and addressed the Tag light drivers at the above event.
TAG Light.
This class was requested to attend the tech shed and were given a disgraceful dressing down by the Chief Steward the way in which he lined them up and paced up and down in front of them and spoke in a manner that was nothing but intimidating and de grading.
We believe that some of these competitors may have been under 18 and required a parent or guardian with them as per the AKA regulations. When questioned on this Chris stated that because they were in a group this could be done??
There is a way of expressing concern in regards to the driving of competitors but this over stepped the line by the official.
We feel all officials at this event - Stewards, Clerk of course, Technical Inspectors, scales marshals it was both embarrassing and unacceptable and brought ill feelings towards the officials that were conducting the meeting.
The VKA requests that the NKC to have Mr Robinson attend an NKC meeting explain his actions.
Regards
Russell White
State President
On behalf of the AKA officials at the CIK meeting - Geelong
Comments12
Hey Peter he only needed a pace stick and he could have been the RSM???
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its about time though, new board new governance NEW BLOOD is needed at this level, even if the class was behaving badly there is no need to treat them like some raw recruits on a parade ground. It about time we rotate as many people as we can through big meetings to get them experience we want a big pool of officials doing the job not a closed shop  boys club.
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Maybe there is change in the wind, new governance, denton not getting his cushy board position, Canberra sticking it up a bad exec now this just maybe just maybe some ripples are appearing for the good???
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If the NKC don't down grade him or boot him I think clubs should think twice about asking him to attend, time to go agree
It appears you gentleman have a misunderstanding of an RSM & his role in todays Army
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I did not see the meeting, I only just over heard it and in defense the driving standards that weekend up to that point in Tag Light were pretty terrible.Â
Regardless he did NOT have to act like that, if the standard was that bad hand out mass pink slips!!!!!Michael Ambelas said:
I did not see the meeting, I only just over heard it and in defense the driving standards that weekend up to that point in Tag Light were pretty terrible.Â
I can tell you after 15 years in the infantry I KNOW what a RSM is and can do they are a law unto themselves even officers shake in their boots when he speaks. lolShaun Francis said:
It appears you gentleman have a misunderstanding of an RSM & his role in todays Army
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Yeh thats true, that probably would been the smarter way of going about it. Surprising that some of the drivers were not injured after some of the shunts that happened in that race though. Paul Hewitt said:
Regardless he did NOT have to act like that, if the standard was that bad hand out mass pink slips!!!!!Michael Ambelas said:
I did not see the meeting, I only just over heard it and in defense the driving standards that weekend up to that point in Tag Light were pretty terrible.Â
Gee you guys should have been at the last Pro Tour at Ipswich. Driving standards the worst I've ever seen, I counted at least 10 karts written off and a miracle no one was seriously hurt. I came away with a damage bill 4 times the cost of competing and as a result I won't race a Pro Tour or any AKA event again. And all that after a drivers briefing preaching "respect".
I have known Chris Robinson for many years & my son has raced at many meetings where Chris has officiated without ANY problems. Granted he is a stickler for the Rules (isn't that his job?) & intimidating but he gets the task done & is responsible for running some of the best meetings in the country. Chris does what has to be done which sometimes invokes criticism but I know when I read the Supp. Regs. & he is officiating that he will crack down on less than acceptable standards & if something needs to be said he will say it! It's not a popularity contest!
Obviously some people can't handle Chris but it is always the same old same olds that come to criticise but never actually do anything for the sport.
No doubt someone, probably one of the non-contributing critics, will say that I am a mate of his to try & water down my comments but let's get it straight, I know him only from meetings, a person to say hello to, & have never socialized or even shared a beer with him.
I have seen the other side of him in court and he came within a whisker of being sent to gaol as the judged stopped him and warned his councel what he was actrually doing, purgering himslef on the stand and guess what he was trying to do? screw some insurance money out of the AKA!!!!!
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yes by all mean crack down on the rules but there is also respect that needed, this situation did NOT call for the treatment they got, there are avenues for him ie mass pink slips would have done the job and EVERYOE would have then repsected the action. Failure to punish officials for BAD behaviour sens the WRONG message to the karters, many still remember the last incident where an official got physical with a driver and got off punishment.
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If he has require his racers to follow the rule HE ALSO needs to do the same, drivers cannot intimidate another neither can officials simple as that.
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And remember officals cannot cotrol the actions of a driver once he leaves the outgrid, only post race he can do anything, and how many of the crahes are accidents or simple misjudgements and how many karters deliberately crash? big fields it only takes one touch to cause multiple karts to pile up, but strong officials using the rules appropriately and fairly can help.
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Respect goes both ways and needs to.
When was the Court matter? 15 years ago ? Mass pink slips merely demonstrates a person who has lost control! In any event individual opinions will not be shaken. If an Official can PREVENT something from happening I applaud that as opposed to taking action AFTER the event , like issuing mass pink slips. I have witnessed people in Official capacities at meetings that are doing so because it gives them a sense of power. Chris Robinson is not one of these!
about that? still a leopard doesn't change his spots. still as I said above we need to rotate people around at big meetings, more people we have able to do the job the better, stop boys clubs being formed.richard gagie said:
When was the Court matter? 15 years ago ?
SO your comment about him possibly committing perjuring relates to a Court case PRIOR to him becoming an Official. This was probably the case when he was badly injured driving a kart &, as usual, the Insurance company made it very difficult for him to be paid, something we have all experienced. Apart from the cliche about leopards the rest of what you say is laughable.
Paul Hewitt said:
about that? still a leopard doesn't change his spots. still as I said above we need to rotate people around at big meetings, more people we have able to do the job the better, stop boys clubs being formed.richard gagie said:
When was the Court matter? 15 years ago ?