Jason Robbins: Machinist Professor by Day, Racer by Night
By Ben Deatherage BENTON, Wis. (May 30, 2025) — The number on the door says 211. But the story behind that number is as layered and handcrafted as the engines Jason Robbins builds in the quiet hours of his life, tucked in the rolling farmland of southwest Wisconsin. It’s a Friday evening in Benton, population hovering just above 1,000, where lead mines once fed the Union’s rifled muskets and now powers the dreams of stock car hopefuls. In a town where the most famous factory is Spooky Pinball — a family-run outfit building arcade marvels and fielding a race team — Jason Robbins lives a dual life. By day, he’s a machining instructor at Southwest Wisconsin Technical College. By night, he’s the wheelman of the no. 211 Sunoco IMCA Stock Car for Spooky Pinball founder Chuck Emery. The story of the number? It was quite the compromise. “Chuck had 11E, and I’ve had 21 in the family forever,” said Robbins. “But the 11E was big for Chuck. His uncle raced that number back in the ’80s [Read More]
