By NICK SCHWIEN

nschwien@dailynews.net

He'd been there before.

But this time, it was a different feeling in the end.

And it was one Troy Robinson had waited for a while to experience.

Robinson of Hays grabbed his first-ever feature win Friday night in the hobby stock class at RPM Speedway in Hays. Before that, the best Robinson had finished was second three times.

"The last couple of times I was running up front, I got too excited and eager and let someone get by me," said Robinson, in his second full year in the hobby stock class.

Robinson, who is expected to compete Saturday at Norton and Sunday at WaKeeney, started outside front row and then did some of his best driving of his career. He needed it, too.

The hobby stock feature had numerous cautions and lasted more than 30 minutes.

"I've never raced in one that long," he said. "But in a couple with roll-overs, we've had to stop and wait for the ambulance to get back to the track to start racing.

"I wasn't so much worried about (running out of) fuel, but more about the battery."

Plus, Robinson knew Marquette's B.J. Dauer was in the field. Dauer led the track points entering the race and has dominated the dirt oval in Hays this summer.

"I knew the pack was behind me," Robinson said. "I knew B.J. Dauer was back there, and he's really good."

But this time, Robinson didn't get too eager, taking his first checkered flag in a feature race.

"Luckily I had a good starting spot, and that helped," he said.

G.W. Fuller was second, and Roger Garrison was third. Dauer eventually finished sixth.

Robinson then kept the weekend going strong Saturday by finishing fourth at Norton's Elmwood Park Speedway -- a half-mile track. His stellar weekend came to a halt Sunday when rain washed out the events scheduled for WaKeeney Speedway.

"It just takes a lot of work, especially when you run the different tracks," Robinson said.

The races at Norton and WaKeeney this weekend are the last races at the tracks this season.

RPM Speedway wraps up its season with races Aug. 29, then finishes off the year with the two-day Fall Nationals on Sept. 12 to 13.

Robinson hopes he can finish the season strong, just like he did his rookie year.

"The first year, a couple times I started in the back and slowly got up front toward the end of the season," he said. " ... Now I've got a professionally built car. It's well-built and is running good."