When 12-year-old Skylar Robinson watches auto racing, he doesn't have to look too hard to find his favorite driver; he's usually sitting right next to him.

The Augustan idolizes his father, former professional driver Chip Robinson. But Skylar doesn't sit around wondering what it would be like to walk in dad's shoes. Instead, he's hitting the track trying to fill them.

Skylar races in sanctioned go-kart events almost every weekend at either Lamar County Raceway in Barnesville, Ga., or Darlington Raceway in Darlington, S.C. He does it in the hopes of one day having a similar career to that of his dad.

"My godfather raced and my dad raced, so all along I wanted to be a race car driver," said Skylar Robinson, a seventh-grader at St. Mary on the Hill. "My dad told me I needed to start out young, because the competition is really tough."

His father should know. Chip Robinson raced in the IMSA Camel GT series in the 1980s. In 1987, he teamed with Al Holbert, Derek Bell and Al Unser Jr. to win the 24 Hours of Daytona.

The following year, he was invited to race in the International Race of Champions, better known as IROC.

In IROC XII, Robinson competed against some of the legends of racing, such as Dale Earnhardt, Bill Elliott, Bobby Rahal and the Unsers: Al Sr. and Al Jr. Robinson also won the 1989 12 Hours of Sebring.

Skylar's godfather is Hurley Haywood, a three-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the only five-time winner of the 24 Hours of Daytona. Haywood finished 18th in his only appearance in the Indianapolis 500 in 1980.

When Skylar became old enough to race go-karts, it wasn't the father trying to persuade his son to race. In fact, it was the opposite.

"He had to bug me a lot to for me to let him do it," Chip Robinson said. "That went on for a while, and that really showed me some desire. It showed that he didn't want to just do it this week, he was committed to it."

Chip Robinson would eventually become satisfied enough with his son's level of commitment.

After purchasing a go-kart, the young driver, with his father as crew chief, began racing last October.

In this, his first full year of competition, Skylar already has tallied three wins in Barnesville and several second-place finishes at Darlington.

Next year, he is slated to begin racing nationally in the World Karting Association.

For a proud father, the thrill of watching his son fly around a road course rivals the feeling of doing it himself.

"It's more exciting to watch him. Because when I drive, I'm doing something, I'm concentrating on what I'm doing because I have a job to do. But watching him, it's way more exciting," the elder Robinson said.

Skylar said that, eventually, he wants to race in the Grand Am series, the series that now holds the 24 Hours of Daytona. He wants to win the same race his dad did 21 years ago.

The Robinsons agree on many things when it comes to racing, with one exception: Who's the better racer?

"Without a doubt, it's me," Chip Robinson said.

"It depends on what we're doing, but if we're in a go-kart, I'll win," Skylar said.

The two have only raced once, in go-karts.

Skylar won.