10/12/2026
From the Mind of Robās Mom
Once upon a Saturday in Boone, I sat in the stands watching my son perform with the Appalachian State University Marching Band Drum Line. The music was loud, the crowd energized, and I was beaming with pride.
Then Rob took off his hat.
For a moment, I wasnāt sure what I was seeing. There, on the top of his head, was a bold black-and-yellowish streak; a skunk running straight from his forehead to the back of his hair.
It was the result of a very bad hair-dye job. At the time it was simply funny, unexpected, and unmistakably Rob.
But that little skunk be came so much more.
It became a name, a symbol, and eventually the beginning of Faster Skunk Racing ; a team built not only around a love of racing, but around friendship, loyalty, and a shared desire to make a difference.
Faster Skunk Racing isnāt just any racing team. Itās a family-a family made up of little kids with big dreams who somehow found each other as adults. They are some of the most selfless individuals Iāve ever had the pleasure to meet. They work together, support one another, and they use their passion to raise awareness and support the ALS Foundationās mission for a cure.
As a child, Rob was inventive and imaginative. He built elaborate, motorized creations with Legos. For several years he actually believed he was a ghostbuster. He learned the value of team work playing in bands and drum lines. His high school job was washing cars at a dealership. He spent his spare time in the service department.
Looking back, I suppose it shouldnāt surprise me that racing became his passion. It also doesnāt surprise me- and what makes me so proud- is the person he has become through it all.
I watch with pride as Rob interacts with his team, other drivers, ALS patients and their families, and his fans. Iāve watched him use something he loves to make a difference in the lives of others.
So all these years later, Iām still that proud mother in the stands. Only now when my son takes off his hat, I donāt see a bad hair-dye job.
I see the skunk
I see the team
I see the family
And most of all, I see my son- and I couldnāt be prouder ā„ļø
- Cindy Kisner