Robinson officially BAM driver

Motorsport.com reported in early December 2001, that Shawana Robinson had signed with BAM Motorsports. The following is the official announcement from the team.

Concord, NC (January 3, 2002) BAM Racing announced today that Shawna Robinson would be the driver of the No. 49 Dodge Intrepid R/T for 24 of 36 sanctioned races in the 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series.

A resident of Charlotte, NC, Robinson, has an extensive background in NASCAR racing. She started in the NASCAR Charlotte/Daytona Dash Series now known as the Goody's Dash Series in 1988. That same year, Robinson took home her first win, won the Most Popular Driver award, and Rookie of the Year honors.

In Robinson's first two years in NASCAR, she started all 30 races in the Charlotte/Daytona Dash Series. She scored three victories and finished in the top-10 a remarkable 21 times.

In 1991, Robinson moved into the NASCAR Busch Series. Three years later at Atlanta Motor Speedway, she became the first and only woman to win the pole position in the NASCAR Busch Series with a track record of 174.330 mph.

Robinson temporarily retired as a driver, while she married and started a family. She returned to the sport in 1999, driving for Phoenix Racing and team owner James Finch. In her first race back, Robinson finished second in the ARCA race at Daytona International Speedway.

In 2000, Robinson drove for MK Racing's ARCA RE/MAX team and finished 6th in the official final point standings.

On June 10, 2001, Robinson became the first female since 1989 to qualify for a Winston Cup event. When she finished the race, she was the first female to do so since Janet Guthrie in 1980.

Robinson competed in the Las Vegas, NV Winston West race for the BAM Racing team in October of 2001. BAM Racing and Robinson have just recently reached a multi-year agreement to compete in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. With this announcement, BAM Racing continues NASCAR's growing interest to provide diversity in the sport.

Robinson expressed delight and gratitude for being tapped to step into the Winston Cup seat. "I have put in a lot of hard work over the years to develop consistency and to prove myself and now, finally, this opportunity has come. I definitely think that the Winston West race I competed in during October 2001 for BAM Racing was key for me in getting the ride for next year. I'm very excited to be continuing my relationship with BAM Racing in this multi-year agreement. I believe BAM has assembled a very talented group of individuals that will give me all of the necessary tools to be competitive in the Winston Cup Series next year."

Robinson continued, "We will run 24 races as well as the Twin 125 at Daytona this season with hopes of signing a major sponsor for 2002 and the complete 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series schedule. In addition to the 24 races, Robinson and BAM will test 12 times in 2002, which is the maximum for rookie drivers.

Team owner Beth Ann Morgenthau is optimistic of Robinson's initial race results and her potential for success. "We were impressed by Shawna's ability and knowledge when we put her in our Winston West car last October at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Shawna is a splendid addition to the BAM Racing team and she has proven herself to be a very competitive NASCAR driver in multiple series. We believe Robinson will be a terrific representative for our team and sponsors and we are looking forward to her being a part of BAM Racing."

<pre> Shawna Robinson No. 49 Dodge Intrepid R/T

Birth Date:  November 30, 1964
Residence:  Charlotte, NC
Children:  Tanner 5, Samantha 4

Team:  BAM Racing
Owners:  Tony & Beth Ann Morgenthau
Team Manager:  Eddie Jones
Crew Chief:  Eddie Sharp
Engine:  Ernie Elliott
Chassis:  Hopkins
Winston Cup Starts:  1
Winston Cup Wins:  0
Winston Cup poles:  0

Winston Cup Highlights: First female to start a Winston Cup race since 1989 and first female to complete a Winston Cup event since Janet Guthrie in 1980.

BAM Racing & Shawna Robinson 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Schedule

Date          Race Venue                                Television
Feb 14        Daytona Int'l Speedway, FL Twin 125's         TNT *
Feb 17        Daytona Int'l Speedway, FL Daytona 500        NBC *
Mar 3         Las Vegas Motor Speedway, NV                  FOX *
Mar 10        Atlanta Motor Speedway, GA                    FOX *
Apr 7         Texas Motor Speedway, TX                      FOX *
Apr 21        Talladega Super Speedway, AL                  FOX *
Apr 28        California Speedway, CA                       FOX *
May 26        Lowe's Motor Speedway, NC                     FOX *
Jun 16        Michigan Int'l Speedway, MI                   FOX *
Jul 6         Daytona Int'l Speedway, FL                    FOX *
Jul 14        Chicagoland Speedway, IL                      NBC *
Aug 4         Indianapolis Motor Speedway, IN               NBC *
Aug 18        Michigan Int'l Speedway, MI                   TNT *
Aug 24        Bristol Motor Speedway, TN                    TNT *
Sept 1        Darlington Raceway, SC                        TNT *
Sept 7        Richmond Int'l Speedway, VA                   TNT *
Sept 22       Dover Downs Int'l Speedway, DE                TNT *
Sept 29       Kansas Speedway, KS                           NBC *
Oct 6         Talladega Super Speedway, AL                  NBC *
Oct 13        Lowe's Motor Speedway, NC                     NBC *
Oct 20        Martinsville Speedway, VA                     NBC *
Oct 27        Atlanta Motor Speedway, GA                    NBC *
Nov 3         North Carolina Speedway, NC                   TNT *
Nov 10        Phoenix Int'l Raceway, AZ                     NBC *
Nov 16        Homestead-Miami Speedway, FL                  NBC *

-bam-