Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Female driver close to attaining goal

Friday, April 27, 2001 | 10:03 a.m.

Brian Hilderbrand's motor sports notebook appears Friday. Reach him at bh@lasvegassun.com or 259-4089.

FONTANA, Calif. -- Shawna Robinson hopes to become the first female driver in nearly 12 years to compete in a NASCAR Winston Cup Series race this weekend at California Speedway.

But it is clear that the 36-year-old mother of two isn't attempting to qualify for this weekend's NAPA Auto Parts 500 to earn a piece of NASCAR history.

"Nobody on this team, and especially me, is going out there just to go out there," Robinson said. "I'm not crawling into a Winston Cup car to make history or to be 'the first' at something.

"I want to be something in this sport. I'm racing because I'm competitive, because I want to be a factor and because this is what I've wanted to do for such a long, long time. Honestly, I don't have any significant feeling inside me right now. I'm so far from where I want to be -- and that's to be a winning driver in NASCAR racing -- that this feels like the next step."

If Robinson qualifies for Sunday's race, she will become the first female driver to compete in a Winston Cup race since Patty Moise drove at Talladega Superspeedway on July 30, 1989.

Robinson, who is a driving a Ford Taurus for car owner Michael Kranefuss, will attempt to qualify for six races this season in preparation for a full-time campaign in 2002. Janet Guthrie, in 1980, was the last female to run a regular schedule in the Winston Cup Series.

"It's still incredibly special, don't get me wrong," Robinson said. "This is my first Winston Cup race, and that has to be special. But I want -- and everyone on our team wants -- this to be the next step in a logical progression.

"There isn't any self-satisfaction in being the first female to do something. In my heart, the only satisfaction is in winning. And this is a step closer to being competitive with the best there is."

Robinson is married to Jeff Clark, who builds engines for Dale Earnhardt, Inc. and is a crew member for Dale Earnhardt Jr. on race days.

Robinson began her racing career in the early 1980s and competed full-time in NASCAR's Busch Series in 1993 and 1994 before leaving racing to start a family.

In addition to this weekend's race, Robinson will attempt to make the races in Michigan, Chicago, Indianapolis, Kansas City and Atlanta.

"California is a great place to start," Robinson said of the 2-mile oval. "I had a big part in the race tracks that were chosen. We wanted tracks that not only were in bigger markets but also tracks where I have a high comfort level."

As much as she tries to downplay it, Robinson admitted that this weekend will be special.

"I'm excited, yeah," she said. "But who wouldn't be excited, getting ready to run their first Winston Cup race? We're going to be busy and we're going to keep working hard.

"It took a long time to get this far but we all still have a ways we want to go."

In his most recent trip to Fontana, Busch won the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race from the pole last October.

"California is definitely my kind of speedway: the track is wide and long," Busch said. "I seem to have a bit more luck at the long tracks than at the short ones on the circuit.

"I had such a great run there last year and it always helps that your last experience at a track was a positive one -- it helps a lot with the mental preparation before a race. And after last weekend's race, I'm really looking forward to seeing what we can do in California." ...

Native Las Vegan Brendan Gaughan will be competing in Saturday's NASCAR Winston West race at California Speedway and will be representing Las Vegas in more ways than one.

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman and Fontana mayor David Eshleman have a "friendly wager" on who will finish higher in the race: Gaughan or Fontana resident David Gilliland. Gaughan has nicknamed his No. 16 Napa Auto Parts Chevy Monte Carlo "The Spirit of Las Vegas" for the race.

CART president and CEO Joe Heitzler met with LVMS general manager Chris Powell on Tuesday in Las Vegas. Although Powell said there is no agreement to hold a CART race at LVMS in 2002, an announcement to that effect is expected in May. ...

When he takes the green flag for Sunday's Firestone Firehawk 600 at Texas Motor Speedway, Michael Andretti will equal the CART record of 273 career starts held by Al Unser Jr.

Andretti's first career start came at Las Vegas in 1983 in a race won by his father, Mario, and held on a temporary street course in the Caesars Palace parking lot. ...

Team Rahal driver Kenny Brack finished second to reigning NASCAR Winston Cup champion Bobby Labonte in Saturday's second round of the International Race of Champions (IROC) series at Talladega. Brack is third in the IROC championship with 29 points, trailing Labonte (34) and Ricky Rudd (31).

Giaffone and co-pilots Flaviode Andrade and Ruyter Pacheco started second and took the lead after Giaffone passed famed Brazilian Formula One driver Nelson Piquet. The 183-lap, rain-plagued race ended near midnight and took 7 hours and 13 minutes to complete.

"It was a great race and it is always fun for me to get in endurance races," Giaffone said. "This is a special win for me. I hope I can keep up the good luck for my race in Atlanta and then for the Indy 500."

Giaffone is third in IRL points and is leading the rookie standings after two races.

Scelzi, whose last win came at the 2000 season finale in Pomona, Calif., lost to Larry Dixon in the final round at last weekend's Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla.

"We were not happy to be runner-up at the Gatornationals, but we were happy to be in our first final of the season," Scelzi said. "Hopefully, Gainesville will get Team Winston rolling and we'll be in a few more final rounds this season."

Twin Outlaw Stock features will highlight Saturday's oval-track racing action at The Bullring at LVMS. The Outlaw Stock division will run two 25-lap features, scheduled for approximately 7:35 p.m. and 9:50 p.m. The program also will include events for Late Models (50-lap feature), Chargers (20-lap feature) Legends Cars (20-lap feature) and Bandoleros. Gates open at 5 p.m. ...

The National Performance Center E.T. Bracket Racing Series will hold its fifth points meet of the season on Saturday at The Strip at LVMS. The Buick Grand Nationals -- a special-edition, turbo-charged V6 in a Buick Regal body and offered for sale only in the mid-1980s -- also will compete.

On Friday, The Strip will hold an all-class Test 'n' Tune session, followed by High School and Import Eliminator competition. Gates will open at 5 p.m. on Friday and 3 p.m. Saturday.