Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Female racer Robinson looking forward to LV

Friday, Feb. 22, 2002 | 9:27 a.m.

Although she completed 187 laps and finished the race in 24th position, the 37-year-old mother of two said her 2002 season really starts next week with the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Robinson will attempt to qualify for her third Winston Cup start next Friday.

Because her team -- BAM Racing -- did not come together in earnest until the first week of January, Robinson said the Las Vegas race will be a better gauge of where the operation stands as it attempts a 24-race schedule this season.

"Anytime you're pretty much a month behind getting started for Daytona, it puts you a little behind," Robinson said. "Honestly, I think we would like to say we're going to start the season at Vegas ... we'll be a little more prepared for that.

"This first year will definitely be a learning period, but as far as the racer part goes, the guys that we put together on the team at this point are real racers and we are doing the engineering. It is just going to start off a little slow until we get to where we need to be."

Robinson, from Des Moines, Iowa, comes into the Winston Cup Series with plenty of racing experience, having run ARCA, NASCAR Goody's Dash Series and NASCAR Busch Series races since 1988. She became the first woman to win a NASCAR touring series race in the Goody's Dash Series in 1988.

Despite crashing in her 125-mile qualifying race the Thursday before the Daytona 500, Robinson earned the 36th starting position in the 500 based on her qualifying speed of 182.663 mph. The race was her fifth attempt at qualifying for a Winston Cup race and Robinson said she isn't sure how the other drivers feel about her competing in a male-dominated sport.

"I don't think about it," she said. "I'm very focused on what I'm here to do. I'm sure there are those drivers that maybe think that I don't deserve to be out here and I've worked as hard as they have -- I've worked probably harder than they have.

"I have blinders on as far as that goes. When I walk through the garage, I'm looking forward; I'm looking at what my job is to be here and I'm very focused on that."

While Robinson will be making her first attempt at qualifying for a Winston Cup race at LVMS next week, she is no stranger to the 1.5-mile speedway. Last October, Robinson qualified fifth for the NASCAR Winston West race at LVMS and finished 17th.

Glover said this week that the team would have had to pit even if Marlin hadn't been penalized for an illegal pit stop on lap 196 of the 200-lap race.

"After Sterling and Jeff Gordon got together in Turn One, the right-front fender on Sterling's car was rubbing just bad enough that he was probably going to cut down the tire," Glover said in a statement. "We couldn't take that chance and put him and everyone else in danger.

"We were going to have to come in one way or the other so we had Sterling jump out and check out the damage during the red flag."

Bodine has been designing and funding bobsleds for the past eight years.

Kevin Harvick, who won the spring race at Atlanta last year, had the fastest lap at 189.733 mph. Busch posted the second-fastest lap (189.538) and Jimmy Spencer was third fastest at 189.280. Jeremy Mayfield (186.667) and Robby Gordon (183.031) also tested.

Unser, who maintains a residence in Henderson, will team with Scott Sharp this season. The 39-year-old Unser had been out of a ride since Galles Racing ceased operations three months ago.

"I'm happy to be joining Kelley Racing," Unser said. "It's been a long time coming. They're the most impressive team in this business and I feel that I'm with the best team."

Corteco, an automotive aftermarket company, will sponsor Unser's No. 7 Dallara/Chevrolet.

Ward, a veteran of five IRL season, said he is looking forward to driving for Ganassi.

"This is what I've been shooting for my entire career," Ward said. "I'm extremely excited to be running with a first-class operation here at Chip Ganassi Racing. I feel that I have a great chance to win some races and, most importantly, the Indy 500."