Shawna Robinson facts for kids

Shawna Robinson (born November 30, 1964) is an American former professional stock car racing driver. She competed in all three of NASCAR's main racing series. She also raced in the ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde Series and the Charlotte/Daytona Dash Series. Shawna is one of 16 women who have raced in the NASCAR Cup Series. She is also one of only three women to compete in the famous Daytona 500 race.

Shawna started racing when she was a child. After high school in 1983, she began racing big semi-trucks. She quickly won 30 races. Then, she moved to the GATR Truck Series. There, she was named Rookie of the Year in 1984. Four years later, Shawna started racing stock cars. In 1988, she became the first woman to win a top NASCAR-sanctioned race. She finished third in the points standings that year. The next year, she won two more races. She fought for the Charlotte/Daytona Dash Series championship. She finished third overall again. Shawna was voted the Most Popular Driver twice in that series.

In 1991, she moved to the NASCAR Busch Series. She faced challenges but earned one pole position in 1994. Shawna left racing in 1995 to start a family. She also began an interior decorating business. In 1999, she returned to racing in the ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde Series. She raced well and finished sixth in the series championship in 2000. Shawna came back to NASCAR in 2001. She made her debut in the Winston Cup Series but found it hard to compete successfully. She retired from racing in 2005. She wanted to focus on her family and her interior design business.

About Shawna Robinson

Early Life and Racing Start

Shawna Robinson was born on November 30, 1964, in Des Moines, Iowa. Her real name is Eileen "Shawna" Jade. But she used Shawna for racing. She was the youngest of five children. Her father, Richard "Lefty" Robinson, was a diesel truck racer. He worked on cars at home and promoted races. Her mother, Lois, also raced cars. But she stopped after a crash.

Shawna grew up in a family that loved racing. Her parents were known for making races exciting for fans. Shawna was inspired by famous race car drivers like A. J. Foyt. She also looked up to Janet Guthrie, another woman driver. Shawna and her siblings learned they could do anything. They rode minibikes, motorcycles, and snowmob.

After graduating high school in 1983, Shawna thought about her future. She worked as a cashier. She went with her father to help promote local races. Shawna convinced him to let her race. She started at Toledo Speedway in a 1976 International semi-tractor. She finished second in her first five-lap race. Then, she took third in the main event.

After that, Shawna raced full-time. She won 30 races. In April 1984, she moved to the super-speedway division. Some male racers were not happy about her success. In 1984, Shawna moved from Iowa to Pennsylvania. Her father believed her racing helped attract more fans. He was her mentor. But her mother worried she might get hurt.

In 1984, Shawna made history. She became the first woman to win a Great American Truck Racing (GATR) Truck Series points race. She won the Milwaukee Mile Bobtail 100 at Milwaukee Mile. Her father sponsored her for the rest of the season. Shawna was named the 1984 GATR Rookie of the Year. The next year, she raced in France. She took second place in a truck race in Mexico City in 1986. Shawna won another GATR Big Rig race in 1987 at Flemington Speedway.

NASCAR and ARCA Racing

Racing in the 1980s

Shawna started racing in the Charlotte/Daytona Dash Series in spring 1988. A sports marketing group noticed her. They helped her get a racing seat with car owner David Watson. She drove a Pontiac Sunbird. That same year, she moved to Charlotte, North Carolina. This city is a major center for stock car racing.

Shawna began the season with a third-place finish. This was at the Charlotte/Daytona Dash Series Florida 200 at Daytona International Speedway. On June 10, 1988, she made history again. She won the AC Delco 100 at Asheville-Weaverville Speedway. This made her the first woman to win a top NASCAR Touring Series race. She started 13th and took the lead seven laps from the end. She finished third in the Drivers' Championship. She also won the Rookie of the Year award. Her fellow racers voted her the Most Popular Driver.

In 1989, she continued her success. She earned the first pole position by a woman in NASCAR at I-95 Speedway. Shawna later won the Dash Series race at Myrtle Beach Speedway. Earlier that year, she won at the Lanier National Speedway event. She also earned two more pole positions that season. It took 29 more years for another female driver to win a major NASCAR touring race.

Going into the last race of the season, Shawna was third in points. She needed to win and have other drivers finish poorly to win the championship. She finished fourth in the race. This placed her third in the overall points standings. Shawna won the Most Popular Driver award again. She raced in all 30 Charlotte/Daytona Dash Series events in 1988 and 1989. She had 21 top-ten finishes. The Women's Sports Foundation nominated her for the Sportswoman of the Year Award.

Racing in the 1990s

In 1991, Shawna began racing in the NASCAR Busch Grand National Series. She drove the No. 77 Huffman Racing Buick. The Busch Series was a stepping stone for drivers hoping to reach the top Winston Cup. At first, she raced without a sponsor. Shawna qualified 26th and finished 15th in her first Busch Series race. This race was at Orange County Speedway. Later that year, she finished 21st at Motor Mile Speedway. She was 18th at the second Orange County Speedway race. Her last qualified race was at Charlotte Motor Speedway. She finished 41st after an accident. Shawna did not qualify for the race at Martinsville Speedway. She finished 54th in the Busch Series points.

For the 1992 Busch Series, Shawna joined Silver Racing. She drove the No. 21 Oldsmobile. She started the season with a 34th-place finish. She was in an accident after 67 laps. Before another race, she moved to the Pharo Racing No. 33 car. Then she moved to the No. 25 car owned by Laughlin Racing. She had a tough rookie season. But in July and August, she did well. She finished eleventh twice, her best results of the season. These were at Volusia County Speedway and Michigan International Speedway. Shawna finished 38th in the Busch Series standings. She was second in the NASCAR Busch Series Rookie of the Year race.

In 1993, Shawna drove the No. 35 Chevrolet for Laughlin Racing. She raced in 24 events. In the first race, her engine broke after 71 laps. Her team also changed car makers from Oldsmobile to Pontiac. Her best finish that season was eleventh place. This was at the Kroger 200 at Indianapolis Raceway Park. She did not qualify for four races in 1993. Shawna finished 23rd in the points standings. This was her highest Busch Series career finish. She also raced in the Busch North Series at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. She qualified but finished 34th due to engine trouble. She returned to Ferree Racing for the 1994 Busch Series.

At the second race of 1994, she started second. But she finished 36th after a crash. Two races later, Shawna won her first career pole position. This was also the first for a woman in the Busch Series. It happened at the Busch Light 300 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. On the first lap, she crashed with other drivers. Her car was badly damaged. She retired after 63 laps. She tried to qualify for another race but was not fast enough. Later that season, she got her first top-ten finish in the Busch Series. She finished tenth at Watkins Glen. But she lost her sponsorship soon after. She ended the year 47th overall. Shawna took time off to regain her confidence. She also worked on interior decorating. She married engine builder Jeff Clark in November 1994.

In 1995, she planned to race in the Busch Series and some Winston Cup races. She drove the No. 99 Ford Thunderbird for a small team. Shawna tried to enter the Daytona 500. But she did not qualify. She had two top-20 finishes in the Busch Series. But she stopped racing after four events. She wanted to start a family with her husband. She was offered a test at Daytona but declined due to early pregnancy. Shawna said racing was part of her identity. She wanted her children to know who she was. Before her two children were born, she started her interior-decorating business. She painted murals for homes and businesses.

Shawna returned to racing in 1999. She joined the ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde Series. In her first race at Daytona, she finished second. This was the best finish for a woman driver in that series. She then drove for Winston Cup driver Jeremy Mayfield. She finished fourth at Lowe's Motor Speedway. In her last race of the year, she crashed and retired. Shawna won the highest finishing rookie award that season.

Racing in the 2000s

Because of her good results, Michael Kranefuss became interested in Shawna. He owned Kranefuss-Haas Racing. He talked to other drivers and heard good things about her. So, Kranefuss and Mayfield gave her a full-time seat for the 2000 season. She became the first woman to race full-time in a national stock car series in America. That season, Shawna had top-ten finishes in half her races. She raced alongside the series leaders. She won the highest finishing rookie award again.

Shawna set a new track record at Michigan International Speedway. She earned her first pole position in the series there. During the race, she crashed and was hospitalized. She had two broken ribs and a shoulder injury. But she was released to keep racing. Shawna also became the first woman to lead a lap in the ARCA Series at Toledo Speedway.

She almost won her first ARCA race at the final event of the season. This was the Georgia Boot 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. She led for 66 laps. But Bob Strait passed her with three laps left. Shawna finished sixth in the Drivers' Championship. This made her the first woman to finish in the top six in an American oval track series.

In 2001, Shawna returned to NASCAR. She drove the No. 99 Michael Waltrip Racing car for three Busch Series races. She hoped to get a full-time ride in 2002. She met Tim and Ken Butler of Aaron's. Then, team owner Michael Waltrip called her. They agreed on a three-race deal. Bobby Kennedy was her crew chief. In her three races, she had one top-20 finish. But she crashed in the first two races. She also continued to do well in the ARCA Series. She had two top-ten finishes in the first two races.

She then made her debut in the Winston Cup Series. She drove the No. 84 Michael Kranefuss Racing Ford Taurus. She planned to race in six events. These races were chosen because she felt comfortable at those tracks. They were also in big cities for more attention. Her schedule allowed time for testing. She decided not to race at Talladega because of special rules there. Shawna failed to qualify for her first race at California Speedway. Her car broke, and she hit the wall.

Four races later, she started 32nd at Michigan International Speedway. She became the first woman to start a NASCAR Cup Series race since Patty Moise in 1989. Shawna finished 34th after spinning her car. But she avoided damage. She failed to qualify for her next two races. She could not finish her schedule due to sponsorship problems. Shawna said the season motivated her. She hoped to race consistently and be a spokesperson for women.

In October 2001, she joined BAM Racing. She drove one race in the NASCAR Winston West Series at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. She went to a driving school to learn the track. She retired from the race due to a car problem while running third. Team owner Tony Morgenthau noticed her at an ARCA race. He was impressed by her speed at Las Vegas. He offered her a multi-year contract, which she signed in December 2001. Her crew chief was Eddie Sharp. She tried to qualify for 24 races in 2002. Her team was new and had no owner points. Shawna ended her contract with Kranefuss's team. She competed for Rookie of the Year.

At the Daytona 500, Shawna qualified 36th. This made her the second woman to start the race. She finished 24th. She spun into the infield but avoided a crash in pit road. After the race, Sharp left BAM Racing. Teddy Brown became her new crew chief. She struggled during her rookie season. She missed most races due to sponsorship issues. Her team also hired new drivers. This limited her time on track. Other drivers said it was because her car was not competitive. Shawna did not race for BAM Racing after the Pepsi 400. She was later released by the team. She finished 52nd in the Drivers' Championship. She was fourth in the Rookie of the Year standings. Outside racing, Shawna spoke for "Women in Sports." She attended meetings and spent time with her children. She separated from Jeff Clark in early 2002. But they remained friends.

In 2003, Shawna moved to the Craftsman Truck Series. She drove the No. 49 Mike Starr Racing Chevrolet Silverado for three races. Her pit crew was all women. In her first race at Texas Motor Speedway, she finished 18th. She had two penalties and was five laps behind. She then finished 29th in two more races. But she did not finish either event. She ended the year 72nd overall. She also returned to ARCA that year. She raced in the first two events. She did not finish at Daytona due to engine failure. She finished 11th at Atlanta. Shawna also competed in the annual ten-lap Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race in Long Beach, California. She finished seventh overall. She also raced in two dirt races in August 2003.

In mid-2004, she raced one Busch Series event. This was the Meijer 300 at Kentucky Speedway. She drove for Stanton Barrett Motorsports. She failed to qualify for the race. Shawna left auto racing at the end of 2005. She had poor results in six races for the No. 23 Keith Coleman Racing team. She said if she returned, she would do it herself. She did not want to be called a "start and park" or "gimmick" driver. She faced problems with crew chiefs and team owners. They worked against her, giving her bad results. She was called "emotionally unstable" when she tried to stop sexism. Shawna is one of 16 women to race in the NASCAR Cup Series. She is also one of three to drive in the Daytona 500.

Life After Racing

After racing, Shawna focused on her family. She also continued her interior design business. Many of her clients were from the NASCAR community. She started a company called Happy Chairs in Charlotte. There, she creates her own furniture. She also redesigns old chairs. She finds chairs in poor condition but with good structure. Shawna takes them apart and rebuilds them. Her work has been praised by online magazines and customers. She is inspired by designer Trina Turk and clothing companies.

She applied to be on the CBS reality show The Amazing Race 16. Her teammate was NASCAR Truck Series driver Jennifer Jo Cobb. But they were not chosen for the show. Shawna was asked to donate items to the NASCAR Hall of Fame. But she did not send anything because of her audition. She helped plan and decorate for Kelley Earnhardt Miller's wedding in 2011.

In March 2014, Shawna was diagnosed with breast cancer. It had spread to her lymph nodes. She had chemotherapy and radiation therapy. This involved removing 18 lymph nodes and a lump. Her mother-in-law cared for her for seven months. Her friends ran her businesses. Kelley Earnhardt Miller and Dale Earnhardt Jr. helped raise money for her medical bills. She later went into remission. She finished her last radiation treatment in September 2015.

Shawna's Legacy

Other drivers have called Shawna Robinson "a competent racer." As a woman race car driver, Shawna was a pioneer in NASCAR. This sport is mostly male. She set an example for others like Danica Patrick to follow. The Iowa Senate honored her racing career in March 2002.

In a 2002 interview, Shawna said she wanted to compete and win. She said, "Whatever car I'm in, whatever series I'm running, whatever track I'm racing—I want people to know Shawna Robinson was there." Shawna felt she continued the work of Janet Guthrie. She believed she helped "open doors for a lot of women" in racing and other male-dominated sports.

Joe Dan Bailey, who worked with seven-time Cup Series champion Dale Earnhardt, said Shawna was similar to Earnhardt. She knew how to make her car feel better and perform well. In a 2002 interview, Shawna said her success came from hard training. This helped her stay focused. In 1993, she noted that people looked for her weaknesses more than her strengths. She felt more pressure because she was a woman. Shawna said she did not try to overpower male rivals. She said her career was not "a crusade for feminism." Shawna holds many "firsts" for women in motorsports. But she said these achievements are not the most important thing to her.

Career Highlights

Shawna Robinson competed in various NASCAR series. Here's a summary of her main achievements:

NASCAR Cup Series

• Total Races: 8
• Years Raced: 2 (2001, 2002)
• Best Finish: 24th (2002 Daytona 500)
• Wins: 0
• Top Tens: 0
• Pole Positions: 0

NASCAR Busch Series

• Total Races: 61
• Years Raced: 7 (1991-1995, 2001, 2004-2005)
• Best Finish: 10th (1994 Fay's 150)
• Wins: 0
• Top Tens: 1
• Pole Positions: 1 (1994 Busch Light 300)

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series

• Total Races: 3
• Years Raced: 1 (2003)
• Best Finish: 18th (2003 O'Reilly 400K)
• Wins: 0
• Top Tens: 0
• Pole Positions: 0