NASCAR : Early problems limit Robinson in Atlanta

Atlanta, Ga.– Shawna Robinson faced more than her share of adversity in the Vassarette-Riders Chevrolet in Atlanta on Saturday.

Robinson overcame an early trip to the garage for a gear change and a bad case of influenza that had sent her to the infield care center the night before en route to a 36th place finish.

The race started well for Robinson as she moved from 37th to 28th position within the first lap. However, a malfunctioning gear necessitated a trip behind they wall and the team quickly found itself 40 laps down.

Once the problem was resolved Robinson returned to speed and by the end of the race she was one of the fastest cars on the track.

“It was a frustrating day because we had such a good car,” said Robinson who had run as high as 15th in practice. “It had plenty of power and I was able to drive a high line around the track without difficulty. If we hadn’t had to change the rear end I’m sure we would have been in the top 20 or better.”

Even with the difficulties, Robinson was able to pick up several positions and gain valuable points for team.

“We felt like we had a good car going into the race and the way we ran bore that out,” said crew chief Kenneth Campbell. “You can never say what would have happened, but I know we had a good car and we missed an opportunity today.

“Sometimes it just isn’t your day but we’ll get them next week in Nashville.”

It will be a busy week for Robinson and the Keith Coleman Racing team. The team will head to Bristol for a late-week test before returning to the Nashville Speedway for the Pepsi 300 on Saturday.