Shawna back in 2002? UPDATE 5 – 24 races in 2002: Shawna Robinson is the verge of putting together a deal to run as many as two dozen Winston Cup races in 2002 [#49 BAM Racing?]. Robinson made her Winston Cup debut in 2001 with Michael Kranefuss, but failed in each subsequent attempt to qualify. Kranefuss’ BGN team, with driver Elton Sawyer, was forced to shut its doors after finishing fifth in the championship due to lack of sponsorship.(NASCAR.com Buzz)(12-6-2001) UPDATE: hearing Shawna Robinson is going to be driving a second Flis Corvette in the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona, with Conway and Goad as co-drivers. Supposedly Bam Motorsports is buying the seat time for her.(12-7-2001) UPDATE 2: Shawna Robinson will be entering 24 Winston Cup races for BAM Racing [was #49 in 2001], driving a Dodge. The team currently has no sponsor but is financially secure enough to run the allotted number of events. The crew chief is Eddie Sharp and the team will be supplied engines from Ernie Elliott.(NASCAR.com)(12-7-2001) UPDATE 3: hearing Shawna Robinson will NOT drive in the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona and that Kevin Harvick could be in the seat now(12-25-2001)(see story below) UPDATE 4: Shawna Robinson and car owner BAM Racing will announce later today in Charlotte a 24-race schedule for the 2002 Winston Cup Series. The 37-year-old Robinson will drive a Dodge Intrepid R/T with Ernie Elliott-built engines. Eddie Jones and Eddie Sharp have been tapped for the roles of team manager and crew chief, respectively, and the team has leased shop space and equipment from former Busch Series owner Buz McCall. BAM Racing is owned by Beth Ann Morgenthau of Coral Gables, who in 2000 and 2001 fielded teams in the ARCA and Winston West series. The team joined up with driver Andy Hillenburg for a three-race, mid-summer deal in 2001, but failed to make the field in those events. The team is negotiating with two prospective sponsors for the 2002 season but reportedly nonetheless intends — sponsor or no — to compete in 24 high-profile Cup races and use all of the 12 available test days allowed for rookie contenders.(Daytona Beach News Journal)(1-3-2002) UPDATE 5: BAM Racing announced today that Shawna Robinson would be the driver of the #49 Dodge Intrepid R/T for 24 of 36 sanctioned races in the 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series. 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 NASCAR¹s growing interest to provide diversity in the sport. Robinson said, “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.(BAM Racing PR)(1-3-2002)
