Shawna Robinson
Profile
Shawna Robinson was a racecar driver at a variety of levels in the NASCAR* tree, all the way up to the Winston Cup. Born in Des Moines**, she competed in the highest of levels, and is one of three women to race at the Daytona 500.
* Other racers with Iowa connections: Michael Annett (Des Moines), Landon Cassill (Cedar Rapids), Joey Gase (Cedar Rapids), Dick Hutcherson (Keokuk), Johnny Beauchamp (Harlan), Tiny Lund (Harlan), Brett Moffitt (Grimes)
** Des Moines (well, really Newton) is also the home of the Iowa Speedway, a track where I saw Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth compete
Personal Notes
Shawna was a trailblazer, being one of the "firsts" or among the firsts for a variety of things in the racing world, yet you really won't hear about it from her. She put on her flame-retardant pants one leg at a time like the rest of the driver, and didn't want to be seen or treated any differently.
Shawna is an important figure in racing history. There are girls out there that saw her race and that triggered something that made it an option for their future. That's the value in representation, seeing someone like you doing something makes it a possibility for you.
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