GAR ROBINSON FINISHES THIRD AT BRAINERD, EARNING HIS FOURTH PODIUM OF THE 2015 TRANS AM SEASON
Shane Lewis Places Sixth in the Ryan Companies Independence Day Classic
In a weekend filled with fireworks and festivities to commemorate our great nation’s independence, Robinson Racing celebrated with another podium finish at Brainerd International Raceway in the Trans Am Series. Gar Robinson, driver of the No. 74 Chevrolet Camaro sponsored by 74 Ranch Resort, finished in third place. His teammate Shane Lewis fought through mechanical issues early on in the race to land a sixth place finish.
The weekend began with testing sessions on Friday morning and afternoon, with both Robinson Racing drivers learning the road course at Brainerd for the first time in their racing careers. In Saturday’s Fast Five qualifying session, Gar placed second with Shane not far behind in fourth. Gar maintained the second position for the majority of Sunday’s race, battling intently with Dillon Machavern and Tommy Archer. Gar led the field for 11 laps but then fell back to third after getting caught in lapped traffic.
Gar Robinson finished third at Brainerd, earning his fourth podium finish in six races of the 12-race Trans Am season. A rookie in the 2015 Trans Am Series, 20-year-old Gar placed second at Sebring International Raceway, third at Road Atlanta, and second at New Jersey Motorsports Park. Adding a fifth trophy of the season for Robinson Racing, Shane finished third in last month’s race at New Jersey Motorsports Park.
“This weekend again confirmed that Robinson Racing is a force to be reckoned with,” noted Gar. “Now, the second part is that it takes full concentration to win a race. I was very impressed with my team but a bit disappointed for not handling traffic better. All in all, we learned a lot and will be back to fight another day.”
The driver of the No. 72 Chevrolet Camaro, Shane is a rookie in the Trans Am Series, and like Gar, had never raced at Brainerd previously. Shane led the TA2 practice session on Saturday morning and qualified in fourth that afternoon. He commenced the race with an immediate gear box issue and a subsequent pit road speeding penalty.
“I just couldn’t believe the transmission got stuck in 4th gear on lap one. To be in the lead group then have that happen was devastating,” said Shane. “After that, I just put my head down and never gave up. Going from last place to finish sixth was amazing! I bet I had more fun working traffic and coming from the back than even the front runners did! I want to give a special thanks to the crew for motivating me forward on the radio, keeping me informed and focused.”
Brainerd International Raceway in Brainerd, Minnesota hosted the Independence Day Classic Race, sponsored by Ryan Companies, which was the 6th round of 12 in the 2015 Trans Am Series. The green flag dropped at 1:50 pm on Sunday, July 5, 2015, after qualifying and practice was held on Saturday. The 100-mile race of the TA2 Class included a field of 20 Chevrolet Camaros, Ford Mustangs and Dodge Challengers. Both Robinson Racing Camaros are sponsored by 74 Ranch Resort in Texas.
After 6 rounds of the 2015 Chase for the Trigon Trophy, presented by 3-Dimensional Services Group, Robinson Racing has two TA2 Class drivers in the top 5 in points. Gar Robinson is in third with 133 points, a tie with Adam Andretti and 4 points behind second place. Shane Lewis is in fifth with 121 points. In the 2015 TA2 Rookie of the Year standings, presented by Wilwood Disc Brakes, Gar Robinson is in second place, while Shane Lewis is in third.
The Brainerd race will air on the CBS Sports Network on July 25, 2015 at 12:00 pm ET. To view past races, visit www.RobinsonRacingTeam.com and click on Gallery, then Videos.
For more images from the Fourth of July weekend, visit Robinson Racing’s Facebook page and the Trans Am website: www.Facebook.com/RobinsonRacingTeam www.GoTransAm.com/Multimedia
