This Time She Expects To Finish Better Than 4th Arca Racer Shawna Robinson More Focused On `First' Than 'First Woman' Has Been Fast At Pocono.

Back-to-back racing accidents at Flat Rock and Michigan speedways left Robinson with cracked ribs and a broken shoulder blade.

During practice at the Long Pond super speedway she crashed, further aggravating the injuries.

Robinson started 36th at Pocono, moved all the way to 14th in just 15 laps, and gave way to relief driver Ed Berrier at the first caution.

The fourth was the best effort of the season for the Kmart Kids Race Against Drugs Ford Taurus, bettering a sixth at Anderson, Ind., and provided a huge lift to Robinson's spirits.

"This was one of those times when we just ran out of laps," Robinson, 35, said while preparing for Saturday's 1 p.m. Pepsi 200 at Pocono. The ARCA event is a support race for Sunday's 1 p.m. NASCAR Winston Cup Pennsylvania 500.

"The car was a good one, and we had a good day," she said. "There is nothing I wanted more than to stay in the car, ribs and all, but we had already made the decision to put Ed in it, had fitted the seat for him and everything else. There wasn't much choice other than doing that.

"We learned something a few weeks ago, and those things should help us even more when we get back," she continued. "Personally, I wish I had more track time because Pocono can be a pretty tricky place. But I think we are going to have a car capable of doing some pretty great things there, and I think I know my way around the place well enough to add to it."

Robinson has shown a prowess on the super speedways. She has six top-10 finishes in 11 ARCA races this season, making Robinson a contender for the ARCA title. She is seventh in points.

At each super speedway, Robinson has been at or near the front, including a track qualifying record at Michigan when she won the pole in June.

"I don't want it to sound like an excuse because it's not, but we did have something of a handicap the last time at Pocono," Robinson said. "Generally, I was OK even with the ribs and stuff, but we had to start at the back, and we lost track position when we changed drivers. Still, the guys were able to overcome all of that, and we left with a pretty good finish.

"Without that kind of a handicap, with a really good qualifying run and with a good pit position, maybe we can really give the guys something to work with this time," Robinson continued. "The races at Pocono are among the biggest in the ARCA series, and we want to be there for Kmart Kids Race Against Drugs, Pacific Garden and everybody on this race team."

Robinson is not only attempting to become the first female to win a national motorsports series championship, but she is attempting to become the first woman to complete a full season in a national oval-track motorsports series.

She was the first woman in NASCAR history to win a Busch Grand National Division pole --March 12, 1994, in the Busch Light 300 at Atlanta Motor Speedway -- and raced a limited number of 1995 Busch races in the No. 36 CPR Motorsports Ford Thunderbird.

Robinson established a new Busch track record in 1994 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, 174.330 mph, and captured the outside pole for the Feb. 26, 1994, Goodwrench 200 at North Carolina Speedway.

In 1993, the mother of two competed full time in the Busch Series -- 28 races for the Polaroid team owned by Mike Laughlin -- finishing 23rd in points with earnings of $71,325. She was Busch Rookie of the Year runner-up despite driving a limited 14-race schedule in 1992.

Robinson was also the first woman to win a NASCAR pole position -- at the I-95 Speedway in Florence, S.C. -- in the NASCAR Goody's Dash Series in 1989 and was the first female to win a NASCAR touring series event in the 40-year history of NASCAR in 1988 at New Ashville Speedway, N.C.

"I've said all along that 'firsts' don't mean a whole lot to me," Robinson said. "What matters is doing. The big deal about becoming the first woman to win a racing championship means we won the championship. That is what is important.

"We're in this thing to win everything we can win," she said. "The guys on this team don't care if it is a man or a woman behind the wheel, as long as that car is in Victory Lane when it's all over. That's what we're trying to do."

Robinson's team is running a full ARCA schedule this season, after running seven races with one victory and five top-10 finishes in 1999.

PENNSYLVANIA 500

WHERE: Pocono Raceway, 2.5-mile super speedway

WHEN: Sunday

DISTANCE: 500 miles/200 laps

POSTED AWARDS: $2,658,590

TV: TBS (live), 1:05 p.m.

RADIO: MRN Radio (live), 12:30 p.m.