Robinson racing doubles up on New Jersey podium
June 19, 2015
Team earns Crew of the Race, Lewis receives the Cool Move of the Race award
After a tumultuous 45-lap battle held under scorchingly hot weather conditions on Sunday, both Robinson Racing drivers emerged with podium finishes in the Trans Am race of the TA2 Class at New Jersey Motorsports Park. Qualifying second on Saturday, Gar Robinson piloted the No. 74 Chevrolet Camaro to a second place finish, after falling back to fifth place as the top 10 shuffled positions often throughout the initial laps. This was Gar Robinson's third podium finish in five races held so far this year. A rookie in the 2015 Trans Am Series, 20-year-old Gar Robinson placed second at Sebring International Raceway and third at Road Atlanta.
"There's nothing like being able to battle with great friends. To be so close to each other the entire race made the race challenging," noted Gar Robinson. "Adam runs such a perfect race and rarely makes mistakes, so when he does it was really important to take as much advantage as I could. At the end of the day, I couldn't think of anyone else in the paddock that I would rather have been with on the podium." Adam Andretti, in the No. 44 Ford Mustang, started from the pole and took the win.
At the helm of the No. 72 Chevrolet Camaro, Shane Lewis qualified seventh on Saturday, but then led the field in the second practice session. Going from 7th to 20th in the second lap, Lewis began a hard charge through the field, stealing spots with every lap. Lewis eventually landed in the third position, earning his first podium finish in the Trans Am Series. His expertise behind the wheel was also recognized with an additional award; Lewis won the CoolShirt Systems Cool Move of the Race and was presented with a trophy check.
"What a race! I finally got my first podium in Trans Am!" said Shane Lewis. "But the best part of the weekend was standing on the podium with the entire team from Robinson Racing."
To top off the epic day, Robinson Racing received the Pitboxes.com Crew of the Race award. Led by Team Owner George Robinson, the crew members are: Jimmy Fraser, Ross Jeffrey, Dave Warfel, Norm Johnson, Phil Bourne, Phil Reia, Richard Gaiera and Steven McShane.
"It made me really happy that they all got picked for team of the race. It was a great morale booster," said Gar Robinson. "My dad hired most of the members of our team 25 years ago to race in the Trans Am series with him, and now, we're back!"
New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, New Jersey hosted the Weekend of Thunder, sponsored by MPT Industries, which was the 5th round of 12 in the 2015 Trans Am Series. The green flag dropped at 11:50 am on Sunday, June 14, 2015, after a Fan Walk along pit lane which started at 11:00 am. The 101.25-mile race of the TA2 Class, the MPT Twelve Lubricant & Penetrant 100, included a field of 22 Chevrolet Camaros, Ford Mustangs and Dodge Challengers. Both Robinson Racing Camaros are sponsored by 74 Ranch Resort in Texas.
After 5 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 105 points, a tie with Dillon Machavern and 14 points behind Adam Andretti in second place. Shane Lewis is in fifth, just 4 points behind his teammate, with 101 points. In the 2015 TA2 Rookie of the Year standings, presented by Wilwood Disc Brakes, Gar Robinson is tied for first with Dillon Machavern, while Shane Lewis is in third.
For more images from the Weekend of Thunder, visit these pages:
www.Facebook.com/RobinsonRacingTeam
www.GoTransAm.com/Multimedia
About Robinson Racing
Robinson Racing is a motorsports organization based in Milford, Michigan, with two vehicles competing in the 2015 Trans Am Series and two drivers competing in the Mint 400 in Las Vegas, Nevada. In the TA2 Class of the Trans Am Series, Robinson Racing runs the No. 74 Chevrolet Camaro, sponsored by 74 Ranch Resort and driven by Gar Robinson. The team also runs the No. 72 Chevrolet Camaro, sponsored by 74 Ranch Resort and driven by renowned endurance champion Shane Lewis. The Team Owner and Gar Robinson's father, George Robinson is a former Trans Am driver, running in 46 races from 1988 to 1994 with one victory, eight top-five appearances and 24 top-ten showings. In addition to the Trans Am Series, George Robinson raced in IMSA, Grand Am, and ALMS, with 3 class wins at the 12 Hours of Sebring plus a Championship in the Ferrari Challenge. For more information, visit www.RobinsonRacingTeam.com.
