SHEA HOLBROOK HAS TWO PODIUM FINISHES AT CANADIAN TIRE MOTORSPORTS PARK
SANTA MONICA, Calif., June 27, 2012 – TrueCar Racing sportscar driver Shea Holbrook had a successful weekend at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park with two podium finishes in the Pirelli World Challenge Touring Car division.
Photo Credit: John R. Walker
Holbrook got ample testing two weeks prior to the race putting down over 100 laps at the high-speed 10-turn, 2.459-mile road course.
“The key to our success this year has been proper testing,” said Holbrook. Canadian Tire Motorsports Park is known to be the fastest road course in North America. The large radius corners call for high speeds of on average 95-mph in the touring car division. “This track demands respect – here is where a driver’s talents are truly showcased,” said Holbrook prior to race weekend.
Saturday kicked off round seven of the Touring Car Championship where Holbrook qualified fourth directly behind two of her Compass360 Racing teammates. The start of the first 30-minute sprint race wasn’t Holbrook’s best as she fell back to sixth place. “It wasn’t my best start and unfortunately it cost me in the end,” Holbrook said. A train of six touring cars drafted one another up the back straight leaving Holbrook a few car links back to cross the finish line in seventh place. Holbrook still had the second fastest lap time of the race at a 1:33.661.“We can do better, we will do better,” said Holbrook after the race.
Photo Credit: John R. Walker
The Pirelli World Challenge 30-minute sprints races allow a 15-minute break between the back-to-back races. Holbrook’s team changed the left front tire enabling more front grip in the high-speed radiuses. Per the rules, Holbrook started the race in the position she finished in the previous race, seventh. A perfect line of touring cars drafting in unison made it up to turn nine of the first lap until an incident happened taking out three of the leading cars. “Sometimes it’s just a persistent waiting game and you have to be close enough to reap the reward and that is exactly what we did,” said Holbrook. She raced a clean, professional race which lead her to her first podium of the year finishing in second place. “Finally!” she yelled with a smile on her face as she ran to the podium. “Today we got the results we’ve wanted all season long because we persevered. The crew and my coach got me to this point – all I had to do was get the job done and they made it easy for me.” Holbrook had the third fastest lap of the race with a 1:34.248.
Sunday’s qualifying brought another milestone for Holbrook as she put the car on the front row at P2 for the start of the 40-minute race. When asked if Holbrook was at all nervous she replied, “No, I’m confident. I have a great team behind me calming any nerves.” As the cars launched off the grid into turn two side-by-side, Holbrook in the inside lifted to allow clearance but lost the rear end of the car and went spinning in front of her Compass360 teammates. “I was very fortunate no carnage came out of that – great driving on their part,” Holbrook said. The spin sent her to dead last. An outstanding drive by Holbrook as she fought her way back lap after lap finishing on podium again in third place. “It feels amazing. We’ve been working so hard to get these results but more importantly we know we give 100 percent every time we’re out there. I’m extremely happy,” Holbrook said. Holbrook won the Invisible Glass “Clean Pass of the Race” for her pass on Michael Cooper for third and she had the third fastest lap of the race with a 1:33.633. She now stands fourth in the Touring Car Championship with 748 points.
Photo Credit: John R. Walker
Holbrook praised her coaches, Michael Zimicki, and Mikel Miller for helping shape her into the racer she’s become.
“My coaches have been a critical in my success and I owe them many wins after all the time they spent with me over the past few months!”
Watch the live streaming of the races now on www.world-challengetv.com and the live broadcast on the NBC Sports Network Saturday, July 7th at 5 p.m. EDT.
Special thanks to the fans, TrueCar, Virgin, Lucas Oil, Premier Capital, Eibach Springs, HPD/Honda Racing, K&N Filters, Penta Water, and Cool Shirt.
Watch here for Holbrook’s fast lap at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park.
Next race is August 3-5th at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course alongside the IZOD IndyCar Series and American Le Mans Series. Recently TrueCar Racing announced that Virgin Group, a leading global brand synonymous with innovation, entertainment, lifestyle and adventure and one of the world’s most recognized brands, is joining as an affiliate sponsor of TrueCar Racing, the world’s first all-female racing team and “Women Empowered” initiative, for the rest of the 2012 Women Empowered racing calendar. The Mid-Ohio race will be the first race the Virgin brand is displayed on Holbrook’s car.
About Shea Holbrook
Shea’s passion for driving started when she was 16 with a “Richard Petty Experience.” Shea quickly began excelling in the motorsports world through high performance driving events all throughout Florida. She then went on to obtain her SCCA license and since then Shea has been road racing competitively all over the nation with many organizations, from sprint races to 25 hour enduros. Shea debuted her first professional race season with SCCA World Challenge Pro Racing in 2010 finishing 6th in the championship. Shea became the first women to ever win a Pirelli World Challenge Touring Car race in 2011 winning the Long Beach Grand Prix along with winning Best Standing Start and the Hard Charger Award. Shea received her Bachelor’s Degree in Interpersonal and Organizational Communications/Marketing from the University of Central Florida in May of 2012. Something you may not know about Shea is that she is an accomplished national competitive water skier holding numerous state, regional and national titles. Shea received the “Living Legend Honoree Award” for her on and off track efforts, has been honored in the “Women in Motorsports” SuperCars Super Show Exhibit and was featured in Teen Vogue. In 2008, Shea became a “Women in the Winners Circle” graduate of the Lyn St. James program. “Fear is a state of mind, will is an action taken.” Shea lives this quote and believes through commitment and determination anything is possible. Helping others is another love of Shea’s. Shea Racing partnered up with Frito Lay Corp., in 2008 to raise $12,500 for the Susan G. Komen “For the Cure.” She has also raised thousands of dollars and awareness for her charity of choice, Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD.) PPMD benefits Duchenne muscular dystrophy which affects her own family. Shea is a member of the TrueCar Racing “Women Empowered” initiative and will be competing in Pirelli World Challenge in 2012 and 2013.
You can follow Shea on Twitter (@SheaRacing) become a fan on Facebook and watch her video’s on YouTube.
TrueCar Racing was created to support top female race car drivers in premier racing series, along with young rising stars across several developmental racing series. TrueCar Racing is empowering high-potential women who aspire to become championship race car drivers by providing full sponsorship support, professional coaching and training, marketing exposure, and top-tier racing team opportunities throughout the U.S. TrueCar Racing currently sponsors women in the following race series: IndyCar, Star Mazda, USF2000, World Challenge, Mazda MX-5 Cup and Rally America.
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