They said she wouldn't qualify. She did! They said she wouldn't finish. She did! They said she didn't belong in Winston Cup...

When Shawna Robinson took the green flag at Michigan International Raceway, she joined a handful of female drivers who have actually started a Winston Cup race. When she took the checkered flag, she joined an even more exclusive club. But whether Shawna Robinson has what it takes to stay in Winston Cup racing is a matter open for debate. I contend that she does.

In Shawna's favor is her intense desire to learn. She commented after the KMart 400 that her crew chief, Jon Dan Bailey told her, "You can learn a lot from them," as she followed Dale Jarrett, Bill Elliott and Jeff Burton on lap 137. And learn she did, as she followed their moves as best she could.

Another factor in her favor is patience. Starting 32nd in the field of 43 cars, she did not make "dumb mistakes", and did not take unnecessary chances to move up in position. Her goal was to be running at the finish and she accomplished that goal, finishing 34th. Some might interpret her patience as fear, saying she was afraid to take her Taurus to its limits, but for a rookie driver this caution was wise and prudent. And when she did have trouble, she was able to keep cool, regain control and not tear-up her or anyone else's equipment.

Some may say that she doesn't have the experience to move up to Winston Cup, but a look at her statistics shows that she set Busch Series qualifying records at Atlanta Motor Speedway in 1994, as well as sitting on the pole for the Busch Light 300 with a qualifying speed of 174.330 mph. She also sat on the pole at Michigan for the 2000 ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde Series event and again set a track record with a speed of 184.606 mph. While these events were six years apart, they showed that her skills did not diminish during her time away from the track. Impressive statistics for any driver.

Unfortunately however, Shawna Robinson is a woman, and as such is viewed by many as a novelty act. Sponsors try to hide her skill behind a pink driving suit and splashes of pink on her car, NASCAR uses her as a focal point, possibly to divert attention away from other issues, and her driving ability is overshadowed by her gender. But novelty acts sometimes make it big. Remember, there once was a "country comedian" who resided in the fictional town of Mayberry and was invited to sing on national television. He was a novelty act, until he opened his mouth. Then the world saw the true talent of Jim Nabors, AKA Gomer Pyle. Perhaps the same may be true for Shawna Robinson. If she is able to shake the "woman driver" gimmick and is allowed to just be a driver, she might surprise everyone.