Shea Holbrook Experiences A Stellar Season
- 28 Jun 2012
Driving the #67 TrueCar Honda Civic Si, Holbrook spun her car during the first race. Quickly regaining control, she never let up and focused on making up the ground she had lost. When all was said and done, the driver had managed to work her way back to the sixth place spot at the checkered flag. Eager to improve her standings, Shea Holbrook prepared for the second race of the event. In spite of an errant stock car competing in a different area of the complex accidently driving onto the track where the SCCA Touring Cars were racing, she managed to remain focused and actually ran her best race of the event. In fact, Holbrook managed to finish in fourth place. Starting the third and final race of the Privacystar Utah Grand Prix, Shea Holbrook was in a good position. Third on the grid due to a third fastest time in the previous race, she had full intentions of keeping herself positioned toward the front and in turn being in contention for the win. That said, her plans quickly went south at the waving of the green flag, when a clutch spin and improper up-shift lent to a very slow start. Once getting full power back, the driver began working her way forward from the back of the field, overtaking drivers one at a time. By the end of the race, Holbrook had managed to move into the fourth place position, less than four seconds behind Tristan Herbert, the driver of the lead car. With the event behind her, Shea Holbrook had not only earned two top-five finishes but had also held the touring car fast lap at least once in all sessions.
"Going into Miller Motorsports Park was a bit tough," recalled Holbrook. "I had never been there and had no prior testing. Miller Motorsports Park has to be the only track without reference points! Not one tree is on the course, which makes detail to attention even more crucial. After my first session on track, my confidence was a tick low because of the difficulty of finding braking references, car placement apexes and so on. Once I got the flow, my confidence sky rocketed," she continued. "My weekend at Miller Motorsports Park was fantastic, and the track is a joy ride once you get the hang of it." With a memorable and successful event behind her, Holbrook and her team later rolled into Mosport with a boost of confidence, and a determination to avoid the stroke of bad luck she had previously experienced at this particular venue. "My confidence going into Mosport was 110%, as I was able to test two weeks before the race," she explained. "Mosport is the fastest track in North America, and it demands respect. Mosport is known to be a huge success story for some drivers or a complete horror story for others. This track can be dangerous, as 99% of the corners are large radius, high speed corners. Being on point is crucial. I was at Mosport in 2010 and unfortunately, my weekend ended quickly," she recalled. "I dropped a wheel on exit coming onto the front straight, sending me right into the inside wall. Prior testing at this track in particular is very important if you want to win. I definitely have an affair with Mosport. This track really showcases driver's talents."
At the event's end, Shea Holbrook's hopes and expectations of a solid and successful weekend at Mosport were not let down. In fact, the driver earned a spot on the podium twice during the event and won the "Hard Charger" award for passing the highest number of cars. "Mosport launched me where I needed to be, and where I always knew I could be," she explained. "Mosport was a huge relief, because I was able to deliver the results the team deserved. With two podiums, the 'Hard Charger' award, and now fourth in the championship race, Mosport was my best weekend yet." With hopes of taking the championship at the end of the 2012 season, Shea Holbrook knows that keeping her car in tip-top running condition is essential. That in mind, she and her crew are strong advocates of a stringent maintenance program. In turn, they depend upon K&N products to keep their engines contaminant free. "The car is completely set down after it gets off of the track to be looked over. Simply checking your equipment, which can be time consuming, can make or break a team. K&N air and oil filters add to the overall performance of the car maximizing horsepower to get the job done." The fact that Shea Holbrook has managed to go to college full-time and still finds time to race is a testimony that she has a burning passion for the sport of racing. When asked what she enjoys most about the sport, she explained, "Self competition. You can always be a little faster, but finding that speed isn't easy. Racing constantly pushes you to do better." Referring to what her fans can expect from Shea Holbrook, the driver said, "Kindness, a good performance, thankfulness, a good time and top three in the championship!" Find K&N products for your vehicle using the K&N application search then use the K&N dealer search to find a K&N dealer in your part of the world. |
