Shift Up Now Athlete Sally McNulty earned back-to-back top-five finishes on Saturday and Sunday in the TC America powered by Skip Barber season opener at Sonoma Raceway.
Driving the No. 780 Borla Exhaust VGRT Civic Si, McNulty qualified Friday on slick tires during a rainy session that only allowed two green-flag laps due to multiple incidents. Series protocol during such situations dictated the starting grid be set by lap times from the second practice session, putting McNulty fifth for the start of Saturday’s race.
A very consistent drive throughout the entirety of Saturday’s race allowed her to create a large gap between herself and the rest of the pack. She earned a top-five finish and took a large step toward her goal of becoming the first woman to win the overall championship.
Sunday’s starting grid was based on the fastest lap from Saturday’s race, and McNulty started sixth. As overall race leaders mixed with the back of the field, McNulty took advantage and closed the gap to the fifth-place car. In the final lap of the race, a mechanical issue in that car allowed McNulty to take the checkered flag with her second fifth-place finish.
“I came into this weekend with hopes of just getting into the top five, being fast and being consistent,” said McNulty. “I’ve had a lot on my plate starting with a brand-new car. Once we got past some electrical problems and figured out how to deal with the car losing throttle on the out lap, we could run the rest of the race. We definitely wanted to show pace and I think we were able to.
“We are really looking to win the season championship, and the best way to win is being consistent and always scoring points, and being in the top five every single race. We’re going to strive really hard for that and I think we did a good job this weekend.”
The TC America powered by Skip Barber series heads to Missouri for rounds three and four on May 20-22, 2022, where McNulty will drive the brand-new track at Ozarks International Raceway.
