Sonoma, CA – Marion Engelke of Germany made history at Sonoma as she became the first woman in United States Touring Car Championship history to score a win. Engelke won the Sportsman class while Sean Milburn was the winner of the Touring Car class.

Engelke, who was driving the Gary’s Airbag Service BMW 328i, qualified fourth and her weekend looked bleak. In testing on Friday, she missed a shift causing damage to the valvetrain of the engine. Her Cobalt California team worked all day to change the engine and get her ready for qualifying which would be difficult considering that she had missed practice due to the engine change. Engelke was doing well in qualifying but another competitor collided with her and caused a spin which in turn had her collide with an innocent bystander. The stewards deemed Engelke the victim but her car, with the new engine, was still damaged. The crew started working again replacing all of the damaged parts and had the car ready for the race on Sunday. Engelke quickly passed the other cars and found herself in second place behind Becky Arsham’s Konig Wheels Honda Civic. The battle between Arsham and Engelke lasted for several laps as Arsham would close every opportunity for Engelke to pass. Finally, with a few laps to go, Engelke went for it and made her move going into the fast turn 10. It was not all over yet because coming in hot was Michael McColligan in the MC Racing Honda Civic Si who was now in second place and catching up to Engelke quickly. McColligan’s efforts fell a bit short as the checkered flag was reached by Engelke first. Arsham would finish third.

In the Touring Car class, it was a battle between Gary Sheehan’s Konig Wheels Hyundai Genesis and Sean Milburn’s Bay Area Drafting BMW M3. Sheehan quickly went after the BMW in the opening stages but Milburn opened up a gap in the first few laps and managed to maintain that gap throughout the race. Gordon Pun finished third in the Konig Wheels Honda Civic.

The race now moves to Thunderhill Raceway for a 2.5 hour long race that could change everything in a few weeks.