Female Chevy engineer has earned respect in garage

Growing up as a young Catholic girl in Puerto Rico, Alba Colon wanted to be an altar boy.

"I loved the church," she recalled. "I watched my brother do it every Sunday, but I couldn't. I said 'someone needs to explain this to me.'

There was no good reason, Colon explained. This incensed her further and would become a fire inside her to burn down any and every obstacle potentially standing in the way of Colon's goals.

In Colon's world, "no you can't" was always countered with, "yes I can."

It's an attitude that has made the 40-year-old engineer one of the most powerful women in the NASCAR garage, a place where until 1972 women were not allowed to enter. But in 1994, she entered, conquered and has the accolades on her mantle to prove it.

Now a top engineer for GM Racing -- the only female to hold such a position -- Colon ensures the Chevy cars have the speed to win races and the crew chiefs have the tools they need to win championships.

Hendrick Motorsports crew chief Alan Gustafson said Colon's knowledge and dedication has really shined through this season and last, evident by the successful transition Chevy teams made with NASCAR's new, more safety-conscience car.

"We were lucky to have her, she was a great help pushing for the support we needed whether if it was the wind tunnel or parts, her help showed up because Chevrolet has had great success with the [new car] program," he said.

And as NASCAR's Race to the Chase nears, Colon's support for the Chevy teams in the garage becomes more crucial; she is looking to add another Sprint Cup championship to the four already notched under her command.

It's a resume Jeff Gordon's crew chief Steve Letarte depends on heavily.

"Having Alba as a contact has really helped us expedite things, she's good at cutting through the corporate red tape and when you need stuff to go faster she always seems to find it," Letarte said. "She understands all the teams' goals in the garage and is a major contributor to Chevy's success over the years."

So it may come as a surprise to know that Colon's first day on the job working as a data acquisition engineer for GM, one of its biggest players and proven champion told her she wouldn't last a year. (Continued)