Shift Up Now Athletes Loni Unser and Erika Hoffmann made their presence known during round four of Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokoham, when Unser brought home back-to-back podiums and Hoffmann excelled in qualifying at VIRginia International Raceway on July 11-13, 2025.
Both drivers were competing for Kellymoss Racing in Porsche Cayman GT4 RS race cars. Unser, who had raced at VIR previously in World Racing League (WRL) and last year in Porsche Sprint Challenge, drove the purple No. 4 “Be Your Own Hero” car. Hoffmann piloted the No. 21 entry in her first outing on the 3.27-mile, 17-turn racetrack.
Two practice sessions took place on Friday in hot, humid conditions that would end up lingering for most of the weekend. Hoffmann spent the sessions learning the track while Unser ran in the top five for both.
The following morning, Hoffmann had her best Porsche Sprint Challenge qualifying effort to date. Heading out on new Yokohama tires in the slightly-cooler morning temperatures, her best lap put her third on the starting grid for race one, and her second-fastest lap placed her in second for race two.
“VIR is such a cool track, I loved learning it for the first time,” said Hoffmann. “One of my main goals this weekend was to improve how I maximize the new Yokohama tire and put together a strong qualifying run. I’m really proud of the progress I made there. Missing the podium in race two definitely left me wanting more, but overall it was a solid weekend and another step forward in outright pace.
“I’m incredibly grateful to my amazing sponsors. Leading up to this race, we weren’t sure if we’d be able to make it work funding-wise, so I’m especially thankful to James Schenck for his support in getting me on the grid. And of course, a huge thank you to the entire Kellymoss team for giving me a great car and the best support all weekend.”
Unser qualified less than one-tenth of a second behind Hoffmann, putting her fourth for race one and third for race two. With Anna Cecchi also posting her best-ever Porsche Sprint Challenge qualifying result to taking the pole, three women made up the top four starting positions for Saturday afternoon’s race.
That afternoon, track conditions were hot and slick for the start of the first 35-minute-plus-one- lap race. Cecchi led the field to green, with Hoffmann and Unser running side-by-side in row two. After a clean start, Hoffmann made the pass for second while Unser maintained position in fourth.
The third-place driver went to work filling Hoffmann’s mirrors to reclaim second place. Despite a staunch defense, she was passed at Oak Tree, giving Unser a run out of the corner. The two Shift Up Now drivers ran side by side down the long back straight before Unser completed the pass in the Rollercoaster section.
Unser set off in pursuit of the lead duo and began to close the gap. When Cecchi was passed for the lead, a battle for second ensued between her and Unser, and would continue through the checkered flag. At the line, Unser was just one-tenth of a second behind Cecchi to earn the final podium spot.
Meanwhile, a mistake from Hoffmann had dropped her down in the order but she spent most of the race making a strong recovery drive to get back into the top ten overall, and fifth in the ProAm class.
On Sunday morning, race two began under overcast skies with cooler track temps. Hoffmann was lined up on the outside of the front row, with Unser on the inside of row two.
After one pace lap, the green flag flew and Unser immediately made the pass to take over the second-place spot into turn one. When Hoffmann lost one more position, she dropped back to fourth and this order would hold for an extensive green-flag period.
With just over 10 minutes left in the race, one of the cars went into the barriers. Only two minutes - plus one lap - remained after the cleanup, and the field prepared for a sprint to the finish.
The restart was clean, with Unser hunting the leader, Cecchi on her heals and Hoffmann right behind with her eyes set on opportunities to pass. The top two created a gap to the third- and fourth-place cars, and Unser was relentless in aiming to take the lead. She filled his mirrors, forcing him to defend several times but ran out of time before the checkered flag fell. She would finish the weekend in second, with back-to-back podium finishes.
“While I’m so grateful to have stood on the podium, I’m glad that I’m in a position where I’m no longer satisfied with the podium,” said Unser. “I’m more hungry than ever to win, and I have incredible team behind me to help that happen in the latter half of the season. I’m forever grateful for incredible partnerships; Speedway Motors, Mobil1, Acumatica, and Yokohama Tire.”
When Hoffmann crossed the finish line in fourth, she sealed the deal for three of the top four finishes to be held by female racers.
Next up, Unser and Hoffmann head to Wisconsin to take on round five of Porsche Sprint Challenge North America presented by Yokohama at Road America on August 8-10, 2025.
