The Shift Up Now Foundation is honored to announce that sponsorship grant applications for the 2026 racing season are now open. In addition, Shift Up Now Athlete Loni Unser is offering a $1,000 karting scholarship for 2026.
Sponsorship grants are provided to award opportunities for female racers with both the talent and aptitude to succeed in motorsports, giving them access to more competitive equipment, seat time for testing and practice, and resources to help grow their careers.
The foundation awarded its first sponsorship grant in 2023 and has since written more than half a million dollars in sponsorship grants to female racers. Recipients over the years include 20 Athletes across 14 different racing series and disciplines, proving that Shift Up Now continues to change the narrative for women in motorsport.
A majority of the funding for 2026 sponsorship grants was raised through the foundation’s second-annual in-person event, “A Night with the Shift Up Now Foundation” presented by PenFed Credit Union and Tom Wood Porsche, and generous donors who have aligned with the foundation’s mission to help fuel female athletes with the resources required for success on the race track.
Unser’s 2026 scholarship comes after she earned the “fastest Porsche up the mountain” award during last year’s 103rd running of the Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Unser then donated the money to the Shift Up Now Foundation, and will be personally involved in selecting the winner of a karting scholarship for an up-and-coming talented female kart racer.
“I want to start by thanking all of the generous donors who’ve made it possible for us to continue providing these sponsorship grants,” said Shift Up Now CEO Pippa Mann. “We’re honored to receive so many incredible donations, both from race fans and long-standing supporters of the Shift Up Now mission.
“Through racing at the Indy 500 and working for opportunities in various racing series over the years, I fully understand the funding struggle. And although it’s frustrating that data continues to show women in sport receiving less than their male competitors, we refuse to accept that. Which is why we’re working so hard to close the funding gap for female racers.
“Our long-term goal is to help drive systematic change in motorsport, creating an environment where men and women not only compete as equals, but also receive equal opportunities. And as a foundation, we pledge to never stop driving toward that goal.”
From now until 11:59pm EST on Friday, February 13th, female racers who meet the following initial criteria are invited to apply for the Shift Up Now Foundation sponsorship grants: First, racers must be competing at a professional or semi-professional level. Second, they must already have significant sponsorship toward their 2026 season, making a sponsorship grant of up to $10,000 impactful, but not critical to her full funding plan.
For Unser’s karting scholarship, female karters below the age of 18 who are seeking to compete in the World Karting Association (WKA) or SuperKarts USA (SKUSA) are invited to apply. Applications will include a request for racing resume and online form completion.
Applications for the Shift Up Now sponsorship grants can be submitted HERE.
Applications for the karting scholarship can be submitted HERE.
To get involved with the Shift Up Now mission, race fans and supporters are invited to make a donation in any amount via the website at https://shiftupnow.org/
