Sally Mott Joins Shift Up Now Athlete Roster Ahead of Second MX-5 Cup Season

The Shift Up Now Athlete roster continues to grow with the addition of Sally Mott, whose 2025 plans include a full season of racing with Jared Thomas Racing (JTR) in the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin.

Mott made her MX-5 Cup debut in October 2023 during the Petit LeMans weekend at Road Atlanta, where she earned the “Top Finishing Female” award in race two. The following month, she was awarded the Mazda MX-5 Cup Women’s Initiative Scholarship.

The Central Texas native then went on to be the top-finishing female overall during her rookie season in 2024, earning a 12th-place spot in the championship standings. She scored seven top-15 finishes, her best being sixth at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Ontario.

Now, driving the No. 15 MX-5 Cup car with her new team, JTR, Mott has her sights set on cracking the top five, and becoming the first woman to stand on the podium since fellow Shift Up Now Athlete Sarah Montgomery.

Rounds one and two will take place on January 22-24, 2025, on the 3.56-mile, 12-turn Daytona Road Course. The weekend begins with a practice session on January 22 from 1:00-1:40pm ET, followed by practice two from 4:15-4:45pm ET. Qualifying and race one will take place on Thursday, and race two on Friday.

Mott is excited to debut a bold, Iron Dames-inspired livery and suit for the season, featuring her sponsors, Ribtect, Coble Commercial Properties, AE Victory Racing, Smart-Energize.com and Shift Up Now.

“I’m very excited about my sophomore year in MX-5 Cup, as I’ve been working very hard behind the scenes to come back stronger than ever,” said Mott. “My goal is to have consistent top-fives and multiple podiums this year. I know I still have a lot of work to do, but I’m more determined than ever to make my goals a reality.”

Fans can learn more about Mott by checking out her Athlete profile on ShiftUpNow.com or by visiting her website at SallyMottRacing.com.

Shift Up Now Foundation Opens Applications for 2025 Grants

The Shift Up Now Foundation is proud to announce that grant applications are now open for the 2025 season. Female racers competing at a professional or semi-professional level are invited to apply, from now until Tuesday, January 21st at 11:59pm ET.

Applications can be submitted online here: https://shiftupnow.org/grants/

The foundation, which lives alongside the Shift Up Now for-profit business, strives for gender equality for female athletes in motorsport, and furthers the mission by accepting tax-deductible gifts, donations and grants.

Funds raised are used to award opportunities to racers believed to have 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.

In 2023, the Shift Up Now Foundation awarded its first-ever sponsorship grants. The organization then eclipsed its grant goal in 2024 after raising more than $80,000 in a multi- faceted fundraising effort.

A majority of the total came from an in-person event, the inaugural “Night with the Shift Up Now Foundation presented by PenFed Credit Union.” The remainder of the funding came from an online effort called “25 for 25,” in which Lucas Oil matched the first $5,000 in donations.

“Despite the fact that we’ve only just celebrated the foundation’s second birthday, I’m in awe that we’re about to write more than $100,000 worth of grants for racers to help them compete in the 2025 racing season,” said Shift Up Now CEO Pippa Mann. “This has been made possible due to the tireless work from our Board Co-Chairs, Rebecca Bormann and Jim Bork, and the Shift Up Now Foundation CEO, Ariel Ream. They’ve all been incredibly focused and dedicated in helping us meet this goal.

“In addition, we’re so honored to have received so many incredible donations, both from race fans and individuals like James Schenck, who is personally helping us support women in this sport. It’s our mission to make a difference, and while this will be a milestone year for us in terms of growth, we’re just getting started.”

To kick off the 2025 racing season, the foundation has also launched a new fundraising challenge, called the “Race to $25K.” James Schenck - a dedicated Shift Up Now Foundation supporter - has offered to personally match any donation to the foundation during the month of January, up to $25,000.

To join the challenge, race fans and Shift Up Now supporters are invited to make a donation in any amount until January 30th. Donations can be made on the website at https://shiftupnow.org.

Shift Up Now Foundation Launches the “Race to $25K” Challenge Following Personal Donation from James Schenck

Shift Up Now is excited to announce that James Schenck has personally offered to match any donation to the Shift Up Now Foundation during the month of January, up to $25,000.

As a result, the foundation is launching a new fundraising challenge, called the “Race to $25K” to kick off the 2025 racing season. Shift Up Now continues to strive for gender equality for female athletes in motorsport, and the foundation furthers the mission by accepting tax- deducible gifts, donations and grants.

Funds raised from donations are used to award opportunities to racers believed to have the talent and aptitude to succeed in motorsports. This allows these racers access to more competitive equipment, seat time for testing and practice, and resources to help grow their careers.

As the 2025 racing season approaches, Schenck is confident that funds raised will not only support the mission, but reward racers that truly have the potential to succeed.

“There are so many incredibly talented and focused women who have the fire and drive to win at every level of racing,” he said. “Unfortunately, what many of them lack are the resources necessary to compete. Supporting the Shift Up Now Foundation makes me feel proud as I watch many new female entrants compete successfully that wouldn’t otherwise have had the opportunity. It’s like being part of a startup; lots of money, sweat and tears along the journey, but how amazing it feels when you played a part in its success!”

Shift Up Now CEO Pippa Mann echoed Schenck’s sentiments, saying, “We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to potentially raise an additional $50,000 to support our Athletes for the 2025 season. These funds can have a profound impact for our female racers’ careers. They’re already proving they have the talent by winning podiums, races and championships. This just furthers the mission by allowing us to provide them with more opportunities, and to add more racers to the Shift Up Now Athlete roster.”

To join the challenge, race fans and Shift Up Now supporters are invited to make a donation in any amount until January 30th. Donations can be made on the website at https://shiftupnow.org.

Shift Up Now Names New Director of Membership for 2025

Shift Up Now is ushering in a new era for Members as Sarah Montgomery, current Director of Membership, passes the baton to Monica Hilton, beginning in 2025.

Before accepting the Director of Membership role more than a year ago, Montgomery had been actively engaged with Shift Up Now since 2018. The Lafayette, LA native was officially name to the Athlete roster in 2020, then promoted to her current role in the fall of 2023.

Now, Montgomery has accepted a full-time position as a security defense driver with a government contractor.

As the Shift Up Now team explored options for filling the role, Hilton’s background, experience and tenure with the organization made her a logical fit.

Hilton began her motorsports career in 2011 with HVM Racing, handling all the public relations responsibilities for the team, and driver Simona de Silvestro. From there, she launched a motorsports-focused PR and marketing firm called 242MPH (Marketing & PR by Hilton). Clients included racing teams Bryan Herta Autosport and Schmidt Peterson Motorsports, plus the official IndyCar calendar and Racing for Cancer, a non-profit organization.

In 2019, Hilton managed the personal PR for Pippa Mann’s seventh Indianapolis 500 campaign. Despite being away from racing for a couple years prior, Hilton noted that her long-term friendship with Mann is what made it “impossible to say no.”

In 2020, when Mann took the helm of Shift Up Now, Hilton was invited to be the Director of PR. As the organization has grown, the entire team works tirelessly toward the mission of advancing opportunities for talented female racers, and Membership is an integral part of that.

“The Shift Up Now Members are our core audience, and our biggest supporters,” said Mann. “We’re always looking for ways to take the Member experience to the next level, and that will continue in 2025. We’re excited to roll out some updates and upgrades, and will share the info as it becomes available.”

Annual Shift Up Now membership pricing will remain the same at $100 per calendar year upfront, or Members are given the option to pay $10 per month.

Hilton echoed Mann’s excitement, saying, ”We’re laying the groundwork for some big things in 2025, and we can’t wait to see what our members think!

“First, being part of a mission like this for only ten dollars a month is incredible, and we’re asking all our supporters to please share the mission. Secondly, we want to show our

appreciation by providing some fantastic benefits and opportunities to Shift Up Now Members. Keep an eye on our socials and website, as we share all the details.”

To become a Shift Up Now Members, simply visit https://shiftupnow.com/join/

Fans and supporters can find the Shift Up Now website at www.ShiftUpNow.com, and follow along on social media at @ShiftUpNow (Instagram and X), Shift Up Now (Facebook).