Sabre Cook Makes Debut as First Female Competitor In Carrera Cup

Shift Up Now Athlete Sabre Cook earned a top-15 finish in her debut as the first female competitor in Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America at Sebring International Raceway on Thursday, March 16, 2023.

In the lead up to the Super Sebring combined IMSA and World Endurance Championship event, the Porsche Carrera Cup schedule called for two busy days mid-week. Practice and qualifying were scheduled for Wednesday, March 15th, followed by two, 40-minute races on Thursday.

Cook, who was victorious last fall in the combined efforts of the Kellymoss Shootout and the Porsche Deluxe Female Driver Scholarship, had very little track time on Wednesday before qualifying, due to inclement weather. 

In her first qualifying session in the Hagerty-supported, Deluxe Kellymoss Porsche Cup car on the Michelin slick tires, Cook’s fastest lap qualified 19th overall and 18th in class for the first race. For the second race, her second-fastest lap put her in P16.

On Thursday morning, the green flag flew over bright blue skies for the first, single-driver, 40-minute sprint race early on Thursday. Cook had a clean start from the 11th row in the 41-car field, and then went to work, passing one car at a time. 

She finished her first-ever Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America race in 15th place. However, after another competitor was assigned a penalty for contact, Cook was promoted to P14.

Later that same day, the second 40-minute sprint race took place. This time, Cook was starting on the outside row, which got bunched up at the start, leaving her in P20 at the end of the first lap. Determined to drive forwards, Cook once again spent much of the race advancing through the field, and moved up to 14th place. 

With just a couple laps to go, she attempted a pass at turn seven and made contact with another car. As a result, she was assessed a ten-second penalty post race, which dropped her to P16 on the final timing sheets.

“The way you race, and make passes, in these cars is very different to open wheel,” said Cook. “There’s almost no draft, and I’m trying to learn when to be aggressive, and how to race with very different tools. I’m also stepping into a stacked field, and this is a difficult car to learn and drive fast, so the team has been great in trying to make sure I’m being patient with myself and my progress.

“Kellymoss has worked with a lot of new drivers to this series, so knowing they’re happy with my debut weekend means a lot. I feel like we’ve laid a strong  foundation this weekend that we can build on going forwards. I can’t wait to get back behind the wheel at the next race weekend, and keep improving.”

Cook’s next race event in the Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America is at the Long Beach Grand Prix on April 14-16, 2023.

Shift Up Now Partners with FrontRunner to Launch First NFT Collections

Shift Up Now will be launching two NFT collections on the Ethereum blockchain at 3:00 pm ET on April 4, 2023, in partnership with Web3-consulting company FrontRunner.

FrontRunner is a female-owned business, founded by Shift Up Now Athlete and racer Julia Landauer. In 2022, Landauer made her NASCAR Xfinity debut with sponsorship from car culture NFT community GarageXYZ and the women’s empowerment NFT community Boss Beauties. She then ran a second race with title sponsorship from ATEM Car Club, another car culture NFT community, and supporting sponsorship from House of First and OnChainMonkey.

“I’m really proud to be working with Shift Up Now to help them get involved with NFTs and leverage the power and community of Web3,” said Landauer. “This is an emerging industry that has a lot of synergies with motorsports and the motorsports community, and I’m thrilled to help Shift Up Now innovate how it supports its athletes and engages its community.”

In addition to diversifying its audience, Shift Up Now has multiple goals for the campaign. By venturing into the Web3 space, it aims to provide another avenue for its audience to feel invested in its Athletes and racing programs, especially as Web3 and racing continue to intersect in more ways. This partnership provides a tangible, digital asset in return for support.

Proceeds from the NFT sales will go to funding female athletes in motorsport through the Shift Up Now mission. This inaugural campaign will feature Shift Up Now Athletes Laura Hayes, Loni Unser, Michele Abbate, Shea Holbrook, Sabre Cook, Sarah Montgomery, Hannah Grisham, Ayla Agren, Erin Vogel and Pippa Mann.

More Athletes are expected to be featured in future drops. In addition, as Shift Up Now launches further collections, the NFTs will include in-real-life utility, like meet-and-greets with drivers at racing events.

Pippa Mann, owner of Shift Up Now, stated, “I started to become more interested in the Web3 space last year as I saw more car culture based NFT brands start to gain traction online with the motorsport fan-base. There seems to be a space in this market place for beautifully shot, unique race car images, that we feel fans might want to own, and this also provided us with the opportunity to expand our audience and revenue stream as we continue to grow Shift Up Now.

“I’m hopeful that if our first drop is a success, that this will be a continuing program, where once or twice per year we’re able to offer a series of unique race car images for our audience, and use those funds the program generates to strengthen our core mission of helping talented female athletes have the funding to continue competing.”

The NFT drop will feature 100 unique images of Shift Up Now Athletes and their race cars, split across two collections: The Race Car Collection and The Racer’s Collection.

The Racers Collection will celebrate some of the powerhouse Shift Up Now Athletes with 20 unique, 1/1 images. The Race Car Collection will showcase the speed, intensity and beauty of the machines with 80 unique, 1/1 images.

Preview images are already starting to be showcased on the Shift Up Now social media pages, as well as some of the Athletes’.

On April 4th, both NFT Collections will be available to mint and/or purchase on the Shift Up Now website. The general public will be able to mint the NFTs with either ETH crypto currency or with a credit card, and they will sell for roughly $250 / the ETH equivalent.

Shift Up Now and FrontRunner have chosen a minting platform where anyone who is new to the Web3 space can have the comfort of purchasing an NFT with a traditional credit card.

In addition, Landauer will host an information webinar – open to anyone – on Monday, March 27 at 8:00 pm ET. Registration is required using this link: https://lu.ma/ShiftUpNowNFTWebinar

Hagerty Continues To Expand Shift Up Now Partnership

Shift Up Now is proud to announce today – on International Women’s Day – that Hagerty will once again advance its partnership by supporting Athletes Sabre Cook and Loni Unser for the 2023 season.

Headquartered in Traverse City, Michigan, Hagerty began as a niche insurance agency offering coverage for wooden boats. After expanding their coverage to classic cars in 1991, it has since grown into a global automotive enthusiast brand and the world’s largest membership organization for car lovers.

Hagerty’s purpose of saving driving and car culture for future generations includes a strong focus on women in motorsport. The partnership with Shift Up Now Athletes began in 2021, when Hagerty sponsored Athletes competing with Round 3 Racing in the World Racing League. That support continued in 2022 with full-time rides for Athletes Sarah Montgomery (GT0 class) and Loni Unser (GP1 class).

For 2023, Hagerty will be an associate sponsor for Cook in the Porsche Carrera Cup, and for Unser as she makes her return to Pikes Peak.

In 2022, Hagerty supported Cook’s return to racing after an injury kept her out of the driver’s seat for most of the season.

Following her return, Cook was declared the winner of the Kelly Moss Road and Race Female Driver Shoot-Out in 2022, and this season, she will become the first female driver to compete in the Porsche Carrera Cup North America. In addition to racing alongside F1, IndyCar, IMSA and NASCAR Infinity, she’s also excited to work with female team owner Victoria Thomas.

Cook’s goal is to use this Championship as a springboard to the IMSA WeatherTech Series for the future.

“I’m honored to have Hagerty’s continued support for 2023,” said Cook. “They were a critical partner for me last year in getting back into the seat after my injury, surgery and recovery. Because of that support, I was poised to be ready for the incredible opportunity of running with Kelly-Moss in the Porsche Carrera Cup. Everyone at Hagerty is always so supportive of everything I’m doing, and I’m elated they will be a part of this epic season.”

In 2022, Unser made her Pike’s Peak debut and earned a second-place finish in her class. She has confirmed her return to the famous mountain this year, but the class and manufacturer for her effort are yet to be revealed.

The 2023 season will mark Unser’s third with Hagerty as an associate sponsor.

“I am super excited to run Pikes Peak again with Hagerty as a support,” said Unser. “I love that I can share my love of driving with a partner. I think Pikes Peak is a perfect place to showcase all kinds of different cars, whether they are old, new or purpose-built. I’m excited to put down some good results this year for the 101st running.”

The Porsche Carrera Cup Championship season began with testing for Cook at Sebring International Raceway on March 6-7, 2023. The season officially begins on Wednesday, March 15, 2023. Although Unser’s Pike’s Peak race isn’t until June 25, 2023, her World Racing League season is already underway.

Race fans can follow along with all the action on the Shift Up Now website: www.ShiftUpNow.com.

 

About Hagerty, Inc.

Based in Traverse City, Michigan, Hagerty’s purpose is to save driving and car culture for future generations and its mission is to build a global business to fund that purpose. Hagerty is an automotive enthusiast brand offering integrated membership products and programs as well as a specialty insurance provider focused on the global automotive enthusiast market. Hagerty is home to Hagerty Drivers Club, Hagerty Drivers Club magazine, Hagerty Drivers Foundation, Hagerty DriveShare, Hagerty Valuation Tools, Hagerty Media, MotorsportReg, Hagerty Garage + Social, Hagerty Marketplace, The Amelia, the Detroit Concours d’Elegance, the Greenwich Concours d’Elegance, the California Mille, Motorworks Revival and more. For more information on Hagerty, please visit www.hagerty.com, or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Victory For Hayes at Barber

Shift Up Now Athlete Laura Hayes earned her first World Racing League (WRL) win of the season for Thunder Bunny Racing (TBR) in the GTO class on Sunday, March 6th at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama.

The third event of the 2023 WRL season featured two consecutive days of endurance racing. Nine hours of racing on Saturday and seven on Sunday marked the fifth and sixth events of the season.

Following her streak of four consecutive podiums, Hayes and her TBR team entered the event with their eyes on the top step and a goal of achieving their first win.

Thunderstorms impacted practice and qualifying sessions, giving teams only two dry sessions to work on car setup. Despite this, Hayes qualified the TBR No. 111 EPC Power Toyota Supra GT4 on the front row.

On Saturday, she took the start and immediately started to pull a gap on the field. An early caution allowed the team to go off strategy with minimal track position lost. Hayes regained the lead before the end of her first stint. She continued to extend the advantage over the next two hours before handing the car over to her teammates.

With two stints to go, the Toyota Supra GT4 was still on the lead lap. Hayes climbed back in and began to chase down the leaders. She made the pass for the lead with 20 minutes to go and controlled the pace to the finish to take the checkered flag first in GTO, and overall.

However, the joy from the team’s first win of the season was short-lived. Following a protest, the TBR Supra was found to be over in fuel capacity by 0.4 gallons.

“We truly enjoyed the race today, and we are saddened that our mistake cost us our first win of the season,” said Justin Fouts, Owner of Thunder Bunny Racing and Crew Chief of the No. 111 car. “We want to thank WRL for working hard to maintain an even playing field, and congratulate then podium finishers. We’ll work tonight, and come back and try to win the race tomorrow.”

After Saturday’s disappointing result, their fastest lap of the race was invalidated. Hayes and her TBR team would start Sunday’s seven-hour race from the back of the GTO field.

Once again, Hayes took the start. She made the pass for the lead 90 minutes into the competition and never looked back. Her teammates took the wheel for the middle stints, then Hayes was back in the car to finish. The team earned a triumphant finish with a one-lap margin over the second-place finisher.

“I knew, going into Barber, this was our time,” said Hayes. “My first goal was putting the car on pole and that was a nail-biter after all the crazy weather with one chance to get it done.

“Saturday’s race will be one for the memory books. It was a real battle to the end. I think we won by less than two seconds after nine hours. Unfortunately, we made a miscalculation with our fuel capacity so we were disqualified. We regrouped and let’s say everyone had a bit of extra motivation to dominate Sunday.

“It wasn’t easy, we had to start from the back, luck fell our way a couple of times when we needed it, and my entire team executed exactly when they needed to. A big thanks to my co- drivers, Bill and Jim, for being unbelievable team players, and my guys for doing what they do best. We’re still riding high, and can’t wait to bring two Toyota Supra’s to the WRL field at Mid Ohio coming up next.”

Shift Up Now Athlete Pippa Mann also made her WRL season debut at Barber Motorsports Park with the TLM Racing team. Along with father-and-son teammates Brian O’Shaugnessy and Zang O’Shaugnessy, Mann was piloting the No. 888 Aston Martin GT4 in the GTO class.

The trio qualified the car for Saturday’s race in fifth place.

Zang O’Shaugnessy started Saturday’s race in the TLM Racing Aston Martin, then handed it over to his father Brian before Mann dropped into the car third. The team finished fourth in the race, however after Hayes’ TBR team received the disqualification in post-race tech, Mann’s TLM Racing team was promoted to the podium.

It was a bittersweet experience for Mann.

“Zang drove a fantastic race today,” said Mann. “And I’m thrilled he was able to get his first podium finish in this series today after such a stellar drive. However, I’m gutted for Laura. She also drove an incredible race today, and hopefully we’ll both be here tomorrow.”

Unfortunately, the TLM Racing team had to retire the No. 888 car during Sunday’s race. The next WRL competition takes place at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on April 7-9, 2023.

Fikse Wheels Joins Shift Up Now as Corporate Member

Shift Up Now is proud to announce that Fikse Wheels has come on board as a Corporate Member for the 2023 racing season. The Corporate Membership will include a contingency fund that celebrates and rewards successful women on track.

With a heritage in speed and a strong history of supporting champions on the racetrack, Fikse Wheels aims to expand its support of not only the sport, but specifically female athletes through its Shift Up Now partnership. Fikse, which celebrated its 30th anniversary last year, manufactures American-made wheels for both street cars and race cars. It is the world leader in three-piece customer-forged wheels.

The Fikse “Women Who Wheel It” campaign is set to begin this April.

Over the course of the racing season, four female Shift Up Now Athletes will be chosen and featured as the winners of the “Fikse Woman Who Wheels It” award. The winners will be chosen based on their outstanding achievements out on track.

Fikse Wheels is currently a sponsor of the International GT Series, in which seven-time Indianapolis 500 competitor Pippa Mann races with clients in Porsche Cup Cars. With its quest to continue meeting and supporting other talented competitors, Fikse Wheels is a natural fit for a Shift Up Now partnership.

“I’m thrilled we were able to bring Fikse Wheels to Shift Up Now,” said Mann, President of Shift Up Now. “We’re always looking for companies who want to get involved with our mission of helping fund female athletes. And partnering with a company like Fikse, that’s known for its excellence in automotive work, to reward some of our racers for their excellence on the race track is a great opportunity.”

“By partnering with Shift Up Now we hope to promote and empower female drivers, and to encourage the next generation of women to follow their dreams on and off the track,” said Brant Gladstone, President of Fikse Wheels.

Shift Up Now supporters can visit the Fikse website, and purchase wheels using this unique link.

The 2023 racing season is already underway for the Shift Up Now Athletes. The complete schedule of events can be found by visiting our online calendar.

 

About Fikse Wheels

Fikse Wheels is a world leader in producing custom three-piece forged aluminum wheels. With over 30 years of experience in elite motorsports, Fikse has drawn on their rich history to develop wheels that offer the ultimate combination of precision, handling, and style. Whether you’re a professional racer or an enthusiast looking for the perfect set of wheels, Fikse offers a personalized and custom experience for those who value premier performance and timeless design.

 

Bell Techlogix Returns as Shift Up Now Partner For 2023

Shift Up Now is proud to announce that Indianapolis- based Bell Techlogix has pledged its support of women in motorsport for a second year of partnership.

For 2023, Bell Techlogix has expanded its contribution to five Shift Up Now Athletes, continuing support of the mission to drive change and equality, allowing female athletes to compete in front-running equipment.

First, Bell Techlogix is stepping up as a full-season, associate sponsor for the newly-formed Round 3 Racing / Shift Up Now team. Competing in the 2023 World Racing League (WRL) Championship, the all-female GTO team is comprised of Sarah Montgomery, Loni Unser and Erin Vogel.

In addition, the IT-managed services company will support Sally McNulty as she steps up from TCA to the TC class in the GenRacer/Ricca Autosport Borla Exhaust LIQUI MOLY Hyundai Veloster N.

This will mark the second year supporting McNulty, Vogel and Montgomery, and the first year as an associate sponsor of Loni Unser.

Finally, the six-year partnership between Bell Techlogix and Pippa Mann continues. Mann returns to Germany for the 51st running of the ADAC Total 24 Hour race at the Nurburgring in the Girls Only BMW M4 GT4.

The lineup of five Shift Up Now / Bell Techlogix Athletes will all showcase the Bell Techlogix logos on their race suits when competing in the United States in 2023. Mann will continue to sport the Bell Techlogix logo on her helmet, representing the brand when she competes overseas.

When asked about the upcoming race season, Sally said she was excited to be moving up to TC class in Touring Car America.

“I’m thankful to have some amazing partners, like Bell Techlogix and Shift Up Now, with me on this journey as I work to try and become the first female winner in this category,” said Sally. “I loved meeting the Bell guests in person at Indianapolis Motor Speedway last fall, and I’m looking forwards to showing them around my new race car when we come back to race the Speedway later this year.”

In 2022, Round 3 Racing fielded an all-female team of Shift Up Now Athletes in their GP1 car for the first time, and swept the weekend. Over the winter, the team worked tirelessly alongside Shift Up Now to bring the all-female GTO team that will debut at Road Atlanta this weekend to fruition.

“Round 3 Racing has made a long-term commitment to work alongside Shift Up Now and help provide opportunities for talented women in motorsport,” said Round 3 Racing team owner Brad McCall. “We’ve fielded winning entries with female racers at every level of our WRL program, but the financial support to be able to continue providing talented racers with the equipment and opportunity to stand on podiums, win races, and fight for championships is onerous.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Bell Techlogix, a business that works hard to support diversity, equity and inclusion in their workplace, as we field the first ever all female GTO program in this championship’s history.”

Ron Frankenfield, CEO of Bell Techlogix commented, “We are very pleased and proud to expand our partnership with Shift Up Now. Our support of Pippa, Sally, Erin, Loni and Sarah as they push to drive change and equality for women in motorsport is just one initiative that Bell Techlogix is engaged in as we aggressively show our unwavering support for diversity, equity and inclusion.

“Our clients and our employees will enjoy the opportunity to spend time with these great athletes during the upcoming races. We wish them all the very best of luck!”

To follow along with the Shift Up Now / Bell Techlogix Athletes, the WRL Championship season begins this weekend at Road Atlanta, where Sarah, Loni and Erin will make their GTO debut on February 10-12, 2023. Next, Sally will make her TC Class debut at Sonoma Raceway on March 30-April 2nd, 2023. Finally, Pippa will return to the Nurburgring Nordschleife circuit on May 20-21, 2023.

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About Bell Techlogix

Bell Techlogix, headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, provides transformational Next Generation Digital Workplace and Infrastructure Management solutions to large and mid- market enterprises, as well as the public sector. With services that build, integrate, and support the next wave of operational transformation Bell Techlogix provides a true client partnership and an enhanced digital experience. Bell Techlogix provides a flexible approach that is globally capable but locally oriented that will systematically allow you to achieve growth, cost savings, and acceleration of your business. For more information on Bell Techlogix, please visit us on the web at www.belltechlogix.com, follow us on Twitter, like us on LinkedIn or Facebook.

Shift Up Now Launches 501c3 Foundation

Shift Up Now, an organization founded to help fund talented female racers in motorsport, is proud to announce the addition of a 501c3 foundation.

Shift Up Now was started by Lynn Kehoe in 2016, who turned over the organization’s management in 2020 to seven-time Indianapolis 500 competitor Pippa Mann. Its mission is to afford female racers the opportunity to climb ladders and break barriers. Thus far, Shift Up Now has accomplished its organizational goals via traditional sponsorships, partnerships and social media agreements. 

The foundation will live alongside the for-profit business, continuing to strive for gender equality for female athletes in motorsport. The Shift Up Now Foundation will be able to further the mission by accepting tax-deducible gifts, donations and grants.

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

“Women in sports received roughly one percent of the global sports marketing sponsorship spend,” said Mann, President of the Shift Up Now Foundation. “This has created inequality and lack of opportunity for women in many sports. In motorsport, where men and women can compete equally when afforded equal opportunities, we see this funding disparity manifest with fewer female athletes able to find the support to rise to the top levels of our sport.

“There is already proof of concept of the idea that when we fund female athletes in this sport they can win races. The Iron Dames all-female GT team won the Spa 24 hour race earlier this year. They stood on the podium in multiple World Endurance Championship races and finished second in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Championship Gold Cup.”

Additionally, Mann was part of an all-female driving lineup, and team of mechanics and engineers, at the Nurburgring for the past two seasons. Competing in the ADAC Total 24 Hour race, the team won their class and finished on the podium.

“These projects continue to inspire us as we work to help women rise to the top echelons of motorsport in every discipline,” said Mann.

Through partnership with Round 3 Racing, Shift Up Now has been able to afford talented female athletes access to quality equipment and sponsorship support to have appropriate track time, offering further proof that when properly funded, they win races.

Mann continued, “Our immediate goal now is to continue to work tirelessly, so that we can find the funding to continue to support and elevate talent across the board.”

Donations can be made to the Shift Up Now Foundation via the “Make a Gift” page on www.shiftupnow.com or at www.shiftupnow.org. To pay via check, please contact us at foundation@shiftupnow.org.