Loni Unser Donates $1,000 “Fastest Porsche” Award to Shift Up Now Foundation

Shift Up Now Athlete Loni Unser has chosen the Shift Up Now Foundation as the recipient of a $1,000 donation that she was awarded for being the “fastest Porsche up the mountain” at the 103rd running of The Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC) presented by Gran Turismo on June 22, 2025.

The donation, which was awarded by Joe Brenner at Porsche Colorado Springs, will be used to set up a karting scholarship for the 2026 season in Unser’s name. Her goal is to provide a unique opportunity for an up-and-coming talented female kart racer, and Unser will be personally involved in selecting the winner.

“Throughout my career in racing, I have had so many amazing people help me,” said Unser. “So, I am excited to have the opportunity to give back and help a young girl elevate her career. Thank you Porsche Colorado Springs and Shift Up Now for making that possible.”

When the Shift Up Now Foundation grant window opens for the 2026 season, 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. More information will be provided on the Shift Up Now website and social media channels as the grant window approaches.

Shift Up Now Foundation, Inc. is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping talented female racers in motorsport. By providing financial support to females in motorsport through corporate giving, gifts, donations, and grants, the foundation aims to create opportunities for women in motorsport to succeed and thrive. This allows these racers access to more competitive equipment, seat time for testing and practice, and resources to help grow their careers.

“We’re thrilled that Loni has chosen to make this donation to the foundation, and thank you to Porsche Colorado Springs for providing it,” said Shift Up Now CEO Pippa Mann. “Something like this can have a profound impact to kickstart a young female racer’s career. We’re excited to review the applicants and who knows? Perhaps someday, the winner will be part of the Shift Up Now roster!”

Race fans and allies are invited to join the mission by becoming a member of The Inside Track by Shift Up Now, or making a donation online at https://shiftupnow.org/

Local Indianapolis Companies Lucas Oil and West Fork Whiskey Step Up as Sponsors for “A Night with the Shift Up Now Foundation”

The Shift Up Now Foundation is honored to announce that Lucas Oil and West Fork Whiskey have come on board for the second-annual “A Night with the Shift Up Now Foundation” presented by PenFed Credit Union and Tom Wood Porsche, taking place on Saturday, October 25, 2025 at the Tom Wood Aviation Hangar and event space at the Indianapolis Metropolitan Airport in Fishers, IN.

Lucas Oil has stepped up as a Gold-level event sponsor, and will be offering a match for the first $5,000 raised from the event. Founded in 1989, Lucas Oil Products, Inc. is an American manufacturer and distributor of automotive oil, additives and lubricants. Recently named a 2025 Culture of Good Community Impact Award Winner, Lucas Oil is known in Indianapolis for both their philanthropic and racing efforts.

Now in its third year of partnership with Shift Up Now, Lucas Oil has been a consistent sponsor of the Indianapolis 500 for more than 20 years. Shift Up Now CEO Pippa Mann first began collaborating with the iconic company more than a decade ago when she was driving in the Indy Lights series (now called Indy NXT).

“We are so proud to continue our support of the Shift Up Now Foundation and be part of an event that’s making a real difference for women in motorsports,” said Katie Lucas, President of Lucas Oil. “This cause is close to our hearts—not just because of our deep roots in racing, but because we believe in creating real opportunities for talented athletes who deserve a shot. Watching what Pippa and the Foundation are building is incredibly inspiring, and we’re honored to play a small part in growing and helping the next generation of female racers chase their dreams.”

West Fork Whiskey, a company that loves both motorsports and its Indianapolis hometown roots, will be the official whiskey partner for A Night with the Shift Up Now Foundation. Founded in 2015 by three Indiana natives - two brothers and a childhood friend - West Fork Whiskey is “hell-bent on creating great whiskey.” Every drop of their crown-jewel product, Old Hamer whiskey, is distilled, aged, blended and bottled in Indiana - a true embodiment of the state's spirit.

West Fork Whiskey will be available throughout the evening at A Night with the Shift Up Now Foundation. VIP guests will also enjoy a West Fork Whiskey welcome cocktail, curated by Cunningham Group, during the VIP reception from 6-7pm.

“We’re proud to support the Shift Up Now Foundation and be part of an event that’s pushing the future of motorsports forward,” said Alex Schmitt Partnership and Community Engagement Coordinator, West Fork Whiskey co. “At West Fork, we believe in backing those who break barriers and that’s exactly what this night is about. As a locally founded company with deep ties

to racing and Indiana, we’re excited to raise a glass with our community and help drive real impact.”

The goal of the second annual “A Night with the Shift Up Now Foundation” event is to raise funding for Shift Up Now Foundation grantees for the 2026 season. Last year, the inaugural event raised more than $80,000. These grants 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.

Shift Up Now CEO Pippa Mann commented, “As we build on the success of our inaugural event in 2024, I’m thrilled to see support for the 2025 Night with the Shift Up Now Foundation presented by PenFed and Tom Wood Porsche continue to grow. I love that we have these local Indianapolis brands stepping up to help us elevate the event, and take our fundraising to the next level.

I’m delighted that we’re welcoming back Lucas Oil for their third year supporting the Shift Up Now Foundation, and I’m so glad that ‘local whiskey made me do it’ as we welcome West Fork Whiskey for the first time.”

Sponsorship opportunities are still available for companies and brands that want to support the Shift Up Now Foundation and its mission. Please reach out to foundation@ShiftUpNow.org to learn more.

Guests have two ticket options, starting at $150 or upgrading to VIP for $250 to attend an early-entrance cocktail hour beginning at 6:00pm. Members of The Inside Track by Shift Up Now can log into the dashboard to get a $25 discount. More event details and ticket purchasing can be found by clicking HERE.

Unser Climbs to Third in Class as Fastest Porsche at Pikes Peak

Shift Up Now Athlete Loni Unser brought home a third-place finish in the “Pikes Peak Open” class - and tenth overall - at The Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC) presented by Gran Turismo on June 22, 2025, in Colorado Springs, CO.

This year’s event marked Unser’s fourth consecutive attempt at “The Race to the Clouds,” with her first run taking place in 2022. Her “Pikes Peak Open” class of 26 drivers was the largest of the competition, and included some notable names across various motorsport series.

Driving a 992 Turbo Cup car named “Dixie” that was sponsored by Mobil1 and built by BBI, Unser chose the No. 92 as a tribute to the other members of her family who have climbed to Pike Peak’s summit with the same number. Unser explained that the car was specifically built for the famous mountain and to her knowledge, the only 992 twin turbo ever made. Other sponsors on the car included Speedway Motors, Collision Careers, Optima, Yokohama Tire, Shift Up Now, and OMP racing.

Race week began with tech inspection on Monday, followed by testing on Tuesday through Thursday, and an optional test session on Friday. Test sessions took place early each day before the Pike’s Peak Americas Highway opens to the public. A drivers’ meeting with roll call also happens daily at 5:00am, where competitors are briefed on road conditions.

Qualification times were determined by each competitor’s best time in the lower section in testing. Unser was assigned a qualifying time on Thursday. She noted, “The unique thing about Pikes Peak is that you will never do the full road until race day. Because of turnaround zones for each section, there are short parts of the road that you will never run until race day.”

For each competitor, a better qualifying time provided a more ideal race-start time. On race day, the Exhibition Division ran first, followed by the Pikes Peak GT4 Trophy by Yokohama Division. Then, the remaining four divisions each ran the top-three qualifiers in sequence. Division order was based on the top qualifier’s time in each division. Lastly, the remaining cars ran fastest-to-slowest based on qualifying times.

Unser’s third-place qualification put her 15th to roll of for her race run in what had unfortunately been declared a shortened race due to extremely windy conditions. Officials delayed the race as long as possible, but ultimately determined that the hurricane-force wind, which was blowing boulders and debris onto the track - made the full course unsafe for drivers. As a result, the race began approximately 90 minutes late and was shortened to 1/3 of the mountain.

"Competing at the Pikes Peak Hill Climb is always an honor,” said Unser. “This year was bittersweet because we didn't have the opportunity to run the whole road. We were cut short with just a third of the 12.42-mile road.

“They say that the mountain decides, and this year it decided that no one would be running to the top, and we as competitors have to respect that. All month long, I knew the middle and the top was where our 992 Turbo Cup Car was the strongest, so I am bummed that we didn't get to see what we could do against our competitors up there.

However at the end of the day, I am extremely pleased with a P3 finish and the opportunity to show off a beautiful car, built and run by BBI and Porsche Colorado Springs. All of the men and women at BBI worked extremely hard to build the car, and I owe a huge kudos to them because they did an amazing job with it.

“I am thankful to such a wonderful organization that is the Pikes Peak Hill Climb. I am also grateful for some amazing partners who allow me to take on the Pikes Peak Hill Climb; Mobil1, Speedway Motors, Collision Careers, Optima, Shift Up Now and OMP Racing. Hopefully we will be back again next year!”

According to the official website, the 2026 Pikes Peak Hill Climb is scheduled for June 21, 2026.

Cook Continues Top-Ten Streak in Porsche Carrera Cup at Watkins Glen

Shift Up Now Athletes Sabré Cook and Ashley Freiberg competed in the round four of the Porsche Carrera Cup North America presented by Solairus Aviation at Watkins Glen International on June 19-22, 2025, with Cook bringing home her third consecutive tenth-place finish.

Cook, a Hagerty-supported Athlete, piloted the No. 37 PenFed / privé entry for JDX Racing, while Freiberg drove the No. 22 “Be Your Own Hero” entry for Kellymoss.

Drivers had two rain interrupted/drying practice sessions on Thursday to prepare for Friday morning’s qualifying session on the 3.4-mile, 11-turn race track. Both Shift Up Now Athletes ran consistent lap times throughout both practice sessions, hovering around the 1:50-1:51 mark.

On Friday morning, the field was treated to cooler track temperatures, allowing them to run faster laps on their Yokohama tires than the previous day in practice. The session ran clean and uninterrupted. With just the slightest of margins, Cook qualified for the first race in 12th with a 1:48.944, and Freiberg in 14th with a 1:48.985.

Race one began on Friday at 2:00pm EST. Despite a break in the rain, drivers were now faced with 100°F track temperatures, and fans were warned to watch for heavy rain and flooding.

The field lined up for one formation lap, then went cleanly into turn one after the green flag. Freiberg immediately gained a position to move into 13th, then settled in for six laps of green- flag racing before the first caution flew.

After a short cleanup, green-flag racing resumed on lap nine. Cook ran 12th and Freiberg 13th, with a Pro Am car between them.

Another full-course caution emerged on lap 13 for debris on the track, which ate up two more laps. There were five minutes remaining in the 40-minute sprint race when the green reemerged.

Freiberg made a pass on the out-of-class car to run on Cook’s heels to the checkered flag. When they crossed the finish line, Cook finished in 10th - her third consecutive top-ten finish - and Freiberg finished 11th.

The following morning, race two began on Saturday at 8:00am EST. Once again, the track was dry, but light sprinkles loomed, and the heat and humidity created uncomfortable driving conditions.

Based on the second-fastest lap in qualifying, Cook was starting on the outside of row six in 12th place. Freiberg was lined up on the inside of row nine in 17th.

The field ran one formation lap and came to the green running two-by-two.

Near the front of the pack, the No. 91 car lost control and careened into the wall in turn one, causing a chain reaction. Further back, the No. 54 got up onto the wet curb, crashing into Freiberg and sending her into the wall in what she described on Instagram as a “next-level” incident. Fortunately, she was able to get out of the car under her own power, but the extensive damage to her car has put the remainder of her season in jeopardy.

Meanwhile, Cook narrowly missed the melee and continued on in 11th.

The full-course caution flew and the ensuing cleanup took up a significant part of the allotted race time. When the racing finally resumed, just over 20 minutes remained on the clock. There were spots of rain but no wind, and the entire field was still running on slick tires.

Cook held off the No. 11 car for most of the race. When he tried to pass in turn eight with approximately three minutes left, she stymied his effort. But on the last lap, he made the pass in turn one to get ahead of her. Despite contact between the two, race control determined no action would be taken, and Cook finished in 12th.

Next up, Freiberg and Cook head to Wisconsin for round five of the Porsche Carrera Cup North America championship, at Road America on July 31 - August 3, 2025.

Season-Best Finish for Calderón in IMSA at Watkins Glen

Shift Up Now Athlete Tatiana Calderón, along with teammates Till Bechtolsheimer and Joey Hand, earned a sixth-place finish - their best of the season so far - at the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) “Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen” at Watkins Glen International on June 19-22, 2025.

Driving the No. 66 Ford Mustang GT3 for Gradient Racing on the 3.4 mile, 11-turn road course, the trio had two practice sessions to dial in the car’s setup before qualifying. They qualified 17th and lined up on the inside of row nine overall for the six-hour competition.

Bechtolsheimer was behind the wheel first in what would prove to be a race full of tricky weather conditions. He endured a pop-up rain shower that left as quickly as it came within the first hour, then put the team inside the top ten before handing the car over to Calderón.

The Colombian driver completed 64 consistent laps across three stints, despite losing time when the team had to change the car’s nose during her second pit stop. 

Hand then took the final two-hour stint, in which the race pace steadily increased. With only 11 minutes remaining in the competition, the final full-course caution flag flew. On the restart, Hand was running ninth, but capitalized on other cars’ issues to cross the finish line in sixth.

For Calderón, the result was her first top-10 finish in IMSA competition. Additionally, it was Gradient Racing’s best finish to date in its first season using Ford Machinery.

It was a difficult race that had just about everything – first rain, then a lot of heat and sun, and so many yellow flags,” said Calderón. “It was a case of surviving, and finishing sixth is like a victory for us, to be honest. 

“At the beginning of the weekend, we were struggling to find pace during practice, but we managed to turn it around in time for the race and we were much closer. We should be proud that we made no mistakes, and that the team did a great job with the strategy and the pit stops. 

“Personally, I was happy to get more time in the car, because every time I am driving I feel I am adapting better to the Mustang and getting quicker. We are happy with the result but equally we know there’s also a lot of work still to be done to prepare for the final two rounds at Indianapolis and Road Atlanta.”

Next up, the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup heads to Racing Capital of the World for the penultimate event of the season, the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on September 19-21, 2025.

Mann, Breakell Racing Showcase Potential at ADAC RAVENOL 24 Hour Race at Nurburgring

Shift Up Now Athlete Pippa Mann, along with teammates Martin Rich, Alvaro Fontes and Guillermo Aso, ran in podium contention through the halfway point of the 23rd running of the ADAC RAVENOL Nurburgring 24 Hours on June 21-22, 2025, before misfortune saw them drop back back in the second half of the race.

Driving for Breakell Racing in the No. 932 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport, the team had three qualifying sessions and a warmup leading up to Saturday’s 24-hour competition. More than 140 cars were entered, with 12 in the Cup 3 class - specifically for  the Porsche Cayman GT4 chassis on Michelin tires.

This was Mann's fifth time taking part in the famous 24-hour race at the infamous circuit in the Eifel region of Germany, but her first outing in a Cayman GT4 car on the Nordschleife, and her first event driving for Breakell Racing.

The first qualifying session on the "Green Hell" took place on Thursday afternoon, and despite the 15.7-mile track's notorious reputation for bad weather, the session took place under blue skies, and uncharacteristically warm conditions. The team’s goal was for all four drivers to complete two timed laps, a requirement for each to start the race.

Mann shook down the car first, running a couple laps on the GP track. She then pitted for additional checks before heading out to the Nordschleife for her first laps in the new platform. Despite "Code 60 slow zones," the British driver felt good about having a solid starting point. Once she completed her obligatory two laps, she handed the car over to her teammates. By the end of the session, the team’s time showed them qualified in eighth.

Later that day, the driver order was partly reversed for the night-time qualifying session. Mann took her only laps in the second session after the sun had set, focusing on learning her night-time reference markers, while doing her best to close the delta to a daylight lap time.

On Friday, for the third and final qualifying session, Mann was the only driver in the car. The team’s goal was to bed additional brakes for the race and experiment with small setup changes for race day. Despite not using new Michelin tires, she was able to run a lap on the Nordschleife without any slow zones for incidents, and set a faster qualifying time for the 932 Breakell Racing Cayman GT4, putting the team sixth in the Cup 3 class on the starting grid.

After the qualifying sessions, the team held their pre-race meeting to discuss driver order and strategy. Due to the abnormally warm temperatures for the event, and high cockpit temperatures in the Cayman, the team elected to run single stints throughout the race - rotating continuously through the drivers, and to have Fontes start the race based on his previous experience starting the 2022 Nurburgring 24 hour race.

Race day dawned bright and sunny, and with the now familiar warm temperatures. The Breakell Racing team opted not to participate in the warmup, instead choosing to use the additional space available while competitors sharing their garage were on track to practice driver changes.

At 4:00pm local time, the 2025 ADAC RAVENOL Nurburgring 24 Hours began in front of more than 280,000 race fans.

Fontes was behind the wheel for the start, which was clean and green through the first few corners. As the field entered the Nordschleife, Code 60 zones appeared for various incidents on track. Fontes avoided the chaos and finished his stint in ninth place in the Cup 3 class.

When Mann took over, she was only able to complete her out-lap before a power outage short- circuited everything on pit lane, including the official timing and scoring software. The race was red-flagged, bringing everyone back to pit lane for an extensive reorganizing process. The Breakell Racing team used the opportunity to top off the car’s fuel so Mann could run a full stint.

Once the grid was reissued, the field went out for another formation lap at 7:45pm local followed by a single file restart on the GP track front straight. Mann made a clean start, and avoided two cars ahead that made contact with each other in turn 1. She made her first pass in class heading into turn four, and immediately focused on the next car ahead. However with the entire Cup 3 class all porsche Cayman GT4 chassis of the same era, with the same power, and on the same tires, at first she found it tough to find the advantage needed to make a pass despite being faster.

As the field entered the Nordschleife, she quickly realized that she was able to gain an advantage on her competitors in some of the faster corners. She set up her next in class pass after Flugplatz, on the run up into the fast, fifth-gear Schwedenkreuz left hander, and was then able to immediately execute another pass at the top of Fuchsrohre (Fox Hole) as the Caymans headed into Adenaur Forest. Her next pass came at Metzgesfeld, again by setting herself up with a run coming off another set of fast corners.

Mann then followed the car ahead for a large section of the track before the fast, left-hand corner coming off the carousel to set her up for a run into Hohe Acht. This put the team in fifth in class and gave Mann some clean air before catching the next group of cars. Her next lap was the fourth-fastest in class so far, and would hold to keep the Breakell Racing Cayman fourth-fastest car in Cup 3 for the rest of the 24 hour race.

At that point, Mann got trapped behind two Golf GTI TCR cars, and was sandwiched between them and an Aston Martin GT4 behind. It took her most of a lap to pass the two cars, which made their speed in very different areas of the race track to the Cayman, and then she had clean air again for part of a lap. However the first starting group of approximately 30 GT3 cars had caught the second starting group of GT4 cars, TCR cars and Porsche Caymans, and was coming through in big packs of cars. Mann's next task was now to navigate the faster traffic with minimal risk, and minimal time loss.

By the end of her stint, Mann was still holding onto the fifth position with a good gap to the next Cayman back. Her teammates took their turns in the car with fast, clean stints, as the No. 932 team continued to quietly advance, moving up the overall and class ladders.

When Mann’s second stint began around 1:30am, the team had been cycling between second and third in class, depending on the pit stop cycles. With six cars still on the same lap, Mann’s goal was simply to drive as fast and clean as possible.

There were just two slow-zone free laps during her stint, at which point Mann set her best nighttime laps at Nordschleife. She also achieved a personal goal of significantly lowering the delta from day to night, into a window similar to the GT3 Pro cars. As a result, the podium started to look like a highly-likely result.

As the sun rose, only four cars remained on the same lap, and the Breakell Racing team was proud to have broken into the top 50 in overall timing and scoring lists.

However, in the second stint after sunrise, a mistake on track from one of Mann’s teammates forced the team to bring the car to the garage for repairs and a new radiator. When they finally returned to the track, the time and laps lost put them sixth overall in class, and second in their sub-class for line-ups comprised of Bronze and Silver drivers, which they maintained through another round of driver cycles.

When a second incident left the Cayman GT4 car stranded near the Carousel, the team was in jeopardy of a DNF due to the rule that teams must take the checkered flag to be classified. So, several team members trekked several kilometers through the Efiel Forest to assess the damage, and persuade the marshalls and corner workers to return the car to the box. With just two hours to go, the Breakell Racing Cayman arrived in the pit-lane garage, and the team put forth an incredible effort to salvage the run. And with one hour remaining in the race, they were back on track.

Incredibly, the No. 932 team was still ahead of other cars making repairs from various incidents. And during the final stint, when another Cayman had unrepairable contact, the Breakell Racing team was awarded sixth place in class, and second in their sub-class.

“I’m so grateful that this opportunity came together to join Breakell Racing for this year’s 24- hour Nurburgring,” said Mann. “I loved competing in a class where all the cars and tires are the same. It’s incredibly satisfying to set lap times that can fight with some of the local guys, knowing we’ve all got the same equipment, and only coming here once a year.

“I’m thrilled that we were able to showcase the speed this Breakell Racing Cayman has with the fourth-fastest time in the Cup 3 class, and then run in the top three for so much of the race before the contact. So, while the final result fell short of that podium finish we were chasing mid race, no one can argue with how fast and consistently we were running. After the incidents, the determination and drive from the Breakell Racing team to get us back on track - not once, but twice to ensure we finished this race - was incredible.

“I also want to thank team owner James Breakell for bringing me into his team and trusting me with their Cayman GT4. Thank you also to the entire team for their exceptional efforts all weekend long to get our car to the checkered flag, and to everyone who helped me be here, at the 24H race this year. I would love to drive for this team again in the future, and perhaps we can come away with that podium finish in 2026!”

Members of The Inside Track by Shift Up Now can race Mann head-to-head at Nordschleife in the upcoming iRacing Summer Series on Tuesday, July 15th at 8pm, and join us for the “Master the Nurburgring” webinar on Monday, June 30th.

Cook and Freiberg Bring Home Top Ten Finishes in Chaotic Weekend at Montreal

Shift Up Now Athletes Sabré Cook and Ashley Freiberg finished in the top ten - Cook in ninth and Freiberg in 10th - during the second race of the Porsche Carrera Cup North America round three weekend at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on June 13-15, 2025.

Cook, a Hagerty-supported Athlete, piloted the No. 37 PenFed / privé entry for JDX Racing, and Freiberg drove the No. 22 “Be Your Own Hero” entry for Kellymoss.

Racing alongside the Formula 1 Pirelli Grand Prix Du Canada meant limited track time for practice. Despite that, Freiberg maximized her laps in practice to gain as much experience as possible during her rookie outing on the 2.71-mile, 14-turn track.

Cook, who has historically performed well at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, was challenging for the top ten immediately in the first practice.

Qualifying took place on Saturday morning, with the fastest lap setting the grid for race one, and the second-fastest lap for race two. The entire session ran caution-free, giving Freiberg and Cook two full attempts on their new sets of Yokohama tires.

Freiberg showed significant improvement from the practice sessions, running a personal-best time of the weekend to qualify 11th. Cook also had a solid qualifying run and would start 12th, putting the Shift Up Now Athletes side-by-side in row six.

The first of the two 40-minute sprint races began at 6:00pm EST under clear blue skies. The field ran two-by-two to the green flag, then fanned out three-wide into turn one. Everyone made it through cleanly, and Freiberg and Cook continued to run in tandem. Cook marginally edged out Freiberg as the cars took their places in a single file line heading into the hairpin.

Returning to the front straight, the field was tightly packed. Cook began an attempt to pass, running alongside Freiberg’s mid corner, then the two ran side by side again as they approached the second chicane. When the racing line squeezed the pair together, Freiberg did her best to avoid contact, putting two wheels in the grass, but to no avail. The suspension damage forced her to retire from the race.

Cook emerged from the melee in 11th place, and was able to move forward, running as high as eighth. By the time the checkered flag fell, she crossed the finish line in ninth to earn her first top-ten finish of the year.

On Sunday morning, the second 40-minute sprint race began at 9:30am EST, once again under clear skies. This time, Freiberg was lined up in 12th on the outside of row six, with Cook in 13th on the inside of row seven.

In a repeat of the day before, the field had a clean start and fanned out three-wide into turn one. Freiberg got caught in a check-up at the apex of turn one, costing her the couple spots she had gained at the start. She maintained her 12th-place position.

Meanwhile, Cook advanced into 11th place on the first lap, then settled in for what would be a long green-flag run.

Near the halfway point of the race, Freiberg - still on Cook’s heels - set her fastest lap of the race. Lap after lap, her split was less than one second.

When the race remained green until the checkered flag fell, Cook crossed the finish line in 10th with Freiberg right behind in 11th. When post-race penalties were assessed, both Shift Up Now drivers were promoted into the top ten, to give Cook her first double top-ten of the season.

“I’m happy to bring home a double top-ten finish for the JDX Racing crew and my sponsors,” said Cook. “We’ve all been hard at work so it feels really rewarding after what was an unlucky start to the season. I’m really excited to bring the momentum into our race week at Watkins Glen, and keep moving forward on the grid.”

Next up, Freiberg and Cook head to Watkins Glen International for round four of the Porsche Carrera Cup North America championship, on June 19-22, 2025.

Heartbreak for AE Victory Racing After Dominating Run at Daytona

Shift Up Now Athletes Alana Carter, Sarah Montgomery and Laura Hayes, together with teammate Charlotte Traynor, put on a dominant performance that ended in disappointment during the fifth event of the World Racing League (WRL) season at Daytona International Speedway on June 5-7, 2025.

Driving the No. 119 Shift Up Now by AE Victory Racing (AEVR) Toyota Supra GT4, the driver lineup looked a bit different for the weekend after team founders Vogel and Aaron Snair announced that they’re expecting a baby in December. As a result, Vogel has opted to step back from driving for the remainder of the 2025 racing season.

The team then temporarily enlisted the help of fellow Shift Up Now Athlete Hayes and rookie Traynor. Hayes made history in 2024 as the fastest woman ever on Pikes Peak and had previously driven with AEVR. Traynor, currently in her debut Mazda MX-5 Cup season, was runner-up in AEVR’s January shootout. The duo joined pro driver and coach Montgomery, and shootout winner Carter.

On Friday, the team recorded the fastest lap of the day at 2:01.040 during practice and followed it up by qualifying sixth in class for the 14-hour endurance race on the 3.56-mile, 12- turn racetrack.

The race began at 8:00am EST on Saturday. Despite unrelenting heat and the constant challenge of multi-class traffic, the AEVR team advanced into the top three and maintained position for more than half the race, setting their sights on victory.

However, disaster struck around 8:40pm EST. Hayes was yielding position on a straight when she was clipped on the left rear of the car. The contact broke the car’s axle and forced her into the pits. The AEVR got to work repairing the damage, then Traynor went out to complete the final stint. When the checkered flag flew, the team crossed the line in sixth place.

“As much of a bummer the results turned out to be this weekend, AE Victory Racing made huge strides to get closer to the top step of the podium,” said Montgomery. “It seemed to be such a great learning experience for Charlotte and Alana, and I’m honored to be one of their coaches. Laura and I go way back, and I loved having the opportunity to drive with her again. I’m very grateful to be part of an incredible movement, all while doing something that brings me joy. Big thank you to the team for their hard work and commitment, as well as my long-term partner, TeamOne Logistics.”

Team owner Vogel echoed the sentiment, adding, “I am extremely proud of the performance, dedication and focus of both our crew and drivers today. The passion and commitment shown by the team was phenomenal and everyone gave it their absolute best. I look forward to the rest of the season.”

Next up, the World Racing League heads to Georgia for the sixth round of the 2025 championship, at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on July 25-27, 2025.

Hadley, Mott and Speed Making Moves in MX-5 Cup at Mid-Ohio

Shift Up Now Athletes Heather Hadley, Sally Mott and Ashlyn Speed competed in rounds seven and eight of the 2025 Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on June 6-8, 2025.

Hadley piloted the No. 54 entry for Hendricks Motorsports. Mott, competing with JTR Motorsports Engineering and supported by Collision Careers, drove the No. 15 car featuring the “Iron Dames” livery. Speed, the 2025 Mazda Women’s Initiative Scholarship winner, was behind the wheel of the No. 31 entry, driving for Hendricks Motorsports and sporting Whelen livery.

The weekend began on Friday with two practice sessions on the 2.258-mile, 13-turn road course. Mott led the trio of Shift Up Now Athletes on the timesheets, running 16th with a time just 0.6 seconds off the session leader.

On Saturday morning during qualifying, Mott set her best time of the weekend, once again running just 0.6 seconds off the leader’s pace. This time however, it put her 20th on the starting grid for race one, among a very competitive 32-car field where the top 24 cars were within eight-tenths of a second.

Hadley was just a couple of tenths off of Mott’s pace, putting her on the outside of row 12 for the first race of the double-header weekend. Speed used the session to continue her learning curve during her rookie season in the MX-5 Cup series.

Later that day, the first 45-minute sprint race took place under clear blue skies at 3:05pm EST. The field lined up side-by-side for the unique green flag start on the back straight. After a clean start, more than half of the field formed the lead pack and ran under green-flag conditions for the first 30 minutes. Hadley, Mott and Speed were all focused on working their forward, one car at a time.

With approximately 15 minutes remaining in the race, a full-course yellow flew for a car in the barriers. The caution period was quick, and the field lined up on the front straight for the restart less than five minutes later.

Mott lost a little ground on the restart but then advanced to 19th, while Hadley moved up to 21st. When the 20-car pack in the front finally began breaking into smaller groups, Mott took over the 17th-place spot, and Hadley the 19th.

When just five minutes remained, Mott gained one additional spot and then another, putting her in the top 15. However, in a drag race to the finish line, she was just 0.01 of a second behind the 15th-place spot. Her 16th-place finish made her the top-finishing female racer.

Hadley crossed the finish line in 18th, and Speed in 26th.

Sunday morning brought the second of the two 45-minute sprint races, beginning at 10:05am EST, this time in treacherously-rainy conditions. Mott was lined up on row 10, with Hadley in the row behind and Speed on row 16.

After an additional pace lap was added due to the wet track, the field took the green flag and immediately began running two- and three-wide through turns four, five and six, and into Thunder Valley.

Coming down the short front straight for the first time under green, Mott moved to the inside to make a pass through turn one but spun at the exit. Luckily, she missed getting collected by passing cars, so she was able to get her pink car restarted. When a full-course yellow flew to clear up debris from other incidents on track, Mott cycled around and caught the back of the pack before the restart.

Hadley moved into the top 20 after a solid restart and took her place along the “snake” of cars in the lead pack.

With 30 minutes to go, another yellow emerged when Speed went into the gravel trap. Prior to the incident, she had advanced nine positions and was having one of her best runs of her rookie season.

Cleanup ate up five minutes of the clock before the green flag flew again. Hadley, still in the lead pack, had her sights set on the top 15. Meanwhile, Mott steadily began picking off her competitors from the back, one car at a time.

A third full-course yellow flew for a stranded car with 20 minutes remaining in the race. Cleanup took just three minutes before Hadley had another strong restart, now running in 13th. Mott continued her impressive comeback, already up into the top 20.

The yellow trend continued when a fourth full-course caution emerged with 10 minutes to go. The field closed up for the finale shootout, with only four minutes remaining at the green flag.

When the white flag flew, Hadley was running in 13th. Mott had gained three spots in the closing minutes to put herself in 15th. As the two approached the final corner, Mott set up a pass around the outside of Hadley through the long penultimate carousel corner, which placed her on the inside as they came to the line. Both drivers earned a top-15 finish, with Mott in 14th and Hadley just behind in 15th.

“Even though I was frustrated with the spin, it lit a fire under me,” said Mott. “I knew I had something to prove, especially at my favorite track on the MX-5 Cup calendar. I just had to stay focused, and as the car came to me throughout the remainder of the race, I found my rhythm and clawed my way back. I’m grateful that I could salvage something from it.”

Next up, the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup Series heads to Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada for rounds nine and ten of the championship, at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park on July 11-13, 2025.