Podium and Pole Position for Freiberg at Watkins Glen

Shift Up Now Athlete Ashley Freiberg earned her third consecutive podium with a third-place finish for round five of the Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama championship at Watkins Glen International (WGI) on July 5-7, 2024.

Driving the No. 222 Thu Brulé / Mobil1 992 Porsche Cup Car for Kellymoss Racing, Freiberg went into the weekend third in the championship points. On Friday, she ran P2 in the first practice and P1 in the second under dry and sunny conditions on the 3.377-mile, 11-turn WGI race track.

During qualifying on Saturday morning, Freiberg - along with competitors Jared Thomas and Paul Bocuse - established a significant performance gap over the rest of the field. Freiberg was at full pace on her first flying lap on Yokohama tires, and set her best lap times of the weekend.

Just two laps into the session, a massive crash on the front straight caused a black flag. Extensive cleanup meant the qualifying session never returned to green, so Freiberg’s second- fastest lap time put her in P2 for race one.

Later that afternoon, she was lined up on the outside of the front row for the first race. When the green flag flew, Freiberg conceded one position to the P3 car, which was running the inside line in turn one. After that, she held her third-place position for the remainder of the race. The finish marked her third consecutive podium of the season.

Freiberg’s second lap from Saturday’s qualifying session earned her the pole position for race two on Sunday. She lead the field to the green flag and got a solid jump at the start.

For the first 25 minutes of the race, she held a gap of less than 0.5 seconds over the second- place car. She took smartly-calculated defensive lines, at turn one and the brake zone of the bus stop, to defend her lead and handle the pressure of the car behind.

With ten minutes remaining, Freiberg had increased the gap to almost one second, her biggest of the competition so far. That’s when she caught lapped traffic at the exit of turn 10. She had to compromise her line - and speed - as she made the pass going into the front straight. This gave the P2 car a run and erased the small margin of distance, but Freiberg was able to defend her lead.

A few corners later, in the middle of the bus stop chicane, she caught the second lapped car. Once again, her momentum was stalled, but she maintained her P1 position. Not to be thwarted, the second-place car went three-wide to pass the lapped car as well.

Still in the lead, Freiberg caught the third lapped car at the start of the famous WGI Climbing Esses, an area where single-file is the only option. She could only wait until the track

straightened out at the top of the hill, at which point the lapped car ceded the racing line to let her by. As they approached the brake zone, she pulled alongside to make the pass. At the same time, the second-place car moved to the middle, forcing the trio to go three-wide. As a result, the cars touched, sending both of the leaders into violent, high-speed spins. The incident also collected the lapped car and the competitor in third place. Thankfully, all drivers were able to walk away safely, but a disappointing ending nonetheless for Freiberg’s potential for victory.

Next up, the Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama will head to Wisconsin for round six of the 2024 championship at Road America on August 9-11, 2024.

Second-Place Podium Finish for Unser at Watkins Glen

Shift Up Now Athlete Loni Unser earned her best result of the season, finishing second in round five of the Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama at Watkins Glen International (WGI) on July 5-7, 2024.

Unser piloted the No. 4 Speedway Motors Cayman GT4 RS for Kellymoss Racing in the ProAm class. Supported by Hagerty, Mobil1, and Yokohama, she had a solid practice on Friday that set her up for Saturday’s qualifying. Conditions were dry and sunny all weekend over the 3.377-mile, 11-turn WGI race track.

During qualifying on Saturday, Unser set her personal-best lap times of the weekend on her Yokohama tires. Her times earned her a P5 spot overall on the starting grid, and P4 in the ProAm class.

Later that afternoon, Unser lined up for the first 35-minute-plus-one-lap sprint race. After the green flag flew, she had her sights set on making the pass for fourth place as the field headed into turn one. When one of the cars behind made a late lunge, she was sandwiched in the middle of three cars at the apex. She backed out to avoid contact and emerged from the melee in P6 heading up to the Esses.

Shortly afterward, the two race leaders made contact at the bus stop, sending one spinning. Once again, Unser avoided contact and gained a position as a result. When the new leader was deemed to have caused the incident, he was assessed a drive-through penalty, moving Unser up another spot to P4.

After a full-course caution halfway through the race, the field was bunched up for the restart. Unser held her position on the restart, then went back to putting pressure on the car ahead. When that car made a mistake several laps later, she advanced to third place overall, and P2 in ProAm.

After one more full-course caution for an incident at the exit of turn nine, five minutes - plus one lap - remained. This meant a three-lap shootout to the end. When the checkered flag fell, Unser earned her second podium and best result of the season. The moment was also historic, featuring a female driver 1-2 finish with Caroline Candas as the victor.

On Sunday morning, the weather dawned cool and sunny for the start of race two. Once again, Unser was lined up in P5 on the starting grid.

When the green flag flew, she made a clean pass for fourth overall, and immediately set about gapping the cars behind her. From fourth, she watched the podium battle for the first half of the race, but wasn’t quite close enough to join the fight.

For the second half of the sprint race, the field began to spread out. Unser ran in a small gap of clean air, and held her fourth-place position until the checkered flag.

“I feel like every time I step into the Kellymoss No. 4 Speedway Motors car, I learn and improve,” said Unser. “This weekend was cool for me because I was unsure how I’d take to a new track. I felt as though I hit the ground running, which gave me confidence going into the races. I now have a new-found love for Watkins Glen, and I can’t wait to go to Road America next month.”

Unser and the Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama will head to Wisconsin for round six of the 2024 championship at Road America on August 9-11, 2024.

Top-Ten Streak Continues for Cook at Watkins Glen

Shift Up Now Athlete Sabré Cook earned a pair of top-ten finishes in round four of the Porsche Carrera Cup North America Championship presented by Only Golfers, alongside the IMSA Sahlin’s “Six Hours at the Glen,” at Watkins Glen International (WGI) on June 19-23, 2024.

Driving the No. 37 PenFed Credit Union 992 Porsche Carrera Cup Car for MDK Motorsports, and supported by Hagerty and Mobil1, Cook geared up for two practice sessions on Thursday before qualifying on Friday morning.

The 3.377-mile, 11-turn WGI race track was dry for both practice sessions, despite a heavy downpour between the first and second. Following her P8 finish in Montreal, Cook was in the top 15 in championship points and looking forward to qualifying.

On Friday, she immediately set her personal-best lap times of the weekend. When the session ran green the entire time, Cook and her competitors got a second run, and she had her sights set on matching her previous-best qualifying performance in Montreal. She used the opportunity to go even faster on her Yokohama tires, further lowering her personal-best and qualifying in the top ten for the first time in her Carrera Cup career with a fastest lap of 1:49.279.

The first of two 40-minute sprint races of the weekend took place on Friday at 4:20pm EDT. Cook was lined up P9 for the rolling start on a dry track, with dark clouds looming overhead. At the drop of the green flag, she got boxed in, emerging P10 as the field drove through the esses toward the bus stop.

Cook spent the next several laps working on the competitor ahead, forcing him to defend his position. As the pair raced into the toe of the boot, she made the move to the outside and pulled alongside in the brake zone. They ran side-by-side through the turn and up the hill to turn eight. The battle continued until Cook was on the inside at the off-camber lefthand turn in nine, and able to complete the pass.

Once clear of traffic, she began to set fast times, running top-five pace and closing the gap to the train of P3 through P8 cars ahead. When a full-course caution came out, the field was bunched up and Cook found herself once again in P9 with sights set on P8. After only a couple laps of green-flag racing, another caution emerged, forcing the field to finish the race behind the safety car. When a start-infraction penalty was assessed to one of the cars ahead, Cook finished race one in P8.

On Saturday morning, race two began at 11am EDT, once again on a dry track. Based on her second-fastest lap in qualifying, Cook would once again start P9. In a repeat of the previous day’s start, she once again got boxed in at turn one, and emerged in tenth place.

Just behind the top ten, two competitors made contact heading into turn two, causing a chain- reaction, multi-car accident and subsequently, a long clean-up period. When the track was clear, only 15 minutes remained in the race.

Cook spent the rest of the competition in a chain of cars from P6 to P14, focused forward but constantly monitoring the action in her mirrors, and managing both attack and defense simultaneously. When the checkered flag fell, she finished P10, earning her third consecutive top-ten finish.

"The past few races have shown a really positive trend," said Cook. "As I'm continuing to learn this series, and the car, I'm starting to gain some momentum in terms of overall performance each weekend, my out-right pace, and my results.

"I want to thank MDK Motorsports for giving me such a strong car, and all the sponsors who make it possible for me to compete in this Championship. I'm really looking forward to our next event at Road America, and I can't wait to continue the progress."

Cook and Porsche Carrera Cup North America are headed to Wisconsin for round five of the championship at Road America on August 2-4, 2024.

Hayes Makes History as Fastest Woman Ever on Pikes Peak

Shift Up Now Athletes Laura Hayes and Loni Unser took on the 102nd running of the Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC) presented by Gran Turismo on America’s Mountain in Colorado on June 23, 2024. Not only did Hayes set a new record for being the fastest female athlete ever up the mountain, she won the inaugural Pikes Peak GT4 Trophy by Yokohama Tire and finished in the top 15 overall.

Also known as The Race to the Clouds, the PPIHC is an invitational automobile hill climb to the summit of a 12.42-mile, 156-turn course, culminating with a finish line at 14,115 feet of elevation. The climb takes place on public roads, which are shut down for the event, and drivers race the clock for the fastest time to the top. The competition features a number of classes, including production-based Time Attack cars, purpose-built Unlimited vehicles, and - for the first time this year - homologated GT4 cars.

Unser’s Porsche 911 entry had been specially adapted for the mountain, including massive additional downforce and more than 900 horsepower. Nicknamed “Lucy” and prepared by BBI Autosport, Unser’s Mobil1 Porsche, running on Yokohama slick tires, is the fastest car she’s ever competed in at PPIHC.

Competing for Thunder Bunny Racing, Hayes drove the only Toyota Supra in the new “Pikes Peak GT4 Trophy by Yokohama” class. All entries in this class compete on Yokohama-treaded, street-legal tires for this event, and run as homologated with the Balance of Performance (BoP) set by the SRO/GT4 America sanctioning body.

Both Unser and Hayes are Shift Up Now Foundation Grantees, sponsored by Mobil1 and running on Yokohama tires.

The PPIHC event began with tech day on the Monday prior to the race, when all teams and drivers were required to report for checks. The first practice took place at sunrise on Tuesday, followed by three additional practice days on Wednesday through Friday.

The entire field was split into three groups, and the mountain was divided into three sections. Hayes and the GT4 cars started on the top section, at high altitude, with a lot of bumps, and significant drop-offs on the sides of the road. During her eight runs, Hayes set a best time of 2:51, putting her second in class.

Unser and the Pikes Peak Open class started on the lower section of the mountain. Since qualifying is held in the lower section, and sets the run order for the start of the race, Unser’s first day on the course was also her qualifying attempt. After morning runs were complete, she qualified third in class.

On Wednesday, Hayes’ class took on qualifying in the lower section with light rain hindering the initial runs. But as competitors got familiar with the tricky terrain, lap times continued to fall. The top three in the GT4 class were separated by less than a second, with Hayes less than one- tenth of second behind P1 in qualifying.

Further up the mountain, weather delayed the Pikes Peak Open group in the middle section, and heavy fog combined with ice accumulation cancelled all running in the upper section.

On Thursday, Unser was ready to tackle the upper section despite wet weather that persisted. She ran on wet Yokohama tires for most runs, until the road began to dry later, and she finally got a few representative runs for race day.

Thursday also brought the announcement of the “Fast 15,” the 15 overall fastest drivers and cars in qualifying across all classes. Both Shift Up Now drivers continued to impress, with Unser being 10th-fastest overall, and Hayes 15th. This earned them potentially-advantageous early runs on race day, plus an exclusive invite to Fan Fest.

Race day dawned clear and bright on Sunday with the first car heading up the mountain at 7:30am. Hayes was lined up fifth and the first GT4 car to run that day. For the first time in her three years at PPIHC, the weather was finally cooperating. She set out in her Mobil1 Toyota Supra GT4 on Yokohama tires and lowered her personal-best time by almost a minute to set the new fastest time in history - by 30 seconds - for a female racer on the mountain.

When it was time for Unser to make her run, she set blistering times in the first two sections. However, a mechanical issue in the Ws section brought out the red flag and meant that “Lucy” had to be retrieved on the flatbed, bringing Unser’s day to an end early.

Once all entries had completed their runs, Hayes was confirmed as the winner of the inaugural Pikes Peak GT4 Trophy by Yokohama tire. She finished in the top 15 overall and confirmed as the fastest female up the mountain in history.

“I can’t believe it,” said Hayes. “I’m the fastest woman up the Mountain in Pikes Peak Hill Climb history! I hope today brings so much inspiration to every girl out there to chase her dreams, not just in racing. This is an honor, and I’m so proud of our entire team.

“This wasn’t just me. It was the collective effort of everyone at Thunder Bunny Racing, Mobil1, Yokohama, Shift Up Now, Toyota of Colorado Springs and so many more. I am supported by a team, sponsors and family who trusted me, and gave me this opportunity to make history today.

“I hope this record is broken every year, as more and more women with greater talent make their names known to the world, and get these opportunities. We’re just getting started, and I’m so excited to see it happen.”

“A Night with the Shift Up Now Foundation” presented by PenFed Credit Union Coming in September

The Shift Up Now Foundation is excited to announce its inaugural in-person fundraising event, “A Night with the Shift Up Now Foundation” presented by PenFed Credit Union. The event will take place at Tom Wood Porsche on Friday, September 20, 2024. An online campaign will run alongside the in-person event as well.

A Night with the Shift Up Now Foundation will feature several driver Q&As, a silent auction, and hors d’oeuvres and drinks. The “blue tie” event will be limited to 100 guests, who are asked to show up decked out in their favorite shades of blue, in support of the foundation.

The event date is scheduled in correlation with the IMSA race weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where Shift Up Now Athlete and Foundation grantee Sabré Cook will be competing in Porsche Carrera Cup. Cook will be attending the fundraising event and participating in the driver Q&A.

The goal of A Night with the Shift Up Now Foundation is to raise $50,000. Alongside the in- person event, an online campaign is aimed at raising an additional $25,000 in donations. Funds raised from both will go toward the 2025 Shift Up Now Foundation grants, which 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.

“PenFed is proud to partner with Shift Up Now to support women trailblazers in motorsports,” said PenFed Credit Union President/CEO James Schenck. “Shift Up Now racers are driving the sport forward and inspiring future generations by achieving victory on and off the track.”

Ariel Ream, Interim CEO of the Shift Up Now Foundation added, “We are so thrilled to welcome PenFed as the inaugural presenting sponsor for ‘A Night with the Shift Up Now Foundation.’ We are honored to have the support of such a well-known brand, who is committed to supporting women in motorsports. We look forward to hosting PenFed and all of our sponsors and supporters on September 20th.”

There are several options for fans and supporters who want to get involved.

First, 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.

Fans can find information about the silent auction or donate online to the fundraising campaign at www.shiftupnow.org/a-night-with-the-shift-up-now-foundation.

Podium Finish for Havrda in Indianapolis Debut

Shift Up Now Athlete Nicole Havrda is currently fourth in the Formula Regional Americas (FR Americas) championship points after three races - including a podium finish - in the Indy SpeedTour at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on June 14-16, 2024.

Driving the No. 6 Valley Kitchens / Colonial Countertops car for Kiwi Motorsport, Havrda took to the 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course for the first time ever on Thursday. During her two testing sessions that day, she showed good pace and was feeling confident heading into Friday, for her final practice session.

On Friday afternoon, Havrda qualified P9, earning her third top-ten qualifying position in three races so far this season.

The FR Americas Indy SpeedTour schedule included three 30-minute sprint races, with the first on Saturday afternoon and two on Sunday.

Race one began at 1:10pm EDT on Saturday, with a special appearance from legendary racer Lyn St. James as the Grand Marshall. Havrda was lined up on the inside of the fifth row on the front straight for the standing start.

When the green flag flew, the field got a clean start and Havrda slotted into P8 heading into turn one. Near the end of the second lap, she was aiming to make a pass for P7 when she made a rare mistake and spun, dropping the No. 6 car to the back of the field.

Undeterred, she continued to focus forward, working her way back into the top ten and setting lap times that were top five in pace. By the time the checkered flag fell, she had advanced to the P8 position.

Sunday morning brought continued sunny, warm weather for the start of race two at 10am EDT. This time, Havrda was starting P7 with her sights set on a top-five finish. Once again, she advanced one position on the start, slotting into P6 at turn one, then moving up to P5 by the end of the first lap.

Just five minutes into the race, double-yellow flags emerged for a spun car, leading to a brief caution period. Afterward, Havrda held P5 for the restart, sticking just behind the front of the pack. When two of the leaders touched, one spun out and the other dropped to the back due to damage.

Despite being passed by the car behind during the melee, Havrda quickly returned the favor and took her P3 spot back.

With 15 minutes left in the competition, another caution flag flew. After the cleanup, eight minutes remained. Havrda stuck with the leaders on the restart and created a full-second gap ahead of the car behind her after one lap of green-flag racing. Her pace through the fast esses section of the back straight enabled her to stretch her lead a bit more each lap.

When the white flag flew, the car behind Havrda made a late move to her inside into turn one. Despite giving him room, the late-braking caused him to lock up and spin. This slowed Havrda as well, putting her under attack from the car behind them both at the end of the back straight. She went head-to-head with him through the first of the esses before reestablishing her P3 spot, crossing the finish line ahead by just tenths of a second, and earning her spot on the podium.

Later that afternoon at 2:30pm EDT, Havrda was starting from the P7 spot again under the hottest sun of the weekend, which made for slippery track conditions.

After a clean start to race three, two cars made contact on lap three, sending one of them into the turn-six tire barriers. The competition was red-flagged for cleanup, and when it restarted, race control declared a 10-minute shootout to the checkered flag. Havrda was ready to go, still in her P7 spot.

The field went four-wide into turn one. Since Havrda was sitting immediately behind the group, she took advantage and gained a position when two of the four made light contact. Heading into turn seven at the end of the back straight, she was stuck in the middle of the train of P3 through P8 cars. As they approached the start/finish line, she was 0.3 seconds behind the P5 car, and in tow.

She spent the next few laps putting pressure on the P5 car while simultaneously fending off pressure from P7. When a car up ahead went off track after an aggressive pass attempt, she gained another position.

The checkered flag fell with Havrda in P5, but was later moved up to P4 when one of the podium-finishers was penalized for forcing another car off the road.

In addition to her solid finishes and fourth-place spot in the championship points standings, Havrda was awarded the “Best Performance of the Weekend” award by the stewards.

“Going into the weekend I was very confident, coming from two podiums at Road America,” she said. “I struggled a bit in qualifying which set me back, but I worked hard and smart in each race and I am so happy to have gotten podium at the iconic Indianapolis. It was an amazing weekend overall and I’m excited to continue to get more podiums in future races.”

Next up, Havrda and the FR Americas tour heads to the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, OH for the Mid-Ohio SpeedTour on June 20-23, 2024.

Freiberg’s Podium Streak Continues at VIRginia International Raceway

Shift Up Now Athlete Ashley Freiberg earned a pair of third-place finishes in the 992 ProAm class for round four of the Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama championship at VIRginia International Raceway (VIR) on June 14-16, 2024.

Driving the No. 222 Thu Brulé 992 Porsche Cup Car - now competing for Kellymoss Racing - Freiberg hit the track Friday for two practice sessions, and ran in the top three for both. On the heels of her win at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) just a few weeks ago, which put her third in the points, she was ready to continue her championship pursuit.

Freiberg is part of the newly-announced Porsche Mobil1 Female Driver Program North America. In addition, she’s a Mobil1 Racing-supported athlete.

The weather was hot and sunny all weekend on the 3.27-mile, 17-turn VIR road course. Qualifying took place on Saturday morning. Freiberg was immediately up to speed on her brand-new Yokohama tires, setting the third-fastest time.

On lap four, contact with another driver led to an “incident responsibility” penalty. This deleted all of her qualifying times and sending her to the back of the 26-car field for the start of race one.

Later that afternoon, Freiberg went into the 35-minute-plus-one-lap sprint race with two goals. In addition to moving up in the overall order, she aimed to continue her championship chase by passing as many ProAm cars as possible to rack up additional points.

By the end of the first lap, Freiberg had already climbed eight positions to the P18 spot. She spent the next 20 minutes continuing to move up the order. Although it then became more difficult to make passes as she neared the top ten, her bravery showed with an incredible, around-the-outside pass at turn five.

With 15 minutes remaining, she advanced to the top ten overall, then into some clear air as she tried to close the ten-second gap to the seventh-place car overall (fifth in ProAm). Knowing that she also needed to set a fast time in order to start race two at the front, Freiberg caught the two cars ahead with just two laps to go.

On the last lap, she got her signature run into turn one and made the pass for P4 in ProAm. However, the car ahead was watching her progress in his mirrors and chose to defend heavily into “NASCAR Bend,” the tricky, curved braking zone, off-camber turn three. Coming with momentum, Freiberg made a bold move to the outside and pulled fully alongside under braking. Despite the outside line having much less grip through the middle of the corner, she had the grip and the road on track out. She completed the pass heading into turn four, giving her a P6 finish overall and P3 in the ProAm class to continue her podium streak.

Race two began on Sunday at 11:45am EDT. Freiberg’s time from the clean laps in race one meant she was starting fourth for the second 35-minute competition.

She had a solid start heading into turn one, but being on the outside ended up being a disadvantage as she was pushed off the race track into he grass by the car on the inside. She rejoined the field in last place.

Undeterred, Freiberg passed three cars by the end of the next lap and continued to work her way through traffic in an even more dominating fashion than the day before. She caught a train of cars from P4 to P8 overall and worked her way to the front of the entire group within three laps, with 15 minutes to go.

She then set out to close the gap between her 992 and the P3 car (overall and ProAm). Within two laps, she caught him and passed cleanly to move into the final podium position. Without sufficient time to bridge the gap to the leaders, Freiberg took the checkered flag in P3 to round out a solid weekend with her new team.

After the race, Freiberg offered her thanks to Victoria Thomas from Kellymoss Racing for helping her find a new sponsor and continue chasing the championship with her new team.

"I am completely beside myself at the work that Victoria has done to get me back in a race car so quickly,” said Freiberg. “She brought me a wonderful new sponsor, Thu Brulé Skin Care, and without her hitting the ground running to make this all happen, I would not have been racing at VIR.

“It was an amazing first weekend with Kellymoss Racing, especially considering it was such a thrash to find a car and get it to the track within a few days. I can tell that both Andy and Victoria have a lot of passion for their team because it is such a great group of people to work with. I felt like I fit in with them seamlessly and the car was a rocket ship!

“I also couldn't believe the amount of support I received from people in the paddock and all of my fans on social media. The money that was raised both on my OpenFender fundraising page and from supporters coming out of the woodwork to help me, was truly mind blowing. I also have to thank my amazing sponsors, Yokohama and Mobil1, for standing by my side no matter what, and supporting me through this transition. We still need to find a little more funding to close the year, but we are getting closer every day!”

Thomas echoed Freiberg’s sentiments, adding, “I can honestly say that what transpired at VIR will be etched in my memory forever. It perfectly exemplified the week that led up to the race. Putting together a race program, acquiring and race-prepping a car to roll out within just three days - while we were racing in Montreal - seemed like an insurmountable challenge to most. It is exactly why our team is the perfect fit for Ashley. Kellymoss rallied around Ashley because this year we have witnessed her proven ability to turn adversity into success. It's beyond her undeniable race craft; this degree of resilience is innate and cannot be taught. She is truly awe- inspiring. We are privileged to have her as part of our team and are excited about our future together."

Next up, Freiberg heads to Watkins Glen International for round five of the Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama championship on July 5-7, 2024.

Back-to-Back Top Five Finishes for Unser at VIR

Shift Up Now Athlete Loni Unser earned back-to-back, fourth-place ProAm finishes in the Cayman GT4 class during round four of the Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama championship at VIRginia International Raceway (VIR) on June 14-16, 2024.

Driving the No. 4 Speedway Motors Cayman GT4 RS for Kellymoss Racing, Unser is supported by Hagerty and Mobil1, and was recently announced as one of the drivers chosen for the Porsche Mobil1 Female Driver Program North America.

Weather for the race weekend was hot and sunny, and Unser took to the track Friday for two practice sessions on the 3.27-mile, 17-turn VIR road course. She ran in the top ten for both sessions, and P5 in the ProAm class for the second.

Qualifying took place on Saturday morning. On lap three, Unser set a personal-best time at VIR on her Yokohama tires, qualifying fifth in the ProAm class and seventh overall. This put her on the inside of row four for the start of the first race.

Later that afternoon, the hot sun made for a slippery track as the Cayman cars lined up for the start of the 35-minute-plus-one-lap competition. Unser made a strong start and advanced into the top five overall by the end of the first lap.

As she began her second lap, she made a pass for the P4 overall spot and was running P4 in the ProAm class when the double-yellow flags came out for an incident elsewhere on track. After the relatively long caution period, Unser had a solid restart and maintained P4 before another caution flew.

With only five laps remaining when the green flag waved, Unser held strong in her P4 spot - overall and in class - until the finish line, also claiming the fourth-fastest lap of the race.

On Sunday morning, Unser lined up P7 once again, based on the second-fastest time she had set during Saturday’s qualifying session. At the drop of the green flag, she made another steady start. However, the two cars ahead made contact in turn one, forcing her to brake mid- corner to avoid the melee. Over the next few corners, she had to fight not to lose position. By the end of the first lap, she emerged in P7 - just one second behind the P6 car - and P4 in class, as she looked for opportunities to pass on the tough VIR track.

Just ten minutes into the race, a full-course caution came out for two separate incidents at Oak Tree Corner and Roller Coaster Corner. The caution was short and the race went green with 17 minutes remaining.

Unser had another strong restart, then spent the next eight laps under the P6 car’s wing, holding to within one second and looking for the chance to pass. When the white flag flew with one lap to go, she was just 0.3 seconds behind.

Going into turn four on the last lap, she made the pass for P6 overall, then gapped her rival to the checkered flag. The P4 ProAm finish gave her back-to-back top-five finishes in class for the weekend.

“Kellymoss gave me an incredible car as always, and VIR is such a fun track,” said Unser. “I think it’s so cool that USAC and Porsche Sprint Challenge have created such a good platform for competitive racing. It’s definitely keeping me on my toes! I can’t wait to continue the battles at Watkins Glen.”

Next up, Unser heads to Watkins Glen International for round five of the Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama championship on July 5-7, 2024.

Shift Up Now Foundation Welcomes Julia Landauer to Board of Directors

The Shift Up Now Foundation, an organization dedicated to promoting and supporting women in motorsports, is proud to announce the addition of Julia Landauer to its Board of Directors. Julia, a two-time champion racecar driver and an influential advocate for STEM education and women's empowerment, brings a wealth of experience and passion to the Foundation.

Julia Landauer, originally from New York City, has made significant strides in the racing world. Most recently, she competed in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and achieved remarkable success in the NASCAR Euro Series, finishing 5th overall—the highest ever for an American. Julia's impressive career also includes graduating from Stanford University with a Bachelor of Science, appearing on CBS’ SURVIVOR, and being honored as a Forbes 30 Under 30.

In addition to her racing achievements, Julia is a renowned motivational keynote speaker, corporate advisor, and host of the podcast “If I’m Honest with Julia Landauer.” Her dedication to advocating for STEM education and women's empowerment aligns perfectly with Shift Up Now Foundation’s mission. Julia currently contributes to the NASCAR Strategy & Innovation team, further showcasing her commitment to advancing the sport and supporting future generations of drivers.

“We are thrilled to welcome Julia Landauer to our Board of Directors,” said Jim Bork, Co-Chair of Shift Up Now Foundation's Advisory Board. “Julia’s extraordinary career and her unwavering dedication to empowering women in motorsports make her an invaluable addition to our team. Her insights and experiences will be instrumental in driving our mission forward.”

Rebecca Bormann, Co-Chair of the Advisory Board, added, “Julia has broken barriers and set new standards in the racing world. Her advocacy for STEM education and her passion for encouraging women to pursue their dreams in motorsports align perfectly with our values at Shift Up Now Foundation. We are excited about the positive impact she will bring to our organization.”

Julia Landauer expressed her enthusiasm about joining the Board, stating, “After years of being a member of Shift Up Now and admiring Pippa and the team's dedication to women in motorsports, I'm thrilled to join the Shift Up Now Foundation Board of Directors. I care deeply about the Foundation's mission to support, promote, and inspire girls and women in motorsports and look forward to working with the team to create more opportunities for women in the industry."

The Shift Up Now Foundation continues to champion the advancement of women in motorsports through sponsorships, mentorship programs, and community initiatives. With Julia Landauer on the Board, the Foundation is poised to expand its impact and reach new heights.

For more information about the Shift Up Now Foundation and how to support its mission, please visit www.shiftupnow.org.

Top-Ten Finish for Cook in Rainy Montreal Porsche Carrera Cup Race

Shift Up Now Athlete Sabré Cook earned an eighth-place finish in round three of the Porsche Carrera Cup North America Championship presented by Rafa Racing Club, alongside the Formula 1 Racing Series, at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on June 7-9, 2024.

Driving the No. 37 PenFed Credit Union entry for MDK Motorsports, Cook had two practice sessions on Friday to dial in her 992 Porsche Cup Car before Saturday’s qualifying. After a solid, dry first practice session, heavy rain affected track grip significantly for the second. Once both sessions concluded, Cook was feeling confident about qualifying.

On Saturday morning, despite heavy rain in the forecast, the Montreal street circuit remained dry for qualifying. Early in the session, before most drivers in the 35-car field had a chance to complete a flying lap, a red flag came out for a large accident.

With 14 minutes remaining, the session went green again. As the field simultaneously left the pits, jockeying for position ensued as drivers tried to find enough space in traffic for qualifying laps. Cook found her space and set her best lap of the weekend on her new Yokohama tires with approximately ten minutes left in the session, putting her in P11 for the start of race one. Her second-fastest lap was also good enough for eleventh on the grid for race two.

For Cook, a Hagerty-sponsored Athlete supported by Mobil1, this was her best qualifying in Porsche Carrera Cup so far.

Later that evening, race one began at 5:55pm EDT. Despite rain approaching on the radar, all cars opted for dry tires to start the race due to the dry race track. However, just two laps into the 40-minute competition, the rain showed up and chaos ensued. Caught up in the melee, Cook spun and dropped in the overall order before the safety car came out.

The race was red-flagged to give teams an opportunity to change to wet tires. When race control tried to resume the race behind the safety car, conditions were deemed too poor to go back to green-flag racing. Ultimately, the race was called and Cook finished P15 in class.

On Sunday morning, race two began at 9:40am EDT and this time, there was no mistaking what Mother Nature had in store. Rain continued to fall on an extremely wet track as the cars lined up on the grid. Under race control’s direction, instead of a single-file, safety car start, the field would attempt a full, side-by-side start after the two pace car laps.

As cars accelerated at the green flag, a massive cloud of spray from the front of the field made visibility exceptionally difficult for the back half. Conditions were treacherous and slick, with patches of standing water on the track.

Over the first two laps, the cars around Cook were missing brake points, sliding wide and spinning. Despite the turmoil, she was able to avoid incident, making smart decisions and moving up into the top ten.

During the second lap, contact on her left rear corner from a car attempting to pass, spun the No. 37. Cook managed to not hit anything and only lose minimal track position. When she got going again, she was still just inside the top 15.

The safety car came out briefly to pick up debris from another incident, then the field came to a restart with 25 laps remaining in the race. Conditions hadn’t improved and visibility continued to be an issue for a majority of the field behind the leaders.

Cook had a strong restart and immediately set about gaining lost ground. She moved up to P13 in the first few corners, and was back inside the top ten by the end of the lap. As she made a pass for P8, with her sights set on continuing to advance further, another huge incident brought out the safety car.

Despite the driver of that car being safe, the damage to the track wall from the contact was significant. As a result, the race ended early behind the safety car, with Cook earning a P8 spot.

“What a mix of a weekend,” she said. “I’m pleased with my best qualifying to date in Porsche Carrera Cup North America, and feeling strong about our recovery to P8 in race two. The MDK Team and I are working well together, and I’m excited to continue our progress at Watkins Glen next week!”

Cook and Porsche Carrera Cup North America are headed to Watkins Glen International race track for round four of the championship on June 20-22, 2024.