It was 2005 when I attended my first Indianapolis 500. If I’m being completely honest, it was simply a bucket list item and I had no intention of making it an annual thing.
That year, Danica Patrick qualified and finished fourth. She led 19 laps, making her the first female ever to lead the field, and won Rookie of the Year. Had I been a young girl at the time, I would’ve likely walked away from that race with my sights set on being the next Danica. Instead, I was an adult whose life circumstances had me looking for a new career. I had a PR degree and - until that point - no idea what I wanted to do with it.
From that day forward, IndyCar became my focus. For a few years, I was simply a die-hard fan. But I wanted more. I wanted other people to know about this sport that I loved so much. So in 2009, I moved to Indianapolis from my hometown in Wisconsin. After various volunteering opportunities and making the right connections, I landed a job with a small race team called HVM.
The first driver I got to work with was Simona DeSilvestro.
I have hundreds of great stories that would fill lots of blogs but I’ll sum it up by saying she’s both a complete badass and a ton of fun to be around. In other (completely irrelevant) news, that was the year I started a twitter account for Simona’s backup race car, Pork Chop.
But let’s go back to 2009 when I first moved to Indy. A friend had invited me to hang out one Sunday afternoon at someone’s house. Anxious to make friends in my new city, I went. Imagine my surprise when I showed up to hang out with a group of Indy Lights drivers, including Pippa Mann, James Hinchcliffe and Charlie Kimball.
When I met Pippa that day, I never would’ve guessed that the next 15 years would bring about a collection of really amazing memories together. Just a few highlights include standing up in her wedding, doing her personal PR for the 2019 Indy 500, and watching her take over as CEO of this incredible organization - originally founded by Lynn Kehoe - called Shift Up Now.
Almost four years ago, Pippa texted me and said she wanted to get coffee and talk about a new idea. I’ll admit, when she explained the Shift Up Now mission of raising awareness and funding to create more opportunities for females in motorsport, I was hesitant. After having worked in racing for more than a decade, I know that funding is a constant battle for a majority of drivers, not just females.
What the fans see is the race. But the connections, marketing and awareness initiatives that go into earning a spot in that race is the biggest part of the game.
Over the years, I’ve seen talented drivers lose rides simply due to someone else being able to bring more money. And after having seen the enormous amount of work Pippa had done to earn her 2019 Indy 500 entry, I knew this wasn’t an endeavor to be taken lightly.
So yes, I was hesitant. I might not be the one under the helmet but I’m competitive and I like succeeding.
Most of all though, I believed in my friend Pippa. I truly knew that she wouldn’t be willing to take on something that she wasn’t confident in. And that’s all I needed to know.
So in 2020, I accepted the role of PR Director for Shift Up Now. I’m the one who gets to write the race reports and newsletters to let you all know about the amazing things that are happening, both on and off track.
And here’s the best part: The Athletes of Shift Up Now are GETTING. IT. DONE. I get to cover podiums, wins and championship victories. These are women who are making the most of the opportunities they’re given. The Athletes don’t take for granted that people support them and believe in them. They give it everything they have and that - combined with their natural talent - is turning heads as they take their rightful spots on podiums, weekend after weekend.
Please excuse my shameless plug here because I just have to say it. Did you know it only costs $10 per month to support these drivers? TEN DOLLARS. Or you can pay $100 annually, making it $8.33 per month. That makes you an official Shift Up Now member, which also gets you access to some really cool stuff like giveaways, events, discounts on partner products and more. TEN DOLLARS. Okay, back to your regularly-scheduled blog reading.
It’s been almost four years since this adventure began. Every year, the reach gets bigger and the impact is greater. Shift Up Now is blazing trails for women in motorsport. And for someone who sat wide-eyed in the stands of the 2005 Indianapolis 500 because A GIRL was leading the race, it’s just incredible to see. I can’t wait to find out what the next four years - and beyond - will bring.
Hopefully you’ll join us on this crazy ride and become a Member. You can do that HERE.
Monica Hilton, PR Director for Shift Up Now, has an extensive background in motorsports PR and content creation. Her resume includes PR for teams and drivers in IndyCar and NASCAR. In addition to motorsports, Hilton is a serial entrepreneur, having started three businesses and currently working on the launch of a fourth.
You can get involved with Shift Up Now (and become an ally for our organization) either by becoming a Member of the Inside Track, or through a donation to our 501c3. If you are a brand who would like to help us support and elevate women in motorsport, we would love to hear from you.
