Shift Up Now Athlete Emily Linscott earned runner-up honors for the Formula 4 United States Championship Powered by Honda PMH Powering Diversity Scholarship on February 5th.
The scholarship funds all fees for promoter test days and seven F4 U.S. championship events during the 2021 season. Linscott was the first of three scholarship winners announced in the PMH Powering Diversity program, aimed at creating change at the grassroots level.
With a plan in place for the first half of the season, Linscott plans to run an online fundraiser – similar to her 2020 campaign – to top up her budget, and fund additional races.
Eighteen-year-old Linscott will make her F4 debut for Kiwi Motorsport in the only female-owned F4 U.S. team. The England native was identified by Pippa Mann – a seven-time Indianapolis 500 starter – as an up-and-coming, single-seater talent. Mann will continue to coach Liscott through her transition into F4 U.S.
“I’m so grateful to Tony Parella of Parella Motorsport Holdings for awarding me the PMH Powering Diversity Scholarship this year,” said Linscott. “We have been speaking to Teena Larsen (Kiwi Motorsport co-owner) about racing with Kiwi Motorsport in the F4 U.S. Championship for a couple of years now, but I’ve never managed to raise enough budget to do it. The scholarship really helped me secure the drive with Kiwi Motorsport to compete, so I aim to make the best use of it when I’m on and off the track to repay his and Kiwi Motorsport’s faith in me as being a positive role model and diversity in motorsport representative.”
Linscott will drive her signature Honda-powered No. 99 Ligier JS F4 under the full Crosslink/Kiwi Motorsport banner. The team has a history of success, being the only in F4 U.S. history to sweep a podium, and has done so for three years running.
“It is very special to me to have Emily onboard as Kiwi Motorsport’s first female racer,” said Larsen, former F2000 driver and daughter of respected Indy Lights mechanic Mo Larsen. “I am excited to live vicariously through Emily as she aims for the top. I was her age when I was racing open wheel in Canada and the USA, and I know what it’s like. With the support surrounding her I couldn’t be prouder to be a part of it. A team to go to, sponsors on board, an organization promoting her, IndyCar driver, Pippa Mann as a coach....she is a dream come true. As a woman in motorsports it makes me so proud to see Emily have the passion and dedication to be doing what she loves. I can’t wait to see her excel this year and beyond.”
Linscott will officially start her F4 U.S. season at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta with the Atlanta SpeedTour March 26-28, 2021. More information can be found at www.F4USchampionship.com.