Shift Up Now is proud to announce that Mazda Motorsports has stepped up with a generous donation to the upcoming annual in-person event, “A Night with the Shift Up Now Foundation,” on Saturday, October 25, 2025 at the Tom Wood Aviation Hangar and event space at the Indianapolis Metropolitan Airport in Fishers, IN.
Providing opportunities for women in motorsports is at the heart of everything Mazda Motorsports believes in as an organization, brand and motorsports group. The Irvine, CA company leads the industry in support of talented female racers, from scholarships to championship prize money and per-race payouts.
In addition to debuting the “First to the Finish” docuseries on Amazon Prime this year, the 2025 season marked the sixth year of Mazda Motorsports’ Women’s Initiative Scholarship. The scholarship which was birthed by the desire to bring more women into the MX-5 Cup driver’s seat, and ultimately, into sports car racing. Mazda Motorsports believes that, although women have been part of the MX-5 Cup competition over the last 20 years, they are underrepresented.
The scholarship is valued at $100,000 and offers a combination of cash, consumables (tires, entries, fuel), marketing support, race equipment (firesuits), and B2B relationships for connection and sponsorship opportunities. Four of the five scholarship winners to date are Shift Up Now Athletes: Laura Hayes (2022), Heather Hadley (2023), Sally Mott (2024), Ashlyn Speed (2025).
This perfectly aligns with the mission of Shift Up Now, as both the for-profit and non-profit sides work in tandem to provide opportunities and funding for talented female racers.
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, and the Foundation awarded more than $250,000 in grants for 2025.
Mazda Motorsports’ donation will go toward the overall grant total for 2026.
“Mazda is honored to partner with Shift Up Now as two organizations that practice what we preach,” said Jonathan Applegate, Senior Manager at Mazda Motorsports. “It is our hope that by partnering with Shift Up Now, we will be a contributing factor in transforming motorsports. Shift Up Now has a proven track record in being the change agent needed within the motorsports industry, broadening and deepening the awareness of inclusivity and opportunities for girls around the world. To be intentional, all the while knowing there’s organizations like Shift Up Now and Mazda that would humbly accept the opportunity to support their ambitions.
It is my hope that we see not just an influx in female drivers, but in all areas of the sport: mechanics, engineers, crew chiefs, team owners, pit crew, executive leadership, etc. I believe this is the future that we’re helping to shape, and we are honored to do so.”
Mott, the 2024 scholarship winner echoed the importance of the partnership saying, “It’s amazing to see Mazda Motorsports, a brand that already does so much for women in racing, teaming up with the Shift Up Now Foundation. The Mazda Women’s Initiative Scholarship is the reason I got my start in the MX-5 Cup, and that opportunity completely changed the trajectory of my career. Racing at this level has challenged me and helped me grow in ways I never imagined.”
She added, “Now, being selected as a Shift Up Now Foundation grantee means I get to continue chasing this dream with Mazda’s support behind me. It’s hard to put into words how much that means, but I’m so grateful to be part of it.”
In addition to the donation, Mazda Motorsports will also host a drivers’ panel during “A Night with the Shift Up Now Foundation” event. Shift Up Now Athletes - and Mazda MX-5 Cup drivers - Sally Mott and Ashlyn Speed will participate, sharing their stories of how Mazda’s support has significantly impacted their careers.
Tickets are on sale now for the event HERE, and 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.
Lastly, fans who are not able to attend the event but still want to participate should watch for information in the coming months about the silent auction, which will also be available online.
About Shift Up Now Foundation, Inc.
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.
