To kick off Women’s History Month, the Shift Up Now Foundation is proud to announce that it will award just over $250,000 in grants this season to talented female drivers across 12 different racing series.
The grants will be allocated to fifteen different drivers and development athletes, including one of the newest Athletes to join the Shift Up Now roster, Tatiana Calderon, driving in the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship for Gradient Racing.
The 11 other Shift Up Now Athletes include Sabré Cook, competing in Porsche Carrera Cup North America for JDX Racing; Ashley Freiberg, in Porsche Carrera Cup North America for Kellymoss Racing; Loni Unser, in Porsche Sprint Challenge North America for Kellymoss Racing; Erika Hoffmann, in Porsche Sprint Challenge North America for Kellymoss Racing; Laura Hayes, driving for Thunder Bunny Racing (series TBA); Nicole Havrda, in FR America for Kiwi Motorsports; Christina Lam, in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge for Rockwell Auto Development; Michele Abbate, in the Spring Mountain Racing Series for Grr Racing; Sarah Montgomery, in World Racing League for AE Victory Racing; Taylor Ferns, in 500 Sprint Car Tour and USAC Silver Crown for Taylor Ferns Racing; and Sally Mott, in Mazda MX-5 Cup for JTR Motorsports Engineering.
Three development athletes will also be receiving grants as they graduate from karting onto the motorsports ladder. They include Ashlyn Speed, competing in Mazda MX-5 Cup for Hendricks Motorsport; Paityn Feyen, in Toyota GR Cup Series for Copeland Motorsports / Nitro Motorsports; and Emerson “Emy” Kissick, in a Spec MX-5 team for Mazda Motorsports.
The Shift Up Now Foundation was launched in December 2022 and lives alongside the Shift Up Now for-profit business. The foundation continues to strive for gender equality for female athletes in motorsport, and contributes to furthering the mission by accepting tax-deducible gifts, donations and grants.
Shift Up Now CEO Pippa Mann reflected on the impact the foundation has been able to make, while still in its infancy, for these 15 talented racers.
“Being able to make a difference for this many racers, just months after the foundation celebrated its second birthday, is a dream come true,” said Mann. “I cannot thank all of our donors enough - from brands like PenFed Credit Union who supported our inaugural event last year as a title sponsor, to Lucas Oil creating a matching donation, to Parity and the Women’s Sports Foundation including us in their Parity Week Grants.
“I’m touched by the race fans who’ve joined our mission to help us make a difference, not just women supporting women, but I’m thrilled that we’ve had so many male allies as well. We also saw racers step forward to support other racers, making donations that don’t benefit themselves, but simply because they believe in our goals. Plus, larger donations from generous personal donors such as James Schenck have been significant in moving the needle.”
Mann concluded, “To everyone who took part in our 2024 fundraising in any way, this list of 2025 grantees has been made possible due to your support. You have personally helped these racers make their seasons happen. And when you see Shift Up Now logos on their race cars, suits or helmets, we hope you’re smiling as widely as we are, because you made this happen.”
For more information, please email info@shiftupnow.com.
The 2025 racing season is already underway. Fans and supporters can follow along by checking out the Shift Up Now racing calendar to find out when the various Athletes will be on track.
Want to join the movement and help us continue providing opportunities to talented female racers? Donations can be made to the Shift Up Now Foundation at ShiftUpNow.org.
