Shift Up Now Athletes Heather Hadley & Sally Mott earned top-ten finishes in the first street course event of the season, alongside fellow Shift Up Now Athlete Ashlyn Speed, competing in rounds three and four of the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin on February 28 - March 2, 2025, in St. Petersburg, FL.
To kick off the race weekend, drivers and teams were invited to the premiere of First to the Finish, a documentary that follows the trials and tribulations of drivers Hadley and Mott as they navigate the 2024 Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup season, plus the non-stop schedule of BSI Racing team owner Shea Holbrook. The documentary will debut on Prime Video on March 25, 2025.
Thirty-five cars - including five female drivers - were entered in the two 45-minute races on the 14-turn, 1.8-mile street course. The MX-5 Cup event took place as a support race for the NTT IndyCar Series race on Sunday afternoon.
Practices one and two took place on Friday, followed by practice three and qualifying on Saturday.
Driving the No. 15 Iron Dames-inspired livery for JTR Engineering, Mott hit the track Friday for her first-ever outing on a street circuit. The same was true for Speed, driving the No. 31 Whelen / Mazda Motorsports entry for Hendricks Motorsports. Both drivers spent the first two practice sessions learning the track and finding speed.
Meanwhile, Hadley, who had raced at St. Pete in 2023 and scored her first top-ten MX-5 Cup result there, wasted no time getting up to speed. Behind the wheel of the No 54 “reverse Oreo” livery and driving for Hendricks Motorsports, she was immediately inside the top 20 in the very first practice session, among incredibly tight times throughout the field.
Both practice sessions ended up being interrupted by red flags due to crashed cars on the course, limiting track time. On Saturday morning, this meant teams had a decision to make regarding the third practice, which was effectively a short, 20-minute warmup that led almost immediately into qualifying. The field was split, with half electing to run, with the other half not willing to take the risk.
During qualifying, Hadley found herself a few tenths short of her pace goal, putting her 22nd on the starting grid. Meanwhile, Mott got up to speed quickly but made a small mistake and spun, then was immediately collected by another car spinning at the same corner. She would start 32nd. Speed, in only her second event in the series, and with very little seat time in the MX-5 Cup cars, continued to keep her focus on learning, and personal improvement. She would line up in 31st for race one.
Despite the ideal weather conditions for most of the weekend, overcast skies appeared for the start of the first race, making the track slick. After two pace laps led by the First to the Finish Mazda pace car, the field made a clean start. However, the back half was not able to pack up for the green flag, so they found themselves immediately playing catchup.
Hadley was able to move into the top 20 within the first few laps of the race, and set her sights on the 19th-place car. Mott also started picking off competitors one by one from the back of the pack.
As the racing continued, cars rubbed and bumped as they ran side-by-side, causing oil to collect at the entry to turn 10. As a result, a multi-car incident ensued, with several cars ending up in the barriers or on the escape road. All three Shift Up Now Athletes made it through unscathed, picking up positions along the way.
After a lengthy caution period, only 12 minutes remained in the race. As the field lined up for a single-file restart, Hadley sat in 13th, with Mott in 20th and Speed in 22nd. Just a couple laps later, Mott picked up another position to move into 19th, then 18th on the next lap.
With just six minutes remaining, another full-course caution flew for a spun car. After a quick clean-up, the field had three minutes before the checkered flag flew. Mott continued her climb, making a pass for 17th. When another car found the barriers on the last lap, the corner was covered under local yellow, and the rest of the field drove through to the finish.
After post-race penalties were assessed for various incidents throughout the race, all three Shift Up Now drivers were rewarded for their clean driving, and moved up in order. Hadley was awarded a 10th-place finish, and winner of Mazda’s First Female Racer award.
“Race one at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg was incredibly hectic,” said Hadley. “Having to start in the lower half of the field due to a qualifying performance that didn’t reflect our true potential meant I had my work cut out for me. I’m incredibly proud of what the Hendricks Motorsports team and I accomplished together. Being able to salvage a top-ten after starting twenty-second is no easy feat at St. Pete, and I can’t thank my team enough for giving me a car capable of doing it.”
Mott finished 14th in class, advancing 18 positions from her place on the starting grid, and earned the Penske Shocking Performance / Hard Charger award for passing the most cars in the race.
Speed finished 18th in class, up 13 positions from her qualifying spot, continuing her trend of improving pace with each track session and improving her racing skills.
Later that afternoon, brighter skies and warmer temps made for an even more slick track for the start of race two. Starting positions were set by the second-fastest qualifying lap, and the Shift Up Now Athletes were ready to advance forward through the field.
After two pace laps, the field managed a much tighter formation and cleaner start than the day before.
Mott immediately got to work, passing seven cars going into turn one, and setting her sights on earning another Hard Charger award. Speed followed her past several of the same cars and moving into 27th place.
A lengthy green stint ensued and the field spread out. With 12 minutes remaining, Hadley was running 15th, Mott 20th and Speed 21st. It was then that a single-car spin brought out the full- course yellow.
The restart, with six minutes left in the race, was clean at the front. However, Hadley was tipped into a spin on the entry to turn one. She was able to get the car rolling without causing another yellow, but lost time and positions as a result.
On the next lap, Mott was mid-pack. When the cars ahead fanned three-wide onto the front straight, she kept a watching brief in their draft, then moved into the top 15 with three laps to go. At the same time, Speed advanced into the top 20.
When one of the race leaders hit the wall on the final lap, taking two front-running cars out as well, race control elected to finish the lap under green, with a local yellow covering the incident in the final corner. Mott took advantage of the chaos, making passes to finish with her first top- ten of the season. She was also the top-finishing female and earned the Penske Shocking Performance / Hard Charger award by advancing 20 places from where she started.
“This weekend started off rough, with both races forcing me to start from the back,” said Mott. “But that only fueled my determination to prove myself. I pushed myself beyond my limits, passing more cars than any other driver in both races an earning double Hard Charger awards, a top ten, and a top-finishing female award. I’ve never had a more confidence-inspiring weekend. I stepped out of my shell, pushed myself harder than ever, and left St. Pete a stronger, more determined driver than when I arrived.”
Next up, the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin series heads to Birmingham, AL, for rounds five and six on May 2-4, 2024, at Barber Motorsports Park.
In the meantime, members of The Inside Track by Shift Up Now can race Mott on the Barber Motorsports track in the first-ever iRacing Spring Sprints, taking place Tuesday, March 18th. Register HERE to reserve your spot! And don’t forget to catch the First to the Finish documentary, debuting on Prime Video on March 25th.
