Shift Up Now Athlete Loni Unser earned a double top-ten finish in the MX5 Main Class on Saturday and Sunday in St. Petersburg, making her the first female racer to achieve this honor.
Driving the No. 92 for Hixon Motorsports with new partners The Pelegrine Fund and Word of Honor, Unser used practice time wisely, learning the track and getting comfortable for qualifying. Because of the new partnerships, Unser’s car’s livery was designed to look like an F-16 fighter jet.
Qualifying brought ten minutes of red-flagged laps, so Unser had only a couple laps to earn her qualifying position of 11th.
With a less-than-optimal spot on Saturday’s starting grid, the 23-year-old driver from Hailey, Idaho knew patience and perseverance would be the keys.
Unser advanced to P6 before a long, full-course caution. She lost two positions on the restart and finished the day in P8. Post-race, she earned an additional spot and finished P7 due to another car’s disqualification in tech.
On Sunday, consistency was the main factor in earning a P10 finish for Unser.
“It has been absolutely amazing to work with Hixon Motorsports, The Pelegrine Fund and Word of Honor,” said Unser. “The team has become my second family.
“Being the first woman to finish in the teop ten in two consecutive races overall is a big deal to me, and I had two incredible women that were crucial in getting me to this point: Shea Holbrook and Carly Panneton. This is a weekend I will remember for the rest of my life.”
Unser will next head to Road America in Wisconsin on May 8-9 where she will rejoin Round 3 Racing, Hagerty and Cooper Tire for the next round of the World Racing League.
