The Shift Up Now Foundation has awarded over $300,000 in grants to female racers and i have the details in this week’s Business of Being a Race Driver. You will also find out why going viral is overrated, the hidden economics of motorsport and more.
The Business of Racing
Going Viral is Overrated
Going viral is overrated. Here’s how to actually build a fan following in four steps.
The Difference Between Being Ignored and Being Funded
Drive Line spoke to 20+ marketing executives who receive sponsorship proposals regularly. Here’s what they told them:
“The average marketing director receives 40+ requests per month. From athletes, clubs, events, influencers — everyone wants budget. They open about 10%. Respond to 2-3%. Fund less than 1%. We asked why.”
The answers were identical and you can read them here.
According to Will Marotti, one of the most misunderstood realities in motorsports is the imbalance between the number of drivers seeking sponsorship and the number of sponsors actively looking to sponsor drivers.
Read what he has to say about the reality of the situation here.
The Grid Is the New Boardroom: How Motorsports Creates High-Value Business Relationships
Victoria Thomas of KellyMoss explains how motorsports offers something most major US sports do not — true access to the action. “True luxury today is defined by immersive, unfiltered access to people, moments and experiences — much of which can’t be bought. That’s what motorsports delivers: a front-row seat to culture in motion.”
Read the complete article at Rolling Stone here.
Elite Motorsport Insights On Demand
Motorsport to Business has launched the Motorsport To Business+ Knowledge Hub. “Tap into exclusive insights from the world of elite racing. The Motorsport To Business+ Knowledge Hub gives you access to behind-the-scenes case studies, video workshops and expert interviews — all designed to help you lead, think and perform like a race-winning individual or team.”
F1 Academy is Expanding the Commercial Ecosystem of F1
Ahead of the fourth season and after the announcement of Sephora’s arrival, F1 Academy is emerging as a commercial entry point for brands that previously lacked a natural pathway into Formula 1. Sector explores the implications.
The Business of NASCAR
How do you bridge the gap between being a local racer and becoming a professional brand that a championship-winning team wants to represent? In this episode of Racer on Demand, hosts Amanda Van Den Elzen and Megan Meyer are joined by Kelley Earnhardt Miller, CEO of JR Motorsports and one of the most influential business minds in racing. Kelley pulls back the curtain on how the Earnhardt family built a multi-generational legacy by focusing on the business side of the sport, offering a masterclass in professionalizing your program from the grassroots up.
You can watch the episode above.
Why Elite Drivers Can’t Always Bridge Pro Racing’s Resource Gap
J.G. Pasterjak of Grassroots Motorsports explains why elite drivers can’t always bridge pro racing’s resource gap. “I had a thought while watching the Rolex 24 this year–and maybe it was because I took an Ambien and didn’t go to bed immediately–but anyway, see if you can follow along with my reasoning here: Big-time sports car racing is not as much of a true sport as the big stick-and-ball sports because there’s no way for it to economically support itself.”
Read his reasoning in his column here.
Shift Up Now Foundation Awards $300,000 in Grants to Female Racers for 2026 Season
The Shift Up Now Foundation is proud to announce that it is celebrating Women’s History Month by awarding just over $300,000 in grants this season to more than 15 talented female drivers who are making history across 10 different racing series.
Several of the highlighted grant recipients include:
- Ashley Freiberg, Loni Unser and Erika Hoffmann driving for Kellymoss in Pirelli SRO GT4 America, with Unser and Freiberg in the Silver class piloting the “Be Your Own Hero” entry, and Hoffmann teaming up with Jack Parriott in a separate entry
- Laura Hayes, driving the No. 37 Mercedes AMG GT4 for Dome Motorsport in Pirelli SRO GT4 America with teammate Eddie Killeen
- Sabré Cook returning to JDX Racing in Porsche Carrera Cup North America and debuting the the Type 992.2 Porsche 911 Cup car, with the introduction of Pirelli as the official series tire supplier
- Charlotte Traynor and Ellie Gosset in Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin, with Traynor driving the No. 43 entry for Parker DeLong Racing, and Gossett driving the No. 77 for BSI Racing
- Melanie Johnson—Shift Up Now’s first drag racer to receive a grant—competing in Top Alcohol Dragster for McPhillips Racing
- Madelyn Tabor—Shift Up Now’s first rally racer to receive a grant—competing in the American Rally Association for Tabor Racing Team in the Limited 4 Wheel Drive (L4) class, driving a Ford Fiesta Rally 3 car
In addition, the Shift Up Now Foundation collectively decided to add both a winner and runner up for the Loni Unser Karting Scholarship. This will be the foundation’s first time awarding funds to kart racers, with Ashlyn Taylor chosen as the winner, and Maddie Grace in the runner-up spot.
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.
This year marks the foundation’s fourth round of grants, and the funds distributed for 2026 will take the total number to more than $750,000 since the Shift Up Now Foundation was launched.
“Women’s History Month is a powerful reminder that progress for women in sport happens when opportunity meets investment,” said Ariel Ream, CEO of the Shift Up Now Foundation. “With this year’s grants, the Shift Up Now Foundation will have distributed more than three-quarters of a million dollars since our launch in 2022—an important milestone that reflects our deep commitment to opening doors for talented female drivers. We’re proud to support athletes competing across an expanding range of racing disciplines, from sports cars to rally and drag racing, and to continue building a stronger, more equitable future for women in motorsport.”
The 2026 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 the foundation continue providing opportunities to talented female racers? Donations can be made to the Shift Up Now Foundation at ShiftUpNow.org.
I was Recently Interviewed on The Pits Are Open
I was honored to be interviewed on a recent episode of The Pits Are Open with Will Marotti. On my segment, which begins after Erica Sietsma’s excellent segment on sponsorship data begins at approximately 31:09.
During my segment (which you can watch above), I explain the mission of Motorsport Prospects and announce the launch date for the new Verified by Motorsport Prospects program!
Please make sure you watch the whole show because Erica Sietsma from Autofluencer has a lot of important information regarding sponsorship data.
General Motorsport Marketing Advice & Resources
Don’t Guess — Measure ROI Activations
Experiential sponsorships are everywhere right now, brand lounges, immersive demos, VIP moments, interactive booths. And when they’re done well, they create real energy and real engagement. The problem is that most sponsors still struggle to answer the one question leadership cares about most: Did it actually drive business?
Larry Weil explains how to measure ROI activations.