Encouraging Girls and Women to Build Confidence and Courage: Shift Up Now Helps Female Racers Realize Their Motorsport Dreams

    SAINT AUGUSTINE, FL, November 04, 2019 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Lynn Schultz Kehoe and business partner Karen Salvaggio, Ed.D., watched with other sponsors and supporters of racer Pippa Mann as she made her way from a 30th place start to finish in 16th position at the 2019 running of the Indianapolis 500. Mann is a member of Shift Up Now, a collective of female racers, which uses motorsports to inspire confidence and courage in girls and women. The St. Augustine, FL-based organization was one of the sponsors for the #39 Clausson-Marshall car driven by Mann in this year's "500".

Founded by Lynn Schultz Kehoe in 2016, Shift Up Now is dedicated to helping female racers find the funding they need to pursue their racing dreams. The organization also has active programs in leadership training, inspirational talks, hands on seminars and on-track orientations. Shift Up Now is gaining traction and attention as more female racers–– professional and amateur alike–– lend their names to the cause and the organization. Among these are:

Pippa Mann has seven career Indianapolis 500 starts, with a best finish of 16th place achieved in 2019. Pippa holds the record as the unofficial fastest female racer ever at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with a 230mph average lap set on Fast Friday of 2017. Outside of her Indy 500 program, Pippa has also made select sports car series' starts across multiple platforms representing Shift Up Now, and works as a performance driving coach for up and coming racers.

Karen Salvaggio, Ed.D., has eight Championships and more than 125 podiums in a range of vehicles, from drag racers to sports cars to vintage racers. She is also President of Thunder Valley Racing, and won the Pacific Northwest Vintage Racing Championship in 2019.

Shea Holbrook has become a nationally recognized racecar driver competing in professional Sports Car racing in the Pirelli World Challenge and most recently, the IHRA Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series and W Series.

Sarah Montgomery started professional level racing in the Mazda MX5 Cup Series in 2014. Her rookie year, she was the highest finishing female and top ten in points. This year, Sarah became the first female in the history of the series to finish on the podium in a Global Mazda MX-5 cup race.

Learn about all the Shift Up Now brand ambassadors at www.shiftupnow.com.

We want to see all women step on the gas, navigate the corners and use the brakes to drive through life with confidence and courage.

"Shift Up Now supports racers by providing much needed funding, thereby boosting their own fundraising efforts in reaching their racing goals," explains Lynn Schultz Kehoe, Shift Up Now Founder and CEO.  "Our public speaking engagements and school programs use racing to demonstrate how girls and women can embrace clarity, confidence and courage to navigate their lives and drive their future."

Shift Up Now President Karen Salvaggio explains the mission of the racer collective as being "Brand Ambassadors on and off track who are able to be at multiple places at once, which offers expanded potential to promote female racers and to educate and inspire young girls and women."

Shift Up Now is a female race team competing in Sprint and Endurance Races. We drive to show how motorsports can empower women with courage and confidence. The organization also has active programs in leadership training, inspirational talks, hands on seminars and on-track orientations.

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