Flying Mile 131, Interactive Media & Marketing

01/08/2024

03/17/2023

01/13/2023

This is just awesome for so many reasons.

You had to be there. 🤩🫠

HPD factory driver to make front-wheel drive debut in HART Honda Civic Type R TCR...

12/26/2022

A VERY important piece to read, both Pippa’s comments and the article (linked at the bottom of her comments). So many talented female drivers struggle in motorsports, as they admittedly do in other facets of the sports industry, because funding isn’t given to female athletes. But this article explains why the challenges are manifested exponentially in motorsports. The money is out there, and sponsors give the “we support women” phrase a lot of lip service, but bottom line: the financial limitations are real and daunting and a major detriment to Motorsports in general and women in particular. If nothing else, more talent on the track (and I’ve personally worked with some of these women) means a better product and more opportunities to grow the sport. And who doesn’t want to see better racing??!

It’s the day after Christmas, and the The New York Times has published a great piece covering all aspects of what it’s like being a woman in motorsport.

However as their lead, they have chosen to focus on why female drivers are struggling to rise through the ranks - a subject you all know is close to my heart.

Back when I competed at the , I was the main person out there trying to raise enough funding to make it happen every year. Every year I always thought that if I just did more with what I had, if I did better on track, worked harder off track, maybe next year would be the year I would have enough money to mount a serious campaign…

Did you know that in 2019 I was one of only 3 or 4 drivers who didn’t get to do those extra two days of testing?

Did you know that when I strapped in for the first time each May, it was often the first time strapping back into a race car like this since the previous May?

In other sports athletes have the opportunity to practice when they’re not playing major games. In Motorsports, money keeps you out of the car almost all of the time.

Imagine showing up to the Super Bowl, to play, and the only time you’ve ever taken a snap in practice is in the two weeks leading up to the game. You haven’t played all year, but now you need to be ready to go…

I always thought it was a ”Pippa problem” - this inability to land a big sponsor, to find enough money that I wasn’t scraping, scratching together, relying on the good will and support of team owners to take me over a driver who had enough sponsorship to bring them profit from running an extra car.

Spoiler alert: it wasn’t a Pippa problem.

I was facing a problem faced by many women in many sports, but in my sport the lack of funding literally means many women struggle to have the opportunity to even compete - let alone be in good equipment, have the opportunity to practice, have appropriate support off the race track.

I know that ALL racers struggle with the funding to compete. I get that. But when you’re part of a group, that aside from a few exceptions to the rule, has struggled more, it hurts when you see your fellow winning women sidelined from competing due to lack of financial support.

At Shift Up Now we’re working to change things for talented female racers. We already have the proof, both from our racers and race teams, that when we find female athletes the can win races, and projects like the Iron Dames have proved this on a global scale.

But we need to get more brands engaged, more partners who want to be part of driving change, more supporters committed to equality in our sport. We need to bring in gifts from those who can afford them to our 501c3 so that we can start writing grants. We need to raise our profile, so that we can raise the funding we’re able to raise, and make more of a difference to more racers.

We need to find those who are willing, able and want to make a difference. We want to find those who are willing to drive change.

Here’s The NY Times link: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/26/sports/women-motorsports-f1-indycar-nascar.html

Here’s the link to the Shift Up Now website: https://shiftupnow.com/

And here’s the link to our Foundation: https://shiftupnow.org/

Let’s do this.

It’s time.

12/23/2022

🤩🤩🤩

12/14/2022

- We are proud to announce the - a registered 501c3 with a mission to assist talented female athletes in motorsport by supplying the funding that allows access to better equipment and resources!
💙💙💙

The Foundation will live alongside Shift Up Now, and will be able to accept tax deductible gifts and grants. Donations will go directly to supporting our mission!

Learn more: https://shiftupnow.com/shift-up-now-launches-501c3-foundation/

Also check out ShiftUpNow.org page where we can accept tax deductible donations online.

Please share this news, and help us spread the word!

Thank you for your support! 🙌🏻

12/09/2022

ITS ON! So excited for 2023!

10/06/2022

Women getting it done at IMS 💪

We're proud to have Christina Nielsen, Ashton Harrison, Taylor Hagler, and Erin Vogel behind the wheels of our two Acura NSX GT3 Evo22 machines this weekend at the !

09/13/2022

HPD Junior Factory Driver Ashton Harrison files her latest Sportscar365 column...

09/13/2022

I’m so excited about this race and this lineup!

🗞 NEWS ‼️

Two-time GTD Champion Christina Nielsen will join Racers Edge Motorsports for the Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS season finale at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Nielsen brings her considerable sports car experience to the wheel of the #93 Harrison Contracting Co Acura NSX GT3 Evo22 to team up with Pro-Am championship contenders Ashton Harrison and Mario Farnbacher for the eight-hour event. The duo has earned six podiums thus far in 2022, including a Pro-Am class sweep at Road America in the team’s most recent outing.

Nielsen won the Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship title in both 2016 and 2017, tallying over 14 podium finishes and her first IMSA victory during that time period. She has competed in GT World Challenge Asia and the Intercontinental GT Challenge (IGTC), and drove the Acura NSX GT3 in 2019 under the Meyer-Shank Racing/Heinricher Racing sponsored by Caterpillar banner.

“I’m super excited to be joining Racers Edge Motorsports, Ashton and Mario at the Indianapolis 8-hour event,” said Nielsen. “I was lucky enough to join the team at one of the HPD Driver Academy events and it was amazing to be back behind the wheel of the Acura GT3 NSX.”

“(The HPD Driver Academy) was my first time at Indy so it was nice to get familiar with the track and shake off the rust. I had a great first impression of the team; they have a super nice environment to work within and are also professional so that makes me even more excited for the race. The whole team has had a strong performance this season, so I feel very lucky that I get to join and support such a strong effort.”

“With the championship at stake, it’s critical to bring in just the right driver to join the lineup for the season finale where three drivers are required,” team owner Jon Mirachi added. “Christina has the right experience and the speed we need to help us go for the win and the championship. I couldn’t think of a better choice, and we’re excited to have her behind the wheel!”

Read more at our website: https://bit.ly/3eBzL2N

Christina Nielsen // Ashton Harrison Motorsports // Mario Farnbacher // Fanatec GT World Challenge America // Honda Racing/HPD // Harrison Contracting Co.

09/13/2022

Bronze-rated Dane joins Ashton Harrison, Dominik Farnbacher in team's Pro-Am title-contending Acura NSX GT3 Evo22...

08/24/2022

100 wins.

Since Jon Mirachi founded Racers Edge Motorsports in 1990, we’ve worked with so many drivers, crew and staff that have contributed to this legacy we’ve built. Every one of those individuals, our fans, and the support systems from the racing industry have aided tremendously in our successes.

We’re grateful for all the memories and the experiences in our history. We couldn’t do this without a TEAM, nor could we have created those teams without Jim Pattin, our head engineer, and Nick Pattin, our car chief, who have provided invaluable leadership, knowledge, and work ethic throughout their careers.

Thank you to all of the many people we have worked with over the years and who now celebrate this milestone with us.

Here’s to another 100 wins.

📷 Chris Green Photography LLC

08/09/2022

A great article about an inspirational and brilliant woman!

In High-Impact Life, author Kelli Masters () highlights how she advises others to find fulfillment and purpose. Most “wins” in life result from implementing these three tactics:⁠
⁠
Find your true self. ⁠
Take inventory of past experiences. What memories are most meaningful to you? Dig deep to know who you are, what you value. Be driven by the things that are deeply important to you. ⁠
⁠
Choose your team. ⁠
You have to have people who believe in you and challenge you to be better. Sometimes you have to walk away from relationships that are holding you back, that are pulling you away from your purpose. ⁠
⁠
Take action.⁠
Put yourself out there. Do what you feel called to do, because there is only one you. The world needs you to be your best self and to walk in your purpose.⁠
⁠
Written by: ⁠
Photo by: ⁠
⁠
For more insight from check out the link below to read the full article!

https://www.405magazine.com/football-femme/

08/05/2022

IndyCar driver Scott Dixon encouraged to see more women involved in motor sports https://bit.ly/3btPhgb

08/02/2022

I 💜 Road America. We race there in 2 weeks!

Ahead of weekend at Road America, which IMSA President John Doonan considers his home track, the sanctioning body president shares his vision.

07/29/2022

We'll let this schedule speak for itself 😍

🗓https://www.gt-world-challenge-america.com/news/591/sro-motorsports-america-announces-action-packed-2023-race-schedule