Shea Holbrook

Shea Holbrook (born 1990) is an American professional racing driver, entrepreneur and spokeswoman. Currently, she is competing in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Series sanctioned by IMSA. The professional Lamborghini race car driver piloted the dragster that Denise Mueller-Korenek drafted becoming the current world record holder for paced bicycle land speed. They set the record on September 16, 2018 at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, by travelling an average of 183.932 mph.

A sport that takes strength, adrenaline, speed and risk-taking also demands respect, knowledge and understanding. Holbrook's passion for driving started when she was sixteen years old with a Richard Petty Experience. She quickly began excelling in motorsports and the business of motorsports. After 10 years of impressive on track racing accomplishments, Holbrook has become a nationally recognized racecar driver. Her diverse racing experience ranges from Sports Car Club of America, NASCAR Late Models, INDYCAR's Development Ladder Series (Skip Barber), IHRA Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series, Bonneville Land Speed Records, Pirelli World Challenge and the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Series where she currently races.

Her first mark in history was when she won the Long Beach Grand Prix in 2011 becoming the first female to win a major Touring Car race at the prestigious venue. Since then, she has gone on to become a 7-Time Pirelli World Challenge Winner and team owner of Shea Racing.

With a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications and Marketing from the University of Central Florida Holbrook is well-rounded brand and women in motorsport ambassador. Holbrook has developed an aptitude for business and entrepreneurship which demands the same level of risk and ferocity as racing.

Along with her business ventures in automotive and trackside performances, Holbrook has been recognized by the Women’s Sports Foundation as a leading Women in Motorsport and earned the Lyn St. James ‘Women in the Winners Circle’ Project Podium Grant. Today, she sits on the Women’s Sports Foundation Athlete Advisory Panel. Holbrook has been involved in charitable aspects her whole life. Primarily advocating for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

With media attention from outlets such as espnW, Yahoo, Teen Vogue, & Autoweek and she has had the honor to represent brands such as BUBBA Burgers, Lucas Oil, Honda Racing, TrueCar amongst many others.

Early life

A competitor her whole life, Holbrook grew up a nationally ranked competitive water skier. Her father, a US Navy veteran instilled focus, work-ethic and resilience in and her largest supporter, mom, taught Holbrook to dream it, believe it and achieve it. At a young determined age, she saw much success on the water and had the opportunity to enjoy learning how to fly her dad’s plane. An adrenaline seeker, Holbrook wasn’t quite satisfied until she was introduced in motor racing.

At the age of sixteen she rode shotgun in a Richard Petty Experience at Daytona International Speedway. From that day forward she knew she wanted to pursue a career in motorsports. With zero prior industry knowledge nor the mechanics or engineering of the sport her learning curve was steep.

Holbrook began to gain experience in high performance driving events and went on to obtain her club racing license with the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA). It became obvious to her that both skills behind the wheel as well as both street smarts and book smarts would be critical to her success as a racing driver and future business owner. So, Shea earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Interpersonal and Organizational Communications with a Minor in Marketing from the University of Central Florida. A degree that would pay off as she hit the pavement building partnerships to keep her on track while providing attractive marketing platforms for businesses.

In efforts to add as many tools to her toolbox she attended many industry conventions and driver development schools such as seven-time Indianapolis 500 drivers, Lyn St. James, Women in the Winners Circle program.

Racing

During the 2010 season, Holbrook and her family entered into professional racing in the then, SCCA Pro Racing World Challenge. As a true mom and pop effort, team Shea Racing received support from family, friends, strangers and the racing community to compete in the St. Petersburg Grand Prix benefiting Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. A disease that affects her family. From there Holbrook earned stellar trackside performances elevating her professional career while cultivating partnerships.

Her first major mark in history came when she won the Long Beach Grand Prix in 2011 becoming the first female to win a Touring Car race at the prestigious venue.

The between years Holbrook and family experienced many highs and lows. A sport in which takes cents to make sense she stayed relentless. Finally, a big break. Shea became a part of a national marketing campaign representing TrueCar's Women Empowered Initiative during the 2012-2013 seasons. Holbrook’s growth from there was exponential both on track and off. Shea Racing became one of the larger Pirelli World Challenge Touring Car teams in the paddock with a racing and marketing purpose. They went on to build up to four cars and drivers under their banner from 2013-2017 while securing a contract with Honda Performance Development Honda Racing. Over the course of Holbrook’s career she became a 7-Time winner in the Pirelli World Challenge Series and has earned the credibility from her peers and competitors as a respected competitor, team owner and marketing guru.

With her career and business evolving, Holbrook licensed in jet dragster to compete in the 2015 IHRA Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series while continuing road racing. Holbrook drove the Florida Institute of Technology jet dragster earning her first drag racing win at San Antonio Raceway. She then returned in 2016-2017 for a full-season effort running a four-car program in the Pirelli World Challenge Championships in conjunction with Honda Performance Development Honda Racing. Towards the end of the 2017 season Holbrook competed in the last four rounds of the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Series.

Other

In 2016 Holbrook was the pace vehicle driver when Denise Mueller set a women's world record for the fastest speed on a paced bicycle with an official speed of 147.75 mph on Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats; no woman had ever attempted the mark before Mueller.^[1]

Business

Holbrook is involved in many aspects of the motorsport and automotive industries including, keynote and panel public speaking, television, automotive experiential and marketing programs, professional driver coaching, hospitality and marketing management. Companies she’s developed programs and have worked alongside include, Cadillac, Jaguar, Mercedes AMG, Performance Racing Industry, SEMA, Women in Automotive, Sports Car Club of America’s Track Night in America, CBS Sports Network, and the Wall Street Journal among others.

Achievements

2017 - Two Top Five's in the North American Lamborghini Super Trofeo Series, 2017 - Top Ten in Pirelli World Challenge Touring Car Championship, 2016 - Guinness World Record Holder for Paced Bicycle Land Speed Record with Denise Mueller (bicyclist), First-Ever Woman's Record of 167mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats, 2016 - Top Five in Pirelli World Challenge Touring Car Championship, 2015 - Top Three in IHRA Jet Dragster Championship, 2014 - 2nd Place in the Pirelli World Challenge Touring Car A Championship, 2014 – Recipient of the Women’s Sports Foundations Project Podium Grant, 2013 – 7th place in the Pirelli World Challenge Touring Car B Championships, 2012 – 4th place in the Pirelli World Challenge Touring Car Championships, 2012 – Shea received the “Living Legend Honoree Award” for her on and off track efforts, and was been honored in the “Women in Motorsports”, SuperCars Super Show Exhibit and was featured in Teen Vogue and Jalopnik, 2012 – Shea became a member of the all-female TRUECar Racing Women Empowered Initiative, 2011 – Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach Pirelli World Challenge Touring Car 1st Place – first female driver to win a Touring Car race, 2010 – First professional year of racing taking 6th place in the SCCA Pro Racing World Challenge Touring Car Championships, 2009 – Central Florida Region SCCA Champion for H1, 2009 – Track Record 1:30.027 at West Palm International Raceway class P2, 2008 – Women in the Winners Circle (Lyn St. James Foundation) received Cooper Tire & Rubber Company Scholarship, 2008 – 25 Hours Of ThunderHill 2008, team DivaSpeed, 6th in class, 31st overall of 68, 2008 – First female alternate for the 2008 VW Jetta TDI Cup, 2007 – Sobre Rodas Talent of the Year award (another winner Helio Castroneves).

References

External links

• Official website
• Denise on Bicycling and the Law