Shea Holbrook

Shea Holbrook
Shea Holbrook
	IMSA

Shea Holbrook (born April 10, 1990) is an American professional racing driver, entrepreneur and spokeswoman. Currently, she is in retirement starting a family.

Drafting with Denise Mueller-Korenek, Holbrook drove a dragster supporting world record for paced bicycle land speed at the Bonneville Salt Flats in 2018. The two traveled an average of 183.932 mph (296.010 km/h). Denise Mueller-Korenek set the world record.

Early life

Holbrook was raised in Groveland, Florida. She graduated from the University of Central Florida in 2012, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in communication with a minor in marketing.^[1]^[2]

She grew up a nationally ranked competitive

water skier

. At a young age, she saw much success on the water and also learned how to fly her father's plane however never officially took any lessons or required training or obtain a Private Pilots license. An adrenaline seeker, Holbrook wasn't quite satisfied until she was introduced in motor racing.

Racing

Holbrook began her professional racing career with the

Richard Petty’s Driving Experience.^[3]

Holbrook received her first taste of international motorsport having qualified for the

Formula 3 championship for women. One of two Americans in a European-based series (alongside Sabré Cook), she struggled heavily for pace and often found herself at the back of the field with inexperienced Canadian Megan Gilkes – highlighted by qualifying 8 seconds away from the pole time in the opening round at the Hockenheimring. She finished the championship 18th and as the only driver to have contested all races to not score points, with 12th place in Zolder her best result.^[4]

Other

In 2016 Holbrook was the pace vehicle driver when Denise Mueller-Korenek 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-Korenek is the official record holder, with Holbrook only listed in articles a support driver.^[5] Holbrook again paired with Mueller-Korenek in 2018 to break the world record for paced cycling, reaching a speed of 183.9 mph (296.0 km/h).^[6]

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,

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 – 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 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)

Racing record

2019 W Series Brands Hatch round

Complete W Series results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	DC	Points
2019	Hitech GP	HOC 16	ZOL 12	MIS 16	NOR 15	ASS 16	BRH 17	18th	0

References

^ "UCF grads include pro race-car driver Shea Holbrook". Orlando Sentinel. 2012-05-05. Retrieved 2012-05-07.
^ ^a ^b "About Shea". Shea Racing. Archived from the original on 2012-09-08. Retrieved 2012-05-07.
^ "Shea Holbrook making a name for herself". MyFOX Orlando. 2011-03-27. Retrieved 2012-05-07.
^ "Shea Holbrook". W Series. 23 December 2019.
^ Fabrizio, Tony (2013-07-16). "Cyclist Denise Mueller sets one speed record, falls short of another". Espn.com. Retrieved 2016-09-15.
^ Chappell, Bill (September 18, 2018). "Woman Rides Bicycle To 183.9 MPH — A World Record". NPR. Retrieved September 21, 2018.

External links

[grad-1] "UCF grads include pro race-car driver Shea Holbrook". Orlando Sentinel. 2012-05-05. Retrieved 2012-05-07.

[bio-2] "About Shea". Shea Racing. Archived from the original on 2012-09-08. Retrieved 2012-05-07.

[3] "Shea Holbrook making a name for herself". MyFOX Orlando. 2011-03-27. Retrieved 2012-05-07.

[4] "Shea Holbrook". W Series. 23 December 2019.

[5] Fabrizio, Tony (2013-07-16). "Cyclist Denise Mueller sets one speed record, falls short of another". Espn.com. Retrieved 2016-09-15.

[NPR-6] Chappell, Bill (September 18, 2018). "Woman Rides Bicycle To 183.9 MPH — A World Record". NPR. Retrieved September 21, 2018.

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