Porsche’s recent motorsport history is has been pretty woman-inclusive, hiring driving talent like IMSA champion Christina Nielsen to drive 911s and open-wheel legend Simona de Silvestro as test and development driver for the massively successful Formula E program. Women love Porsches just as much as men do, and everybody loves racing once they give it a shake. Getting more women to participate in racing, particularly at a professional level, has been a drive of Porsches for at least the last decade. There have been world-championship-caliber women out there for decades, but many don’t have the support or opportunities needed, particularly at a young age, to get as far up the motorsport development ladder as they could or should. A new partnership with Deluxe sees Porsche helping to provide those opportunities.
Sabré Cook is the first recipient of the Porsche motorsport scholarship, effective for the 2023 season. Carrera Cup North America Champions Kellymoss Motorsport hosted an all-female driver shootout late last year, which Cook won running away, earning her seat with the team in 2023. Beyond helping connect Cook to backing by Deluxe, Porsche Motorsport North America will assist Cook with event entry fees and provide one-on-one mentoring with Porsche Motorsport legend, Patrick Long.
Cook isn’t new to Carrera Cup, having podiumed in her only outing in a Cup car back in 2021 during the Circuit of the Americas Formula One weekend. She was at the track to compete in the W Series (where she finished 11th and 13th in a double-header), and got a one-off ride in the Kellymoss #37 car for the weekend. She finished third in her first-ever race with the car, having qualified fourth. The 28-year-old mechanical engineer from Colorado has fought the hard fight to be where she is now, struggling with funding and middling open wheel team efforts for the first decade of her career. There have been a number of open wheelers who have made the transition to tin tops through the Porsche Motorsport pyramid, and here’s hoping that Cook will be the next one.
Volker Holzmeyer, President and CEO, Porsche Motorsport North America.
“One our primary objectives at PMNA is to nurture young talent. We recognize the importance of drawing more female talent into the paddock at all levels. The most visible opportunity to showcase our objectives is from the driver’s seat of our Porsche one-make series. As we developed our relationship, we found ourselves of the same mind with Deluxe. When we combine with their commitment and that of Kellymoss, we can now provide Sabré all the tools she needs to challenge for the Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America championship in 2023.”
Sabré Cook, driver, No. 37 Deluxe Kellymoss Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.
“Being the first recipient of the Kellymoss scholarship is such an incredible opportunity. To have Porsche and Deluxe as main supporters of that program, I feel really prepared to take advantage of this opportunity that lies before me in 2023.”
Victoria Thomas, co-owner/CFO, Kellymoss.
“We are excited to have Deluxe and Porsche as partners to recognize the value of supporting women in motorsports. The goal is to bring more women forward as drivers, as technicians, as engineers and definitely as fans. Together, this group is going to be very powerful in producing a lot of awareness and we believe that will bring the change.”
Daniel Niccum, Vice President, Business Development, Deluxe Corporation.
“It is vital to the strength of our culture, economy and country that everyone has equal footing to achieve. The Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America is founded on this concept. Every driver has the same equipment to prove her or his talent. That is fundamental to what we do at Deluxe, and we could not be prouder to be partnered with Porsche in this significant new Female Driver Development Program, to be represented by a stellar talent in Sabré and the championship-winning Kellymoss organization.”