Shea Holbrook
Sports Car racing // Windermere, Florida
Shea's Socials:
Shea Holbrook blazed into motorsports history in 2011 as the first woman to win a major Touring Car race at Long Beach Grand Prix, racking up six Pirelli World Challenge victories.
Shea's Sponsors:
Fear is a state of mind; will is an action taken.
I learned very early on that I needed to become a successful person in the business industry of motorsports.
CHAT & RACER CALENDAR COMING
NEWS:
GRRL! Weekly Top-10 Newsletter
SubscribeSOCIALS:
VIDEOS:
FULL BIO: Shea Holbrook
Shea Holbrook made motorsports history as the first woman to win a major Touring Car race at the Long Beach Grand Prix in 2011, combining fierce driving talent with savvy business acumen as co-owner of her own racing team.
EARLY YEARS
Born on April 10, 1990, in Jacksonville, Florida, Shea was raised in Groveland by a family that would become the backbone of her racing empire. The Holbrook clan didn’t just support her motorsports dreams—they turned it into a full-blown family business under the banner of Shea Racing. She began racing cars as a teenager, with her parents providing the kind of unwavering support that every racer dreams of but few actually get. After burning rubber on the track, she hit the books at the University of Central Florida, graduating in 2012 with a Bachelor of Science in Communications and a minor in Marketing—skills that would prove just as valuable as her throttle control.
OTHER INTERESTS
A self-proclaimed adrenaline junkie, Shea’s need for speed extends beyond the racetrack into every corner of her life. She’s carved out time to support the Women’s Sports Foundation, championing female racers who are fighting the same battles she faced. Her entrepreneurial spirit runs as hot as her engine, with business ventures that prove she’s as comfortable in the boardroom as she is behind the wheel. When she’s not racing or running her company, she’s likely plotting her next business move or finding new ways to push the boundaries of what’s possible.
EARLY SUCCESS
Shea didn’t waste time making her mark on the racing world. She cut her teeth across an impressive range of series—SCCA Pro Racing, NASCAR Late Models, INDYCAR Developmental Ladder, Skip Barber Racing, and even tried her hand at IHRA Nitro Jam Drag Racing. But it was in 2011 at the Long Beach Grand Prix where she truly announced her arrival, becoming the first woman to win a major Touring Car race. This wasn’t just a victory; it was a statement that sent shockwaves through the motorsports community. The win came during her Pirelli World Challenge campaign, where she would go on to collect six victories and establish herself as a force to be reckoned with.
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS
- 2011: First woman to win a major Touring Car race at Long Beach Grand Prix[2][5]
- 2010-2017: Six-time Pirelli World Challenge winner[2]
- 2014: Received Women’s Sports Foundation ‘Women in the Winners Circle’ Project Podium Grant[2][4]
- 2018: Served as pace driver for Denise Mueller-Korenek’s bicycle land speed record at Bonneville Salt Flats, averaging 183.932 mph[1][4]
- Career totals: 8 wins, 27 podiums, 13 pole positions across Lamborghini Super Trofeo and Pirelli World Challenge[1]
INSPIRATIONS
While specific racing heroes aren’t documented in her story, Shea’s greatest inspiration clearly comes from her family’s unwavering belief in her potential. Their decision to build an entire racing operation around her talent speaks volumes about the foundation that shaped her “fear is a state of mind; will is an action taken” philosophy. The support system that allowed her to focus on both driving and developing her business acumen became the template for how she approaches every challenge on and off the track.
REPUTATION
In the paddock, Shea is respected as both a trailblazer and a straight-up competitor who earned her victories through skill, not sympathy. Media coverage consistently highlights her dual identity as a fierce racer and sharp businesswoman, with peers recognizing her as someone who didn’t just break barriers—she obliterated them and then built a successful enterprise in the process. Her approach to combining driving talent with entrepreneurial management has made her a role model for aspiring female racers. As she puts it, “I learned very early on that I needed to become a successful person in the business industry of motorsports”—a philosophy that’s earned her recognition from organizations like the Women’s Sports Foundation and respect from competitors who know she’s the real deal.
FUTURE GOALS/PLANS
As of 2025, Shea has stepped away from active competition to focus on starting a family, marking the end of a racing career that redefined what’s possible for women in motorsports. While her current racing schedule remains unannounced and no new team affiliations have been confirmed, her legacy as both a champion driver and successful team owner continues to inspire the next generation of female racers looking to follow in her tire tracks.
References:
Wikipedia entry on Shea Holbrook
Team7 Racing profile
Orange Observer feature article
Exclusive interview on Actively Living in Love
University of Central Florida College of Sciences news article
Have Shea updates or corrections? Please let us know – We’d love to keep this profile current.
