ANGELA ASHMORE & DANIELLE SHEPHERD Make IndyCar History as Lead Engineers

March 5, 2024

by Marshall Pruett // from racer.com

GRRL! SUMMARY:

ANGELA ASHMORE graduates from assistant engineer on Marcus Ericsson’s Indy 500-winning No. 8 Honda to lead engineer for Marcus Armstrong’s No. 11 entry, while DANIELLE SHEPHERD returns from IMSA’s championship-winning Cadillac program to engineer rookie Kyffin Simpson’s No. 4 Honda. They become the third and fourth women ever to hold IndyCar’s highest engineering positions, marking the first time two women serve as lead engineers simultaneously for the same team.
Both women built their expertise through Ganassi’s development system rather than jumping teams for advancement. SHEPHERD climbed every rung of the engineering ladder at Ganassi over multiple seasons, from assistant to simulation to performance engineer, before leading the hybrid Cadillac program to victories including the 12 Hours of Sebring. ASHMORE gained comprehensive experience under veteran engineer Brad Goldberg while contributing to championship efforts with Scott Dixon and Alex Palou.
Their promotions continue Ganassi’s legacy of engineering firsts for women, following SHEPHERD’s role in Scott Dixon’s 2018 championship team and ASHMORE becoming the first female engineer to win the Indy 500. The team’s Women In Motorsports intern program and commitment to internal development has created unprecedented opportunities, with Kate Gundlach at Arrow McLaren potentially next to join the race engineering ranks.
Both engineers emphasize substance over symbolism, with ASHMORE stating she wants her “work to speak for itself” while focusing on qualifying well and winning races. SHEPHERD notes the growing female presence across IndyCar teams and IMSA, expressing hope for a future where women in engineering becomes so commonplace “we’re not really talking about it anymore because it is just commonplace.”