Following outstanding results in Porsche Sprint Challenge NA, Chloe Chambers and Madeline Stewart have been included in the expanded Deluxe Female Driver Development Program, aimed at supporting young female drivers on the Porsche Motorsport North America Pyramid.
The Porsche Motorsport North America platform has seen some outstanding success for female racing drivers lately, as Sabré Cook - recipient of the inaugural Deluxe Corporation Female Driver Development scholarship - showed impressive adaptation to the highly competitive Porsche Carrera Cup NA, claiming a top 10 in only her third weekend, as well as race victories and more notable results for Chloe Chambers, Madeline Stewart and Ashley Freiberg in the Porsche Sprint Challenge North America.
The Deluxe Female Driver Development Program has been designed to help female drivers move up the ranks of the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid North America, providing them with the tools and opportunities to develop as racing drivers at elite levels of sports car racing.
With today's announcement, Porsche Motorsport North America and Deluxe Corporation expand the Female Driver Development Program, adding two more drivers to the roster: Sabré Cook will be joined by Chloe Chambers and Madeline Stewart.
Chambers, 18, recently joined the Porsche Junior Driver program, as the American joined the Porsche Sprint Challenge North America in the TPC Racing Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport - in what is effectively her first season of GT racing.
Chambers has in fact spent the last couple of seasons racing single-seaters internationally: having made her debut in the US F4 Championship, she was selected for the all-female W Series and then went on to become the first woman to secure a pole position and to win a race in the highly competitive Formula Regional Oceania Championship.
At her debut weekend in Porsche Sprint Challenge North America, Chambers swept the weekend at Barber Motorsports Park, with a double pole position and a double race victory in the Cayman class. She therefore becomes the recipient of the Cayman class scholarship.
“Being part of the Female Driver Development Program is special", Chloe commented. "Having all of the support from Porsche and Porsche Motorsport is great. It is something that I am very appreciative of and I will try and represent the brand well."
"I have worked with Porsche Cars North America in the past with a Guinness World Record title achievement, but it is super cool now to be involved on the Motorsport side", she continued, mentioning her still standing world record in car slalom, achieved with a Porsche 718 Spyder.
"I want to race in Le Mans", Chambers continued. "I would love to be doing it with Porsche. I grew up watching Porsches race and that is how I got into racing. It would be a goal to close out my career as a Porsche factory driver.”
New Zealander racer Madeline Stewart was named as the GT3 Cup recipient of the scholarship: at her first season in North America, Stewart impressed with remarkable pace and results in the two opening weekend of the Porsche Sprint Challenge North America, where she drives the #282 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race car for JDX Racing.
With previous experience of the Porsche Carrera Cup Australia, Stewart will have to learn all the circuits, but has already offered a glimpse of her talent at both Sebring and Barber Motorsports Park, with an outright pole positions at series debut, as well as three class podiums from the first four races of the season.
“I feel very privileged to be part of the Porsche Female Driver Development Program", echoed Stewart. "Coming over to race in the USA this year was a huge step, but I am grateful for the support I have already received."
"Programs like this really help to further my career in motorsport and it is fantastic to see Porsche Motorsport North America, Yokohama and USAC working so hard to support females climbing through the Porsche Pyramid. We have had a great first two rounds of the Championship, so I am looking forward to continuing on this year before making the step to Carrera Cup next year."
Both drivers will receive a full season entry in the Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama, plus one one set of Yokohama race tires at each event, as well as coaching from Porsche Junior Program North America's Partick Long.
“Being able to add the Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama to our Female Driver Development Program has been an objective since we conceived the idea", explains Volker Holzmeyer, President and CEO of Porsche Motorsport North America.
"It is natural to add this to each level of our Motorsport Pyramid. Through our partnership with Deluxe, Yokohama and USAC, we have been able to do it even sooner than we thought would be possible."
"At Deluxe, we are honored to sponsor the Porsche Deluxe Female Driver Development Program and support the advancement of women in motorsports" - commented Tracey Engelhardt, President at Deluxe Corporation, a payments and business technology company.
"We believe that diversity and inclusion are crucial in every industry, and motorsports is no exception. By providing opportunities for female drivers like Madeline Stewart, Chloe Chambers and Sabré Cook, we hope to help level the playing field and create a more equitable future for all aspiring racers. We are excited to continue our partnership with Porsche and be part of this important initiative."
