Shea Holbrook makes racing return with top-20, Paityn Feyen debuts in TGRNA
- RACERS
- Apr 1
- 4 min read
In the 2025 season opener of the Toyota GR Cup North America at Sonoma, Shea Holbrook made her return to racing with a P19 finish and a Highest Finishing Female Award, while rookie 16 year old Paityn Feyen enjoyed consistent progress and clean races on her step up from karting, securing the top Female Award on Saturday.
Toyota GR Cup North America kicked off its third on-track season as part of the SRO America package, featuring two new female drivers—Shea Holbrook and Paityn Feyen—who shared victories in the Highest Finishing Female Award at Sonoma.
Holbrook, driver and owner of BSI Racing, made her racing return after a hiatus since 2019, when she competed in the all-female W Series championship. The 34-year-old American has extensive experience in the SRO paddock, having raced in the Pirelli World Challenge since 2012. In 2014, she won five races to finish second in the TCA standings and returned to the top step of the podium in 2017. She later moved to the Lamborghini Super Trofeo America in 2018 before being selected for the inaugural W Series championship in 2019, where she was one of two American drivers and secured a best finish of 12th at Zolder.
In 2020, Holbrook paused her racing career to start a family, then shifting her focus to team ownership as she took over BSI Racing. Under her leadership, the team became a frontrunner in both the highly competitive Mazda MX-5 Cup and Toyota GR Cup North America. Now a mother of two, Holbrook seized the opportunity to return to the driver’s seat at Sonoma, where she delivered a strong performance, battling mid-pack six years after her last professional race.
Also making a positive debut was 16-year-old Paityn Feyen, who stepped up from karting to join Nitro Motorsports for a full-season campaign in the GR Cup. Feyen has shown steady progress in her karting career and, after testing the GR Cup car, committed to a full season entry. Feyen was also announced as one of the Shift Up Now Foundation’s 2025 grantees, an initiative led by Pippa Mann to support promising female drivers through funding and partnerships. In addition to her GR Cup commitments, Feyen has also begun racing in Legend Cars, continuing to build experience in different disciplines.
The first on-track sessions of the weekend saw Holbrook post the 11th fastest time in a wet FP1. She continued to show solid pace in FP2, clocking a 1:53.927 lap to place 19th. Feyen improved throughout the session, ending P30 as she gained confidence in the car.
In the first qualifying session of the season, Holbrook initially set a 1:56.2 before steadily improving to a 1:53.626 in the closing minutes, securing P21 on the grid. Feyen qualified P30 with a 1:55.786 lap time.
A packed grid of 31 cars took the green flag for the first race of the season. Holbrook made an excellent start, climbing to P19 on the opening lap, while Feyen, after a cautious getaway, gained three positions to move into P28.
As the race settled, Holbrook maintained P20 while running in a tightly packed group. A crash for Jenson Sofronas at Turn 3 brought out the first caution of the season, allowing Holbrook to gain another position in P19. Feyen continued to make progress, advancing to P27.
At the lap 8 restart, Holbrook was involved in contact at Turn 4, dropped to the back of the field and eventually pitted to retire from the race.
Meanwhile, Paityn Feyen held her ground in P26 and gained a position when Koch was forced to pit with damage. Despite challenges, she remained consistent, running in the 1:55s.
Feyen completed her first race in P26, keeping it clean and mistake-free. She was awarded the Highest Finishing Female Award, earning her first $5,000 prize. Up front, Weisenberg claimed victory after a thrilling battle with Workman, finishing just one-tenth apart at the line.
Sunday's sessions were affected by heavy rain, disrupting qualifying. With only a few minutes of green flag running, Holbrook set a 2:27.4, while Feyen posted a 2:27.5. Both were unable to get a representative lap, qualifying P28 and P29, respectively.
By the time Race 2 started, the rain had stopped, but the track remained damp in some areas. Holbrook and Feyen each gained a position on the opening lap, moving into P27 and P28. A few cars ran off track on lap 2, and when Tovo was handed a drive-through penalty for a starting infringement, both drivers moved up further.
Holbrook showcased strong pace, consistently improving her lap times into the 1:56s. She engaged in a fierce five-car battle, overtaking Davis and Curtis to climb to P24. Feyen, also improving, gained another spot when Curtis spun at Turn 3, setting a personal best time of 1:57.6.
A pivotal moment came when Saturday’s winner Weisenberg went off, promoting Holbrook to P23 and Feyen to P25. However, a full-course yellow was deployed for a stranded Lucas Racing car. At the lap 8 restart, Holbrook executed a clean pass on Sofronas to move into P22. Feyen held her ground but dropped to P27 later in the lap.
The closing laps saw intense position battles, with Holbrook making a brilliant move on Forman at Turn 2 and closing in on the top 20. A late-race collision between Ayars and Dean at the chicane allowed Holbrook to seize the opportunity and finish in P19, securing a top-20 result in her racing return. She also claimed the win in the Female Trophy category.
Feyen crossed the line in P25, capping off a valuable learning experience in her debut weekend.
After a solid opening round, the Toyota GR Cup North America season continues at Circuit of the Americas in Austin on April 25-27. Both Holbrook and Feyen will aim to build on their encouraging performances in the highly competitive field.
