ENGINEERING/MECHANICS
Representatives for Women in Motorsports North America include the following individuals:
Angela Ashmore
Assistant Engineer, Chip Ganassi Racing
Hometown | Residence:
Coopersville, MI | Indianapolis, IN
First Year in Racing: 2012
Greatest Accomplishment:
Writing a fuel strategy tool which helped me to my first two career wins in 2021.
Advice:
Don’t be a victim. Meaning: your circumstances do not dictate your future. You have control of your own attitude, work ethic, words, and choices.
Alba Lynnette Colon
Hendrick Motorsports Director of Competition Systems
Hometown | Residence:
Mayaguez, PR | Huntersville, NC
First Year in Racing: 1994
Greatest Accomplishment:
Mentoring the next generation of motorsports professionals.
Advice:
Never give up. The best things in life take hard work, commitment and passion.
- WIMNA Working Group
Madison Conrad
Powertrain Reliability Specialist
at Roush Yates Engines
Hometown | Residence:
Albuquerque, NM | Mooresville, NC
First Year in Racing: 2016
Greatest Accomplishment:
2018 NASCAR Cup Series Championship
Advice:
Never underestimate how far your work ethic and attitude can take you. Hard work and a positive attitude know NO gender.
- WIMNA Working Group
Lauren Elkins
The Elkins Group, LLC, Vice President
Hometown | Residence:
Rolling Hills Estates, CA | Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
First Year in Racing: 2004
Greatest Accomplishment:
Winning back to back championships in LMP1 with Muscle Milk – Pickett Racing.
Advice:
Integrity matters…in data & in life.
- WIMNA Working Group
Gracie Hackenberg
Damper Engineer/Tire Changer at Arrow McLaren SP
Hometown | Residence:
Gainesville, FL | Indianapolis, IN
First Year in Racing: 2012
Greatest Accomplishment:
Going over the wall for the first time (2021 Mid-Ohio IndyCar race) as an outside rear tire changer.
Advice:
Discipline, work ethic, and passion are the most important attributes race teams are looking for in young people, your skill set and experience will come with time.
Abby Hempy
NASCAR - Vehicle Systems Engineer
Hometown | Residence:
Cottage Grove, MN | Concord, NC
First Year in Racing: 2018
Greatest Accomplishment:
Development and testing of the NextGen platform for the NASCAR Cup Series.
Advice:
Grit. Grit is more valuable than natural talent.
Karen Nowakowski
International Motor Sport Association (IMSA), Field Investigator
Hometown | Residence:
Fort Myers, FL | Hoschton, GA
First Year in Racing: 2005
Greatest Accomplishment:
2010 Firefighter of the Year, City of Atlanta.
Advice:
Be present. You can’t recover the moment after it’s missed.
- WIMNA Working Group
Nicole Rotondo
IndyCar Trackside Powertrain Support Engineer for Honda Performance Development
Hometown | Residence:
Middletown, NJ | Livonia, MI
First Year in Racing: 2012
Greatest Accomplishment:
Securing our first 2 wins for Marcus Ericsson and Chip Ganassi Racing in the 2021 Indycar Season.
Advice:
Be genuine in all that you do; in your passion, in your interests, in your learning and your failures, and in your interactions with others. In my experience, those who show up eager to learn rather than with something to prove tend to earn more respect in our field.
Nicole Stout
Goodyear Racing, Sportscar Design and Development Engineer
Hometown | Residence:
Sagamore Hills, OH | Sagamore Hills, OH
First Year in Racing: 2013
Greatest Accomplishment:
First female Sportscar Design and Development Engineer for Goodyear Racing
Advice:
Do whatever job that needs to be done in order to ensure the success of the team.
Lauren Sullivan
Team Penske - Engineering and Team Logistics Coordinator for IndyCar
Hometown | Residence:
Walnut, CA | Mooresville, NC
First Year in Racing: 1999
Greatest Accomplishment:
Supporting the first female-forward IndyCar team, Paretta Autosport, at the Indianapolis 500 as a performance engineer.
Advice:
Everyone is taught the same thing in school; therefore, on paper, everyone looks the same. What you learn outside the classroom is your leverage.
- WIMNA Working Group
Lizzie Todd
Andretti Autosport, Systems Engineer
Hometown | Residence:
Vail, CO | Indianapolis, IN
First Year in Racing: 2017
Greatest Accomplishment:
Getting my first full time job in racing!
Advice:
Ask Questions!!! All the time, about everything!
Tatjana Ziemer
Sonoma Raceway; Kart Track Marshal and Mechanic and CEO of Never Lift Consulting
Hometown | Residence:
Sebastopol, CA | Walnut Creek, CA
First Year in Racing: 2016
Greatest Accomplishment:
Becoming a finalist for the 2021 Formula Woman Racing competition.
Advice:
Drivers need three things – control, vision, and determination. Speed is a byproduct of the three.