Founded by Michelle Della Penna, daughter of renowned race car driver and Indycar team owner John Della Penna, the foundation aims to provide girls aged 5 to 18 with the knowledge, skills, and mentorship to fuel their future in motorsports. With a mission to increase female representation in the industry, the foundation recognizes the importance of providing opportunities for girls to pursue their passion.
mission
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Over 400 girls reached through social media, press releases and programs
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Over 175 girls have attended Della Penna programs in Indianapolis and Sonoma.
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Two girls have been accepted into and are attending the prestigious Purdue School of Motorsports Engineering.
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Two girls hope to pursue their dream as racecar drivers. One has successfully attended the F3 Academy and is competing in the Formula Pro USA Championship in the F4 class. The other completed the Grand Prix NXG program and is fundraising to attend the Skip Barber Academy.
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Four girls have gotten social media or other part time internships
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We have offered five karting scholarships in partnership with NXG Youth Motorsports
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We have worked with motorsports organizations in California, North Carolina and Indiana to offer ten fellowships for girls to shadow women in motorsports for a week during the summer.
What successes have happened so far?
NXG Youth Motorsports hosts their Grand Prix Finale in Indy - two Della Penna karting scholars race!
The Della Penna Foundation partnership with NXG Youth Motorsports provides karting scholarships for girls with a passion for motorsports but lacking the resources to attend. Looking forward to 2026!
2025 DPF FELLOWSHIPS
Isabella Contreras spent a week shadowing Luisa Macer, Jimmie McMillian, Liz Smith and the team at IMS/Speedway
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Emma Hagge had an amazing week with Megan Ryder and the engineering team at Bryan Herta.
Ana Palestro will be in North Carolina in August spending the week with TaiJaune Robinson and the team at General Motorsports Engineering in between her races in the Jensen F4 car at Sonoma and Laguna Seca.
WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW:
WELCOME COACH ROD REID
We are honored to welcome Coach Rod Reid to the board of Directors at the Della Penna Foundation.
INSPIRE 2025
This past May, INSPIRE 2025 included three days of celebrities, new experiences, eye opening talks, fast friends, and a some time on the track. The young women who were a part of this year's program truly illustrated what this foundation has to offer the world and young women who want to be a part of it. Special thanks to Nicole Clark, Kai Robertson, Lyn St. James, Marilyn Mangin, Whitney Dung, AJ Carney and of course Pato O'Ward for making dreams come true this weekend! Check out more photos here.
