INDIANAPOLIS (May 24, 2022) – Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) and PNC Bank today introduced the inaugural class of interns for the Women In Motorsports Powered by PNC Bank with Chip Ganassi Racing program.
The program, which was launched in March to drive awareness and support for gender equality and economic inclusion for women in the workforce, is designed to accelerate career pathways and mentorship opportunities for female students interested in motorsports.
“Our goal is to provide these young women with a unique, in-person experience alongside a race team, to truly understand what motorsports is all about,” said Danielle Shephard, a lead engineer at CGR. “Activating this internship during the race season will help these women apply their knowledge and skills to use in a real-world setting, and hopefully, help them decide where to take their careers from here.”
The following interns will begin their program this week at CGR:
- Kenna Edwards, Information Technology; Indiana University
- Leela Edwards, Mechanic/Subassembly; Harper College
- Rebecca Hutton, Engineering; Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis
- Jennifer Short, Engineering; Purdue University
- Jessica Young, Athletic Training; University of North Texas
The students will be immersed in on-site learning and career-development experiences during the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season, including the 106th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Sunday, May 29. Responsibilities will include working closely with race team managers and department leaders to assist on vital projects and collaboration with departments across the organization to assist with the team’s racing functions, such as racing operations, engineering to information technology, athletic training and more.
“Our strategy is based on the idea that when young women see more role models in traditionally male dominated fields, it may be easier to believe that they too can make a meaningful impact on that field - and the data shows that teams with meaningful representation of women create more innovative solutions faster than non-diverse teams,” said Debbie Guild, PNC head of Enterprise Technology and Security. “We know that creating a community of support, such as what PNC and CGR are doing with this intern program, is a simple yet effective way to tell these women to stick with motorsports, and demonstrate to them that it is an exciting and rewarding career for women, just as much as it is for men. We look forward to seeing how these women make a difference in the future of motorsports.”
The Women In Motorsports program is the latest collaboration between CGR and PNC Bank, building on a relationship which began in 2013. In addition to the internship program, the campaign includes a thought leadership video content series showcasing female leaders working within CGR. Follow Chip Ganassi Racing (@CGRTeams on Twitter; @ChipGanassiRacing on Instagram, @ChipGanassiRacingTeams on Facebook) and PNC Bank (@PNCBank) on social media to stay up to date.
PNC Bank, National Association, is a member of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC). PNC is one of the largest diversified financial services institutions in the United States, organized around its customers and communities for strong relationships and local delivery of retail and business banking including a full range of lending products; specialized services for corporations and government entities, including corporate banking, real estate finance and asset-based lending; wealth management and asset management. For information about PNC, visit www.pnc.com.
Chip Ganassi has been a fixture in the auto racing industry for over 30 years and is considered one of the most successful and innovative owners in motorsports. Today, his teams include four Honda cars in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, two Cadillac DPi’s in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and one GMC Hummer EV in Extreme E. Overall, his teams have 21 championships and more than 230 victories, including four wins in the Indianapolis 500, eight Rolex 24 At Daytona victories, and wins in the 12 Hours of Sebring and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Ganassi boasts a state-of-the-art facility in Indianapolis, where INDYCAR, IMSA and Extreme E teams are located, and a corporate office in Pittsburgh. For more information, visit www.chipganassiracing.com.
CONTACTS:
PNC BANK
Kelby Krauss
kelby.krauss@pnc.com
CHIP GANASSI RACING
Will Erickson
(612) 990-3452
werickson@ganassi.com
@CGRTeams
