Loni Unser is Keeping the Family Name in the Fast Lane
Loni Unser races for the Porsche Sprint Challenge. Photo: Kyle Schwab
Loni Unser was born to race — and has the family to prove it. The Unser family has been involved in motorsports since 1915, when her great-great grandfather and his brothers first raced Pikes Peak in motorcycles. Her cousin Al Sr. won the Indy 500 four times and countless Unsers have raced professionally in multiple series, including her father Johnny. Yet, Loni did not grow up in the driver’s seat. Instead, she spent much of her childhood as a Rocky Mountain skier in a small Idaho town. But that all changed at age 19, when she discovered a palpable love for driving sports cars and decided to pursue a career as a pro driver. She will race in Porsche Sprint Challenge this season and reps for Shift Up Now, a non-profit organization that champions women athletes to thrive in motorsports.
How do you mentally prepare yourself to race? What goes through your mind before the race? Where is your focus during the race?
I don't have any crazy pre-race routine, because I am the type of person that would be so OCD about it that if any of it was thrown off my whole mental state would be in shambles. So, I don't do anything crazy before the race other than focus on how grateful I am to be in the position that I get to race! I also usually run a lap in my head and try to clear my mind of anything else, but those two things. During the race, if I am in the right headspace I am thinking about nothing other than executing and hitting my marks. The more in the moment I can be and the more fun I am having the better I drive.
How do you overcome fear and find confidence on the track? What does safety mean to you?
Overcoming fear and finding confidence is something I practice daily. Knowing that I have done everything I can to be as prepared as possible keeps me feeling confident.
Safety is of utmost importance especially racing the Pikes Peak Hill Climb. I feel so grateful that safety has come so far since my grandfather and great uncles were driving. Ultimately, it is cool to see how technology in motorsport is changing and evolving every day.
“My Dad has always taught me that racing is a game of inches, and it’s so true.”
What's the most important thing to focus on while driving? What are the most important skills for a driver to have?
The single most important thing to focus on while driving and racing is hitting your marks and being precise. My Dad has always taught me that racing is a game of inches, and it's so true. To drive on the edge, it requires you to be so laser focused and the moment you lose focus you are losing time or the rear end of your car haha!
The key to being a great driver is having the ability to adapt. There are so many variables when you are racing and driving that you need to be extremely good at recognizing changing conditions and adapting your driving accordingly. This can apply to so many aspects of racing all the way from adapting to how your tires are wearing to adapting to different chassis and setups.
You've written "I race because I love being one with the machine." What does that mean to you?
I can remember the first opportunity I had to drive a car in a high-performance manner and a lightbulb went off in my head of, "wow I can throw this several thousand pound hunk of machinery around, and I get to control exactly what it does." For me, being one with the machine also means being so in tune with it you know what it needs at every second while you are driving it. Most people don't understand how much vehicles are capable of so to really push them to their limits is something very special.
You are following your family's legacy. What does that legacy mean to you? How do you want to be like your family members? How do you want to be different?
I used to feel a lot of pressure when it came to being an Unser, but I am at a really good place with it now and I am just so honored to get to follow in my family's footsteps. For me getting to carry on the legacy means showing up every day and giving it my all. I also believe my family helped many people find their love for motorsports and or cars and I want to do the same. I want to help people find their passion and carry out their dreams. Of course, I am different because I am a woman, so for me encouraging young girls to enter into a career in the car industry is a job I don't take lightly and am honored to do. Fortunately, I get to work with an amazing program called Shift Up Now that helps me channel my passion in sharing this sport.
You race in several different series. Can you share the current details and what makes each special to you?
In 2025 I am racing in the Porsche Sprint Challenge in the Cayman GT4 RS with Kellymoss Racing, and in the Pikes Peak Hill Climb with BBI. Both of these things are so special and unique, and both help me in becoming the best possible driver I can be. In the GT4 with Kellymoss I am running a super cool livery that we call the "Be Your Own Hero" livery powered by Speedway Motors. The livery has a super hero version of me on the car and it is a part of Kellymoss's race forward movement. The goal is to help young, talented drivers from all backgrounds succeed in racing, especially women and minorities. Race Forward believes that engaging youth in motorsport is key to the growth of the sport. The program will meet charitable giving goals in the form of community engagement, youth education and increased opportunities for underrepresented audiences like female drivers. In addition to my super cool livery, running with Kellymoss is an absolute honor. Kellymoss is one of the best Porsche race teams in the history of Porsche racing. They have an extreme wealth of knowledge and skill that I get to learn from all season long. Pikes Peak on the other hand is so special because I get to follow in my family's footsteps. Pikes Peak is such a unique race that brings about its own set of challenges that help me to be a more well-rounded driver. I get to work with one of the best Porsche car builders, Betim Berisha and together we get to test the limits of ourselves and the car.
Photo: Kyle Schwab
What does your racing community look like? What drew you to join the organization Shift Up Now?
I am incredibly lucky to be surrounded by incredible people who inspire me to be better and do better every single day. I get to work closely with Victoria Thomas (co-owner of Kellymoss Racing). Victoria puts on a masterclass of how to be a leader and a vision. She is working hard to change the face of motorsports as we know it, and I am just so honored to be a part of it.
Not only does Shift Up Now help give me the tools I need to inspire confidence and courage in young girls, but it also has introduced me to some of my very best friends. I feel like we are seeing a changing landscape where there is a strong mentality of a rising tide lifts all boats. All the ladies at Shift Up Now are doing incredible things and it is beyond cool that we all get to cheer each other on. Pippa Mann has been a huge inspiration to me as I have never met someone so hard working and dedicated. Through Shift Up Now she is changing the way people view motorsport.
Where would you like to take your career in motorsports?
Ultimately, I would love to continue to race Pikes Peak with the goal of being the second every queen of the mountain. Oh and by the way, I love getting to say the second queen of the mountain. Michele Mouton was the first woman to have won the hill climb, and I would love nothing more than to follow in her footsteps. I would also love to race in the IMSA WeatherTech series and the World Endurance Championship. I hope that I can continue doing what I love with really cool people.
What's your greatest moment on the track so far?
In 2021 I had the privilege to race St. Pete which is a street course in St. Petersburg, Florida. In motorsports racing a street course is a privilege that only comes around once and a while. Getting weave through the streets of St. Pete was exhilarating, and it turns out I was pretty decent at it.