Racing Mentor founder, journalist and e-mobility advocate Jess Shanahan joins eSC as Team Principal of RM Electric
Through a background in marketing and motorsport journalism, Jess became involved with various grassroots racing series and led the Porsche team Turn Eight Racing. When the Porsche quickly became the most sponsored car in the race, drivers began turning to Jess for advice and it was then that she realised the true impact she could have in the world of motorsport by imparting her wisdom.
She formed Racing Mentor as a community-focussed approach to giving racers the advice and support needed to secure sponsorship. Her book, “Get Paid to Race”, has been referred to as “the bible for any racer” and tells aspiring drivers how to build their profiles to maximise their sponsorship value.
When she’s not creating greater accessibility in the motorsport industry, Jess is also a big fan of and an expert on the topic of e-mobility. She has been driving electric since 2016 and regularly writes articles for UK National News about electric vehicles, automotive tech and low-carbon energy.
RM Electric – wherein RM stands for Racing Mentor – allows her to combine both of her areas of expertise into an exciting passion project with eSC.
eSC: Welcome to eSC, Jess! Tell us a bit about yourself.
Jess: I’m excited to be here! I suppose I wear two hats. I’m the founder of Racing Mentor, which I’ve been running since 2017. Through the brand, I teach racing drivers the business skills needed to secure sponsorship. On the other side of things, I run Jet Social, a content agency working with brands in energy, e-mobility, and climate tech.
eSC: How did you get into racing?
Jess: It started with Formula 1. I wasn’t really into motorsport as a kid but came to it a little later, in 2008. I just fell in love with the drama of it all. As someone who likes to follow her interests, I set my sights on becoming an F1 journalist. I worked with the BBC and TalkSPORT and had my own blog.
I started getting more involved in grassroots racing and when I was asked to help launch a Porsche race team, I jumped at the chance. Alongside two drivers, we created Turn Eight Racing. We had an incredible first season. We’d secured a lot of sponsorship and had so many people asking us how we managed it. I realised that most racers didn’t have this knowledge and I wanted to do something to help them, which is how Racing Mentor was born.
eSC: You’re a big advocate for electric vehicles. What do you love about them?
Jess: Honestly, I like all cars but I fell in love with electric back in 2016 when I did a 2500-mile road trip around the UK and Ireland in an EV as part of a press stunt for a hotel chain. It only did about 80 miles to a full charge but it was a great experience. As soon as I was able to buy my own EV, I did.
I love the smooth, quick acceleration but also how easy they are to drive. I can go much longer distances now because I don’t feel fatigued in the same way I did in a manual internal combustion engine vehicle.
eSC: What do you see as the biggest challenges for inclusion and accessibility in motorsport?
Jess: Visibility. In traditional motorsport, there’s not a huge amount of diversity. If you don’t see yourself in the people competing or working in the sport, it can be difficult to find your place. It’s important that we’re showing people that motorsport of all levels and varieties can be for everyone.
Organisations such as Racing Pride are doing great things here and Motorsport UK is very focused on DEI. Things are changing but it’s slow.
The reason I set up Racing Mentor is because I saw talented people unable to climb the motorsport ladder because they didn’t have rich parents. I wanted to make sure that everyone had the skills to secure sponsorship no matter their background.
I always knew visibility was important but it really hit home when I considered who the Racing Mentor audience was. The people we were bringing into the RM family were the ones who didn’t fit the usual mold. People saw me as a tattooed, queer woman with ADHD who stood out for doing things a little differently — that resonated with those who were looking for a sense of belonging.
Racing Mentor became a safe space for people who weren’t sure what their place was in motorsport and I think that’s beautiful.
eSC: How do you feel about your new role as an eSC Team Principal?
Jess: Thrilled! It’s so exciting to be able to blend my love of motorsport with electric mobility. I’m keen to get stuck in and use some of what I learned running the Porsche team. I’ll be honest, though, there’s a bit of nerves there too. I want to do a good job and often put a lot of pressure on myself as a perfectionist! That being said, I’m ready to learn and enjoy the process. I can’t wait to get started.
eSC: What are you most looking forward to this season?
Jess: I’m excited to work closely with my team and build those bonds. Motorsport brings people together and there’s something really special about seeing that grow within a team — especially when you get to explore cool places together.
Find out more about Jess and RM Electric on esc.live and by following @esc.live on Instagram.
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