After starting her racing career in the South Florida karting scene, Mishael Abbott, quickly climbed the ladder in the kart racing world to become the first female to win a Superkarts! USA (SKUSA) - the world’s premiere shifter kart series - feature race.

Mishael is a graduate of the Lyn St. James Driver Development program and was the 2000 Kara Hendrick Scholarship winner. Along the way, participation in the Skip Barber Formula Dodge and USAC Midget series led her to professional open wheel racing.

During the 2001 season, Mishael tested with the Pro-One Motorsports Formula Mazda team and turned lap times at GingerMan Raceway in South Haven, Michigan that would have put her on the podium at the most recent Sports Car Club of America’s (SCCA) event. In October 2001 during her first race as a Formula Mazda driver, Mishael scored a top five finish at the SCCA Regional Championship event at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

Mishael began her first full season driving a Formula Mazda in 2002, racing in the Star Mazda Series North American Championship and SCCA Regional and National races. The Star Mazda Series tours famous tracks in Canada and the United States, and provided Mishael the platform for her first experience as a professional race car driver. Televised on the Speed Channel, Star Mazda Series was the support series for the IMSA American LeMans Series and Indy Racing League® IndyCar® Series events.

Mishael tested an Indy Racing League® Indy Pro Series™ car (then called the Menards Infiniti Pro Series™) car with Schmidt and Parsons Motorsports at Las Vegas Motor Speedway prior to the 2003 racing season, becoming the first woman to test an Indy Pro Series™ car. The Indy Pro Series™ is the support series for the Indy Racing League® IndyCar® Series and races the same weekends and tracks. Mishael's success and excitement encouraged her to work in earnest toward a successful bid in the series.

During the 2003 and 2004 seasons, Mishael raced her Formula Mazda in the Star Mazda Series EAST Championship and in selected SCCA events at the top tracks on the east coast including; Sebring International Raceway, Road Atlanta Motor Sports Center, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Watkins Glen International, Virginia International Raceway and Road America. The 2003 racing season resulted in three podium finishes and the Star Mazda EAST Championship Series' "Most Improved Driver" while wrapping up fourth place in the EAST Championship season standings. A winning season in 2004 found Mishael participating in her first SCCA Chicago Region June Sprints® bringing home the event's "Hard Charger Award", winning her first SCCA National event at Virginia International Raceway, and attending her first SCCA National Championship Runoffs® where she qualified eleventh out of twenty-four Formula Mazda's.

Another step closer to Indy, in 2005 Mishael drove an Infiniti-powered Dallara for Hemelgarn Johnson Motorsports in the Indy Pro Series™ after passing her Indy Racing League® rookie test in January. That feat made her the first woman to compete in the Indy Pro Series™, qualifying fourth in the opening round at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Racing a limited schedule, she competed at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on both the oval and road courses, becoming the first female to do so. She also spotted for Jaques Lazier throughout the month of May and for the 89th running of the Indy 500®.

2005 also found Mishael racing her Formula Mazda on road courses in the Star Mazda EAST Championship and at selected SCCA events, including the 50th Anniversary of the SCCA Chicago Region June Sprints®. Mishael capped off the season by winning the “Sunoco Hard Charger Award” at the SCCA Formula Mazda National Championship Runoffs®.

In 2006 Mishael continued racing in the Indy Pro Series with Michael Crawford Racing in races at Homestead-Miami, Indianapolis and Watkins Glen. She pulled “double duty” the month of May in Indianapolis racing in the Indy Pro Series Freedom 100 and again spotting for Jaques Lazier for the Indy 500®. Mishael continued piloting her Formula Mazda throughout the year in key SCCA events, posting three podium finishes in National races.

Mishael acquired an Elan DP02 for competition in the IMSA Lites 1 Championship and SCCA C Sports Racer events for the 2007 racing season. She competed in the first four races of the IMSA Lites 1 season, finishing in the top ten twice before adjusting her focus to racing in SCCA events in the C Sports Racer and Formula Mazda classes. She took her first pole qualifying position in National competition at Road America in her Formula Mazda and finished on the podium that weekend in both her Formula Mazda and C Sports Racer.

In August 2007 Mishael got the opportunity to drive a Formula Atlantic (Ralt RT-41) at Virginia International Raceway with K-Hill Motorsports. In her depute race she qualified fifth and finished third at the Oak Tree Nationals and immediately knew her next step was to be a full season of Formula Atlantic racing.

For 2008 Mishael will be driving a K-Hill Motorsports prepared Formula Atlantic in select SCCA National races with sights set on the Triple Crown of SCCA competition that culminates with the National Championship Runoffs® at Heartland Park Topeka. She will also drive select races in the F2000 Championship with K-Hill Motorsports at top tracks like Road America and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and at the newest track on the east coast - New Jersey Motorsports Park. Continuing her quest for premier oval track racing, Mishael will race a USAC Silver Crown car for Logan Racing on the pavement tracks in the 2008 United States Auto Club’s K & N Silver Crown Series.

Mishael continues to keep her sights set on the ultimate goal of being the first female to WIN the Indianapolis 500. Follow your dreams!

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

1995
Attended first go-kart racing school

1996
Won first race - Yamaha Junior Restricted – World Karting Association (WKA)
Won Yamaha Junior Restricted Class Championship

1997
Finished 2nd in 100cc Yamaha Heavy Class Season – WKA

1998
Finished 12th in first shifter-kart race, February 7 in Naples, FL - Superkarts! USA (SKUSA)
First female to win SKUSA feature event in her 3rd shifter-kart race, April 3
Finished 5th in SKUSA Florida winter tour
Finished 3rd in SKUSA Florida summer tour

1999
Won SKUSA Florida Regional race in Opa Locha
Finished 10th in SKUSA Florida winter tour
First USAC Midget feature race finishing 9th out of 19 at Indianapolis Speedrome
Finished 4th in SKUSA Florida summer tour
Set fastest lap record for a shifter-kart at Sebring in April (still holds)
Finished 21st out of 77 in first SKUSA semi-pro (S2) season

2000
Bondurant Superkart School, graduated 2nd fastest
Finished 8th in SKUSA Florida winter tour
Ran second USAC Midget feature race finishing 8th
Finished 19th out of 146 in SKUSA semi-pro (S2) season
Graduated from Skip Barber Racing School
Participated in Skip Barber Formula Dodge Series
Graduate of the Lyn St. James Driver Development Program
Kara Hendrick Memorial Foundation Scholarship winner
Finished 2nd in SKUSA Florida summer tour

2001
Finished 26th out of 116 in limited SKUSA (S1) season
Began Formula Mazda racing at GingerMan Raceway in July
Finished 5th in first Formula Mazda race on October 7 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
Finished 11th in SKUSA Florida winter tour

2002
Finished 1st in three SCCA Formula Mazda Races at Moroso Motorsports Park, May 18-19
Qualified for South Atlantic Road Racing Championship (SARRC) Runoff
Qualified 7th in first big Oval in Star Mazda Pro Race at Pikes Peak, Jun 16
Qualified 7th at Star Mazda Pro Race at Road Atlanta, Oct 14
First Female to test Infiniti Pro Series car at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Nov 13

2003
Qualified & Finished 1st in SCCA Formula Mazda Race at Summit Point Raceway, Sept 1
3 Podium Finishes in Star Mazda EAST Championship Races
Finished 4th in Star Mazda EAST Championship Season
Voted "Most Improved Driver" in EAST Championship

2004
Finished 2nd in Season Opener of Star Mazda EAST Championship
Completed paperwork/physical for Indy Racing League participation
Won first SCCA National Event at Virginia International Raceway, Aug 8
Finished 6th in Star Mazda EAST Championship Season
First SCCA National Championship Runoffs®, Finished 17th in Formula Mazda

2005
Obtained IRL Indy Pro Series™ (IPS) License at Homestead-Miami, January 21
First female to compete in IPS event at Homestead-Miami, Qualifying 4th & Finishing 8th
Competed at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on both oval and road courses in IPS
Spotted for Jaques Lazier for Month of May and the Indy 500
Competed in 50th Anniversary SCCA Chicago Region June Sprints®
Won Sunoco Hard Charger Award at SCCA Formula Mazda National Championships Runoffs®
Moved in Indianapolis, IN

2006
Competed in IPS Races at Homestead-Miami, Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Watkins Glen
Spotted for Jaques Lazier for the Indy 500
3 Podium Finishes in SCCA National Competition in Formula Mazda

2007
Competed in IMSA Lites 1 Races at Sebring and Miller Motorsports Park
First Pole Qualifying in SCCA National Competition at Road America, July 28
Finished 3rd in Formula Atlantic Depute at Virginia International Raceway, Aug 12

2008
Qualified Second and Finished Second in only Second Formula Atlantic Race

QUICK FACTS

Birth date: June 21, 1981
Birthplace: Jefferson City, MO
Residence: Indianapolis, IN
Marital Status: Married to Tyler Neier
Height/Weight: 5’9” / 150 lbs.
Parents: Paul & Catherine Abbott
Hobbies: Reading, Fitness Training, Going to the beach, Playing with her dog (Squirt)
Favorite TV Show: ER
Favorite Movie: Shawshank Redemption
Favorite Food: Mom’s Pasta
Schooling: Senior at Florida Atlantic University in Elementary Education
and University of Indianapolis in Sports Marketing
Favorite Driver: Greg Moore

First Race: 1995 (Yamaha Junior Restricted – World Karting Association)
First Victory: 1996 (Yamaha Junior Restricted – World Karting Association)
First Championship: 1996 (Yamaha Junior Restricted – World Karting Association)
Most Notable Achievements: First female to win SKUSA feature event
First female to race in the Indy Pro Series
Goal: Be the first female driver to win the Indy 500