Business student finishes first for racing scholarship

A third-year global business management student and racing icon Danica Patrick now have something in common. They both won the prestigious Gorsline Scholarship, which honors outstanding up-and-coming drivers in the racing community.

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Kelsey Pinkowski is the latest recipient of the Gorsline Scholarship, which has supported rising racing talent since 1994.

“I’m grateful for this step in my career as I continue to learn about racing every year,” said Kelsey Pinkowski, who was awarded the scholarship on March 15. “This is an exciting opportunity as I hope to continue to grow as a race driver and a student of the sport. I'm looking forward to seeing what's next.”

John Gorsline, founder of the Gorsline Insurance Company, created the scholarship to promote motorsports and recognize young future championship drivers. Along with Patrick, previous winners include Josef Newgarden, Ricky Steinhouse Jr., and Katherine Legge.

 “We had some talented young drivers in consideration for this year’s scholarship and are happy to present the scholarship to Kelsey, who has shown great progress in her racing craft this past year,” Gorsline said.

Pinkowski, a Brighton, N.Y., native, didn’t decide to pursue racing until the summer before her senior year of high school in 2021.

“Originally, this was supposed to be a one-and-go thing, just to scratch an itch and see if I like it,” Pinkowski said. “After a while, I talked to my dad, told him that I really liked the sport, and it was full throttle from there.”

She made her pro-racing debut in 2024, after being discovered by Swedish race car driver Nic Jonsson, who raced in the Indy Racing League and NASCAR circuits. Pinkowski joined the Kiwi Crosslink team of the U.S. Formula 4 (F4) Championship midseason and posted impressive results, including a second-place finish at Watkins Glen in the SCCA Majors.

Pinkowski has a busy 2025 season ahead of her. She is one of two full-time female drivers in the Ligier Junior Formula Championship, which opens its season March 27-30 in New Orleans. She also is racing internationally for the first time, as the only American driver in Japan’s F4 Kyojo Cup, which begins on May 10.

She does all of this on top of being a full-time student. She decided to major in global business management, she said, so she can market her own career.

“As I continue throughout my racing career, I’ve started to see it less as just me racing, and more as a brand,” Pinkowski said. “I wanted that business mindset.”

Her professors, she said, have helped her navigate coursework while training and competing internationally.

“A lot of them are surprised but very supportive,” Pinkowski said. “The first reaction I always get is, ‘oh you’re a race car driver?’ They all ask questions to get familiar with the sport and what I do. I’m grateful for their support.”