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Renee Gracie is the Australian racing driver who broke barriers, walked away, reinvented herself completely, then came roaring back—all before turning thirty.

EARLY YEARS

Born January 5, 1995, in Brisbane, Gracie grew up in Kuraby, a southern suburb, in what she’s described as a decidedly non-motorsport family[1]. She attended John Paul College and later moved with her family to the northern suburbs of the Gold Coast during her teenage years[2]. Nothing about her upbringing screamed “future race car driver,” but that didn’t stop her from getting behind the wheel and making history anyway.

She started in karting and quickly proved she had the chops, competing in the Rotax Pro and CIK categories[3]. By 2010, at just fifteen, she was selected for the Fujitsu ‘Cool’ Driver Program, a stepping stone designed to nurture young talent[4]. After a year in the senior karting ranks, she and program manager Chris Jewell started eyeing bigger things. Spoiler: they found them.

OTHER INTERESTS

Beyond the racetrack, Gracie has shown she’s never been one to stay in a single lane—pun intended. She’s launched her own podcast, “In The Back Seat,” where she interviews comedians, public figures, and interesting personalities, proving she’s as comfortable behind a microphone as she is behind a steering wheel[5]. She’s also dipped her toes into boxing, training from scratch and even competing in a celebrity boxing match at Podcast Royale on the Gold Coast in April 2025—something she called a “bucket list” moment[6]. And yes, she’s also an entrepreneur and public speaker, building a personal brand that extends well beyond motorsport[7].

EARLY SUCCESS

At seventeen, Gracie became the first-ever female driver to compete in the Porsche Carrera Cup Australia Championship when she entered the series in 2013[8]. The media quickly labeled her Australia’s answer to Danica Patrick, which was flattering and reductive in equal measure[9]. Still, she showed up and raced, holding her own in a field of men who’d been doing this their whole lives.

By nineteen, she’d made the jump to V8 Supercars, becoming Australia’s first female V8-Star[10]. In 2015, she made her debut at the Bathurst 1000—the first woman to race the famous Mount Panorama circuit in seventeen years[11]. She and co-driver Simona de Silvestro formed the “Harvey Norman Supergirls” team, an all-female lineup that drew massive attention, not all of it positive. The 2015 debut in a Prodrive Falcon was rough, but they came back in 2016 with a Nissan Altima fielded by Nissan Motorsport and finished a respectable 14th[12].

She competed in the Dunlop Series (later renamed Super2 Series) with Paul Morris Motorsport in 2015 and 2016, though results were inconsistent—one top-10 finish across 17 races in her third season[13]. The racing world can be unforgiving, especially for women trying to prove themselves in a sport built by and for men. Gracie faced criticism, skepticism, and at least one “disgraceful” public comment from another driver that resulted in a fine[14]. She kept racing anyway.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2013: Became the first female driver to compete in Porsche Carrera Cup Australia at age eighteen[15].
• 2014: Became Australia’s first female V8-Star at nineteen[16].
• 2015: First woman to race at Bathurst 1000 in seventeen years[17].
• 2016: Finished 14th at Bathurst 1000 alongside Simona de Silvestro as the Harvey Norman Supergirls[18].
• 2023: Announced return to motorsport in Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia[19].
• 2024: Competed in GT World Challenge Australia driving an Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II[20].
• 2025: Continued racing in GT World Challenge Australia and competed in celebrity boxing match[21].

INSPIRATIONS

Gracie has publicly backed fellow racer Simona de Silvestro, saying she believed de Silvestro would lead the way for women in Supercars[22]. The two shared the Bathurst 1000 grid in 2016, and their partnership represented a rare moment of visibility for female drivers in Australian motorsport.

REPUTATION

Gracie’s reputation is complicated, which is exactly what makes her story so compelling. She was a trailblazer in Australian motorsport, breaking into male-dominated categories and earning her place on some of the country’s most prestigious racing grids. But when sponsorship dried up and the financial realities of racing became unsustainable, she made a decision that shocked the motorsport world: she pivoted to adult content creation on OnlyFans in 2020[23].

It was a move that earned her both criticism and admiration. Gracie has been open about the fact that her racing career wasn’t financially viable and that her new venture allowed her to earn millions—reportedly over $6 million as of recent reports[24]. Her father, she’s said, is proud of her success[25]. Not everyone understood or supported the decision, but Gracie didn’t seem to care much about the noise. She did what she needed to do, unapologetically.

Then, in 2023, she announced she was coming back to racing, this time in GT World Challenge Australia[26]. A documentary titled “Revealed: Renee Gracie – Fireproof,” which premiered on Stan in May 2024, chronicled her return to motorsport and offered a deeper look at her journey[27]. The film sparked conversations about the pressures female athletes face, the lack of funding in motorsport, and what it takes to come back after walking away.

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

Gracie continues to compete in the 2025 GT World Challenge Australia season, driving an Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II[28]. She’s discussed co-driver options and her excitement about racing the new Audi, signaling she’s serious about this comeback[29]. Beyond racing, she’s expanding her podcast and exploring new ventures, proving she’s not interested in being defined by just one thing. Whether she’s on the track, in the ring, or behind the mic, one thing’s clear: Renee Gracie does what she wants, and she does it loudly.

REFERENCES

[1] Inside Sport – Renee Gracie
[2] Wikipedia – Renee Gracie
[3] Karting Australia – From Karts to Carrera Cup for Renee Gracie
[4] Karting Australia – From Karts to Carrera Cup for Renee Gracie
[5] YouTube – Renee Gracie Channel
[6] Speedcafe – Renee Gracie to Fight in Celebrity Boxing Match
[7] YouTube – Renee Gracie Channel
[8] Carrera Cup Australia – Female Racer Set for 2013 Porsche Season
[9] Speedcafe – Australia’s Danica Patrick Set for Carrera Cup
[10] ScreenWest – Renee Gracie: Fireproof
[11] ScreenWest – Renee Gracie: Fireproof
[12] Supercars – Renee Gracie Bio
[13] Wikipedia – Renee Gracie
[14] Fox Sports – Driver Fined for Disgraceful Comment About Female Bathurst 1000 Team
[15] Velocity Management Group – Renee Gracie
[16] ScreenWest – Renee Gracie: Fireproof
[17] ScreenWest – Renee Gracie: Fireproof
[18] Supercars – Renee Gracie Bio
[19] The Race Torque – Renee Gracie Returns
[20] GT World Challenge Australia – Renee Gracie
[21] Speedcafe – Renee Gracie to Fight in Celebrity Boxing Match
[22] Supercars – Simona’s the One: Gracie
[23] GiveMeSport – Former Australian Supercar Competitor Renee Gracie Has New Career
[24] Riverfront Times – Renee Gracie Reveals OnlyFans Earnings
[25] GiveMeSport – Former Australian Supercar Competitor Renee Gracie Has New Career
[26] The Race Torque – Renee Gracie Returns
[27] Stan – Revealed: Renee Gracie – Fireproof
[28] GT World Challenge Australia – Renee Gracie
[29] YouTube – Renee Gracie Details 2024 Fanatec GT World Challenge