Alice Buckley is the Gold Coast teenager who’s rewriting the record books in Australian motorsport, becoming the first female racer to take pole position and victory in TA2 competition on debut—all while working a mechanical apprenticeship and wrenching on her own race cars.

EARLY YEARS

Born around 2007 on Queensland’s Gold Coast, Alice Buckley grew up in a family that knew how to build things—literally. Her family runs a sizable construction business employing over 100 staff, a venture that would eventually become the operational hub for their racing ambitions. But before the family business turned into a racing outfit, seven-year-old Alice was already tearing up karting tracks across Australia, proving early that she had the instincts and nerve required to compete at the sharp end.

The Buckley family doesn’t just support racing; they go racing as a tight-knit unit, running operations directly from the construction business and turning wrenches together. It’s the kind of all-in family commitment that either forges champions or burns out fast. For Alice, it’s been the former. She progressed through Australian karting, ranking among the top up-and-coming talents in the country, though her journey hit a bump when she quit racing at 14 for reasons that remain largely private. Whatever drove that decision, it didn’t stick—because when she came back, she came back swinging.

Buckley left school at the end of Year 11, a decision that might raise eyebrows until you learn what she was doing instead: undertaking a mechanical apprenticeship through the family construction business, working on her own cars. Not many racers can say they understand the machinery they’re piloting from the inside out, but Alice is building that knowledge with her own hands. It’s practical, it’s smart, and it gives her an edge that goes beyond just raw driving talent.

OTHER INTERESTS

Beyond the track and the workshop, Buckley’s interests remain largely under wraps. The mechanical apprenticeship consumes much of her time outside racing, and the family business keeps her grounded in real-world work that has nothing to do with trophies or lap times. If there are hobbies, creative pursuits, or downtime activities, she’s keeping them to herself—which, frankly, makes sense when you’re trying to carve out a career in one of the world’s most demanding sports.

EARLY SUCCESS

Alice made the step up to race cars in 2022, transitioning from Hyundai Excels in Queensland’s Series X3 to more competitive machinery. That same year, she earned a spot in the FIA Girls On Track Rising Stars program, testing F4 machinery at Paul Ricard and ultimately being named one of four finalists for the Ferrari Driver Academy Scouting Camp in Maranello at the end of 2022. It was a massive validation of her talent on an international stage, putting her on the radar of some of the biggest names in motorsport.

But it was 2023 that announced her arrival in no uncertain terms. Racing the #50 Castrol-backed Toyota 86 in the TGRA 86 Scholarship Series at Queensland Raceway, Buckley delivered a performance for the ages: pole position, three wins, a lap record, and a historic Grand Slam. She became the first female racer in the series to take pole, the first to win a race, and the first to clean-sweep an entire weekend. “In the Toyota Gazoo Racing 86 category we had an awesome weekend, I was the first ever female to qualify pole position, to win a race and to clean sweep the weekend by winning all three races,” she said, with the kind of understated pride that comes from knowing you’ve just made history.

Then came the TA2 debut in 2024. Backed by GM Performance and General Motors Australia/NZ, Buckley entered Round 4 of the TFH Hire Muscle Car Series at Queensland Raceway with minimal preparation—just half a day of testing. “I was really nervous going into the weekend because I felt so underprepared,” she admitted. “We were all kind of shocked and it definitely exceeded my expectations. If you expect that going into your rookie round you’re not racing a competitive category.” Shocked or not, she put the car on pole, won Race 1 from the front, and then held off Diesel Thomas by less than three-tenths of a second in Race 2 despite a deflating front-left tire. It was the kind of gutsy, high-pressure racecraft that turns heads, and it made her the first female racer in Australia—possibly the world—to take pole and multiple wins in TA2 on debut.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2022: Selected for FIA Girls On Track Rising Stars finals at Paul Ricard; named one of four finalists for Ferrari Driver Academy Scouting Camp in Maranello.
• 2023: First female to take pole position, win a race, and sweep an entire weekend in the TGRA 86 Scholarship Series at Queensland Raceway; set lap record.
• 2024: First female racer in Australia (and possibly worldwide) to take pole position and win races in TA2 on debut (Round 4, TFH Hire Muscle Car Series, Queensland Raceway); awarded Roadactive Suspension pole award.

INSPIRATIONS

Buckley’s inspirations are rooted in the people who’ve been in her corner from the start: her family, who transformed their construction business into a racing operation, and mentors like Supercars veteran Tim Slade, who guided her through the TA2 debut weekend on the radio. Driver coach Paul Morris has also praised her publicly, adding his voice to a growing chorus of industry heavyweights who see something special in the young Gold Coaster. Beyond that, she hasn’t pointed to specific drivers or racing heroes, suggesting that her motivation comes more from proving herself than from idolizing others.

REPUTATION

Alice Buckley’s reputation in the Australian motorsport community is golden—and it’s been earned the hard way. Supercars legend Craig Lowndes called her achievements “quite incredible” and made it clear he sees her as a future Bathurst 1000 starter, though he tempered the hype with a dose of reality: “She’ll be definitely part of that list, but… keep her eyes focused… If she can win at multiple circuits… the rest will follow.” It’s high praise with smart caveats, the kind of endorsement that shows the industry is taking her seriously while also holding her to the same standards as anyone else.

Her driving style has been described as clean and flawless, with a particular knack for racecraft in touring cars—the kind of wheel-to-wheel battling that separates the pretenders from the contenders. The fact that she held off a charging Diesel Thomas with a deflating tire speaks volumes about her composure under pressure. Media coverage has been overwhelmingly positive, focusing on her historic firsts and her potential to break into Supercars, and she’s already hearing from young female karters who see her as proof that it’s possible. “Hopefully it’s a little bit of inspiration for them that there is a female doing it,” she said, though she’s quick to add: “I don’t want to just be another female, I want to be competitive.”

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

Buckley’s sights are set firmly on Supercars, the pinnacle of Australian motorsport and a series that hasn’t seen a female driver since Simona de Silvestro’s 2017 wildcard entry. She’s determined to prove that her Queensland Raceway dominance wasn’t a fluke by racking up wins at multiple circuits, building the kind of resume that makes team owners take notice. With backing from GM Australia/NZ and a growing list of industry supporters, she’s got the resources and the talent to make it happen. Whether she becomes the trailblazer she’s aiming to be remains to be seen, but if her first two years in race cars are any indication, it’s not a question of if—it’s a question of when.

References:

Racers Behind the Helmet – Alice Buckley Profile
TA2 Racing Australia – Round 4 Race Report
Speedcafe – Alice Buckley TA2 Debut Interview
Supercars.com – Craig Lowndes Praises Alice Buckley
Motorsport Australia – FIA Girls On Track Announcement