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Kayla Yaakov is a professional motorcycle road racer from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, who became the first female rider to finish on the podium in a MotoAmerica Supersport race—and she did it before she could legally drive a car.

EARLY YEARS

Born in June 2008, Kayla started riding motorcycles at age four, which in the Yaakov household wasn’t exactly revolutionary—her father, David Yaakov, raced bikes and cars for 15 years, so two-wheeled chaos was kind of the family business. By age seven, she’d moved from dirt bikes to MiniGP road racing, and promptly won her first championship. She won again at eight, because why not make a habit of it?

Her first road race came in 2017 at Munford, Alabama, competing in three different WERA classes. She finished first in all of them. Not a bad debut for a nine-year-old.

OTHER INTERESTS

When she’s not screaming around a racetrack at 175 mph, Kayla plays guitar, bass, and saxophone—sometimes jamming with her brother. Her favorite color is blue, and her favorite tracks include Jennings GP, Barber Motorsports Park, Portimão in Portugal, and Mugello in Italy. If she wasn’t racing motorcycles, she says she’d probably be a musician. Given her track record, she’d likely be winning at that, too.

EARLY SUCCESS

By age 10, Yaakov had won three different amateur national racing championships. At 11, she added four more amateur national titles and two American Road Race of Champions (AROC) championships to the pile. By the time she turned 12, she’d racked up more than 47 regional championships and over 390 race wins. Yes, you read that right—390.

She spent the 2021 offseason winning four Sportsman National Championships at the WERA Grand National Finals, plus five WERA Sportsman Regional Championships with 37 race wins. In less than two years racing MotoAmerica’s entry-level Junior Cup class, she tallied four wins and 12 podiums. Then she moved up to the Twins Cup class, where she continued to prove she belonged.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2015–2016: Won her first MiniGP championship at age 7, then repeated at age 8.
• 2017: First road race at Munford, Alabama—won all three WERA classes entered.
• 2018: Won three amateur national racing championships at age 10.
• 2019: Won four amateur national championships and two AROC championships at age 11.
• 2020: Accumulated over 47 regional championships and more than 390 race wins by age 12.
• 2021: Won four WERA Sportsman National Championships at the Grand National Finals, plus five WERA Sportsman Regional Championships with 37 race wins.
• 2023: Won both races in the Yamaha bLU cRU R7 Cup at Cartagena Circuit in Spain, setting pole and breaking the track record.
• 2024: At age 16, became the first female rider to finish on the podium in a MotoAmerica Supersport race as a fill-in rider for Tytlers Cycle Racing. Also competed as a wild card in the Italian Supersport Championship (CIV) at Mugello.
• 2025: Competed in her first full MotoAmerica Supersport season with Rahal Ducati Moto.

INSPIRATIONS

Her father, David Yaakov, is her most obvious influence—he raced for 15 years and introduced her to the sport. Beyond family, she’s caught the attention of some serious heavyweights in the racing world, including three-time AMA Superbike Champion and 2009 World Superbike Champion Ben Spies, who became a mentor when she joined Rahal Ducati Moto. The team is co-owned by IndyCar legend Bobby Rahal, which means Yaakov is learning from people who know what it takes to win at the highest level.

REPUTATION

By 16, Yaakov had already appeared on NBC’s TODAY Show, been profiled by major motorsports outlets, and earned a reputation as a “trailblazing teenager” in a sport that’s still overwhelmingly male. She’s not just fast—she’s consistent, fearless, and unbothered by the fact that she’s usually the only woman on the grid. Racing insiders, journalists, and fans have taken notice, not because she’s a novelty, but because she wins.

She’s also a guest instructor at racing schools, including the AHRMA Academy of Roadracing, and runs her own coaching service. That’s right—while still a teenager, she’s teaching seasoned riders how to go faster. Oh, and she was named a candidate for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program in 2023, because apparently being a professional motorcycle racer and an honor student is just how she rolls.

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

Yaakov signed with Rahal Ducati Moto for the 2026 MotoAmerica season, joining a roster that includes veteran racer PJ Jacobsen. She’s made it clear her short-term goals are to keep building on her successes, rack up more podiums, and prove she belongs at the front of the Supersport pack. Long-term? She’s got her eyes set on the biggest stages in motorcycle road racing—and given her trajectory, it’s hard to bet against her.

REFERENCES

Kayla Yaakov | Professional Motorcycle Racer
Kayla Yaakov Resume 2024
Kayla Yaakov: Ride Like a Girl – TST Industries Blog
Sweet Sixteen: Kayla Yaakov – MotoAmerica
Kayla Yaakov becomes the first female rider to finish on the podium in a Supersport race – YouTube
Roadracing World Young Guns 2024: Kayla Yaakov
Roadracing World Young Guns 2025: Kayla Yaakov
Kayla Yaakov And The Importance Of “Playing Up” – MotoAmerica
KAYLA YAAKOV| Ducati Racer | A Role Model for Young Women in MotoAmerica at COTA
Rahal Ducati Moto Announce Jacobsen To MotoAmerica Superbike – MotoAmerica
KAYLA YAAKOV – Rahal Ducati Moto
“Trailblazing Teenager” Yaakov Appears On TODAY Show – MotoAmerica
Yamaha R7 Cup: Kayla Yaakov Wins Race One At Cartagena Circuit In Spain
Yaakov Sets Pole, Wins Both Races, Breaks Track Record In Spain
Kayla Yaakov Guest Instructing At AHRMA School June 21 At NJMP
MotoAmerica: Kayla Yaakov To Appear On NBC’s TODAY Show
CIV Supersport: American Yaakov P25 In Wild Card Races At Mugello
Yaakov Makes Her Italian Supersport Championship Debut, Climbs 11 Positions During 13-Lap Race
17 Year Old Kayla Yaakov Takes MotoAmerica Road Racing by Storm
Why an IndyCar stalwart is supporting a bike racing gamechanger