Kaylee Bryson

Kaylee Bryson is a Trans-Am Series champion and dirt racing phenom who made the leap from oval domination to road racing glory, proving she could win on any surface thrown at her.

EARLY YEARS

Born March 11, 2001, Kaylee Rae Bryson started racing go-karts at nine years old at 3D Raceway in Oklahoma. What began as a weekend activity quickly escalated into something far more serious—her family packed up and traveled state-to-state chasing tougher competition, turning their weekends into a nomadic pursuit of speed. By age 13 in 2015, she became the second female driver in history to win a Micro Sprint Golden Driller at the Tulsa Shootout in the restricted class, an early signal that this wasn’t just a phase.

The constant travel didn’t faze her. “I did not want a normal life at all,” she said years later. “I love being on the road and traveling. The commitment’s been totally worth it for me.” It’s a telling statement from someone who clearly found her element early—most teenagers dream of stability; Bryson dreamed of the next track.

OTHER INTERESTS

Beyond racing, details about Bryson’s hobbies are sparse. What’s clear is her love for being on the road and traveling, which isn’t so much a hobby as it is a lifestyle baked into her racing career. If she has other passions, she’s kept them private—or maybe racing just doesn’t leave room for much else when you’re this committed.

EARLY SUCCESS

After her Golden Driller win at 13, Bryson continued climbing through the dirt racing ranks. In 2019, she scored a POWRi Outlaw Micro Sprint Series victory at I-44 Speedway in Oklahoma City and made her USAC National Midget debut with Dave Mac Motorsports, notching a top-five finish at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Missouri. It was enough to catch the attention of Keith Kunz Motorsports (KKM), one of the sport’s premier teams, which signed her for 2020 with backing from Toyota Racing Development (TRD) and JBL.

Her first full USAC National Midget season in 2020 saw her advance to the main event in 22 of 23 starts, finish 11th in the standings, and land three top-three podiums—earning her first such honor after just three races. Racer magazine’s Robin Miller declared her “the best shot at a woman dirt racer ever making it to the big time.” In 2021, she became the first female to qualify on pole at the Turkey Night Grand Prix, led the first 17 laps, and finished fifth—the highest-ever result for a woman in that event. She also became the first woman to qualify for the A-Main at the Chili Bowl, a feat she described with genuine surprise: “Never even dreamed of being able to compete in it, let alone make the feature.”

By 2022, Bryson had her best USAC Midget season with KKM, but she was already eyeing something different. Post-2022, she moved to Sam Pierce Racing (SPR) for USAC Silver Crown competition, where she finished fifth in the standings and became the first female Rookie of the Year in the series’ history. The opportunity came via Facebook message from team owner Aaron Pierce—proof that sometimes the best connections happen in the most casual ways.

Then came the pivot. After three fully-funded years with Toyota, Bryson walked away. “Didn’t have enough to offer me and I really wanted to do something more with my career than midgets and late models,” she explained. “I thought going my own route would be better in the long run.” It was a calculated gamble, and she knew it. She had NASCAR in her sights as of 2020, but the path there wasn’t as clear as she’d hoped.

Instead, she landed a full-time Trans-Am Series ride with SPR in the SGT class for 2024—her first full season of road racing. Coming from dirt ovals to road courses is like switching from checkers to chess while the board is on fire, but Bryson adapted fast. She finished fourth in the opening two races, scored her first class win at NOLA Motorsports Park (leading most laps), and added victories at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park on August 31 and Virginia International Raceway in October. She also racked up a third-place finish at Lime Rock Park, three consecutive second-place finishes at Mid-Ohio, Road America, and Watkins Glen, another second at Circuit of The Americas, and a fourth at Pittsburgh International Race Complex.

“First of all, it feels really good to be a champion,” she said after clinching the title. “We went into the season not really knowing what to expect; It’s my first year of road racing, so I had a lot to learn and I tried to do it as quick as I can. I’m lucky enough to have a team behind me that gave me a great car and taught me everything that I need to know, and we were lucky enough to win a championship. That’s really awesome. Our goal for the year was to win Rookie of the Year, but to secure a championship is just the cherry on top.”

She became the second female Trans-Am champion and the third overall woman to win any Trans-Am title. Not bad for someone who’d never raced road courses full-time before.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2015: Second female to win Micro Sprint Golden Driller at Tulsa Shootout, restricted class, age 13[1][2].
• 2019: POWRi Outlaw Micro Sprint Series win at I-44 Speedway, Oklahoma City[2].
• 2020: Three top-three podiums in USAC National Midget with Keith Kunz Motorsports; 11th in standings, advanced to main event 22 of 23 starts[1][2].
• 2021: First female to qualify on pole at Turkey Night Grand Prix; finished fifth, highest-ever for a woman; led first 17 laps[1].
• Post-2022: First female Rookie of the Year in USAC Silver Crown history; fifth in standings with Sam Pierce Racing[1].
• 2024: Trans-Am Series SGT class National Champion with three wins (NOLA Motorsports Park, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Virginia International Raceway); also won Rookie of the Year[1][3].
• 2025: Trans-Am XGT class win at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on June 21 despite cam sensor issue; took championship lead over Paul Tracy[1].
• Career: First woman to qualify for A-Main at Chili Bowl[4]; first woman to earn USAC National Series race win[4].

INSPIRATIONS

Bryson hasn’t publicly named specific racing heroes or figures who inspired her career. What shaped her was her family’s willingness to sacrifice normal weekends for racetracks across state lines, and later, the mentorship she received from teams like Keith Kunz Motorsports and Sam Pierce Racing. The people who believed in her and gave her opportunities—like Aaron Pierce reaching out on Facebook or Toyota funding her early open-wheel career—seem to have mattered more than any poster on a wall.

REPUTATION

Bryson is regarded as one of the strongest up-and-coming talents to emerge from dirt racing, with a proven ability to adapt and win across disciplines. Robin Miller’s 2020 assessment as “the best shot at a woman dirt racer ever making it to the big time” still holds weight, even as her career has since veered toward pavement. She’s earned respect not just for breaking barriers—though she’s done plenty of that—but for being genuinely fast and competitive regardless of the surface.

Her reputation centers on being a quick learner with a fierce competitive drive. “You have to be competitive, you have to have that drive to win, because the schedule, the mental stuff, can get tough,” she’s said, revealing the mindset that’s carried her through everything from Micro Sprints to Trans-Am. The media coverage has been consistently positive, focusing on her history-making achievements while also acknowledging her legitimate racing chops. Fans and peers alike see her as someone who earned her seat, not someone handed a ride for optics.

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

In 2025, Bryson moved up to the Trans-Am XGT class with Sam Pierce Racing, immediately making an impact with a win at Mid-Ohio on June 21 that put her atop the championship standings over veteran Paul Tracy. Her stated goal as of 2020 was to climb through Toyota Racing Development to reach NASCAR’s top tour, but after parting ways with Toyota, that path has shifted. She’s carving her own route now, one that prioritizes broader opportunities over a single ladder system. What’s next beyond Trans-Am isn’t publicly clear, but given her track record of making bold moves and winning quickly, it’s safe to say she’s not finished climbing yet.

References:

Wikipedia – Kaylee Bryson
Toyota Pressroom – Team Toyota Driver Kaylee Bryson Breaks Out of the Pack
Trans-Am Series – 10 Days of Champions: Kaylee Bryson SGT National Championship
YouTube – It’s The Kenny Conversation with Kenny Wallace (Interview with Kaylee Bryson)
Openfender – Kaylee Bryson Profile