Laura Hayes is a South Carolina-based professional racing driver and performance driving instructor who made history in 2024 as the fastest woman to race a car to the summit of Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, shattering the previous women’s four-wheel record by over half a minute.

EARLY YEARS

Born and raised in NASCAR country—though conflicting reports identify her origins as either South Carolina or Northern California—Hayes got her first taste of racing at age eight when her parents put her behind the wheel[1][6]. She started competing in karts and quarter midgets, entering a world where female role models were practically nonexistent[1][7]. That scarcity of women in the sport didn’t slow her down; if anything, it seemed to fuel her determination to carve out her own space in racing.

Those early years laid the foundation for what would become a career defined by versatility and grit. While details about her family, education, and childhood remain sparse, one thing is clear: once Hayes found racing, she never looked back.

OTHER INTERESTS

Beyond the driver’s seat, Hayes channeled her automotive passion into entrepreneurship. Thunder Bunny Racing, her Greenville-based team, evolved from a group of friends bonding over cars into a full-service automotive shop dedicated to performance tuning of European, exotic, and classic vehicles[1]. It’s the kind of operation that reflects her hands-on approach—not just driving fast, but understanding what makes cars go fast.

In 2010, Hayes began her career as a professional performance driving instructor at the Richard Petty Driving Experience in Charlotte[1]. By 2013, she’d joined the BMW Performance Center in Greer, South Carolina, where she’s spent over a decade teaching others how to push cars—and themselves—to the limit[1]. As both coach and competitor, she’s been blazing a path for women in motorsports from multiple angles, proving you don’t have to choose between racing and mentoring.

EARLY SUCCESS

Hayes cut her teeth in the demanding world of endurance racing, competing full-time in America’s World Racing League GT divisions[2][3][4]. Her biggest accomplishment in the years leading up to 2024 was clinching the WRL GTO National Championship in a new Toyota Supra—a win that underscored her ability to adapt to new platforms and outrun the competition over grueling multi-hour races[3].

Her introduction to Pikes Peak came almost by accident during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hayes stumbled across the legendary hill climb via a last-minute invitation to serve as pace-car driver for the Parade of Champions in 2020[4]. After watching documentaries and onboarding videos to prepare for that drive, she recalled a 2010 work trip with SRT when she’d driven up the mountain in a new Challenger—part of the road still dirt back then—and remembered thinking, “Who would actually race up this?”[3] Turns out, she would. Hayes returned to compete in the Time Attack 1 division with BMW, finishing fifth on a course shortened by ice at the 16-mile marker[3]. That taste of competition on America’s Mountain was enough to keep her coming back.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2024: Won the inaugural GT4 Trophy by Yokohama division, turbo class, at the 102nd running of Pikes Peak International Hill Climb with a time of 10:20.487 in a Toyota GR Supra GT4, defeating all competitors including Robb Holland and Nuno Caetano[1][2][4][5][8].
• 2024: Became the fastest woman to race a car to the summit of Pikes Peak, overtaking Kathryn Mead’s previous record and shattering Vanina Ickx’s 2018 women’s four-wheel record by more than 30 seconds, earning the title “Queen of the Mountain”[1][2][4][8].
• Pre-2024: Won the WRL GTO National Championship in a Toyota Supra[3].

INSPIRATIONS

Hayes has been candid about the lack of female role models when she started racing at eight years old[1]. While she’s aware of legends like Michèle Mouton—who won Pikes Peak outright in 1985—her path has largely been self-forged, guided by her parents’ early encouragement and her own refusal to be sidelined by gender[4].

Her advice to aspiring racers cuts straight to the heart of her own journey: “Whether you want to be a driver, an engineer, a photographer or something in between, no one’s stopping you from doing what you love, except maybe yourself. Get comfortable being uncomfortable and take that risk. All of this only happens once”[3]. It’s the philosophy of someone who’s spent her entire career proving that women belong wherever they choose to be—behind the wheel, under the hood, or on top of a mountain.

REPUTATION

Hayes is known for her versatility, fierce competitiveness, and genuine humility. At Pikes Peak in 2024, she engaged in a week-long battle with Nuno Caetano and Robb Holland that came down to hundredths and tenths of a second—the kind of nail-biting competition that separates great drivers from the rest[2]. Despite her record-breaking performance, she’s quick to credit her Thunder Bunny Racing team, describing them as a “big family” and emphasizing that success comes from collective effort, not individual glory[1].

“When you bring all these incredible people together and what we’re able to do together—that’s really special,” she said after her historic Pikes Peak win[1]. That team-first mentality has earned her respect across the paddock, as has her decade-plus of work as a performance driving instructor, where she’s guided countless students through the fundamentals of high-performance driving.

Media coverage of Hayes has been overwhelmingly positive, highlighting not just her speed but her role in opening doors for other women in motorsports[1][2][4][5][8]. After her 2024 Pikes Peak victory, she made a point to celebrate the other talented women drivers on the mountain that year, stating: “I’m so proud of every one of them for doing something daring, doing something they love, and proving that women belong on the mountain, too”[2]. It’s that combination of killer instinct on track and generosity off it that’s made her a respected figure in a sport not always known for welcoming women.

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

Hayes isn’t resting on her laurels. She hopes her Pikes Peak victory—which garnered worldwide attention—will open doors to the highest levels of U.S. motorsport and provide opportunities for her Thunder Bunny Racing team[1]. She’s also expressed her intention to return to GT4 competition, eager to continue the fierce manufacturer battles that defined the inaugural GT4 Trophy by Yokohama division[2].

Beyond competition, Hayes remains committed to her role as a performance driving instructor and resident coach at Thunder Bunny Racing, continuing to mentor the next generation of drivers—women and men alike—who want to go fast and do it right[1][6]. With a WRL GTO National Championship and a Pikes Peak record under her belt, she’s proven she can win at every level. Now, she’s focused on what comes next: more championships, more records, and more proof that women don’t just belong in motorsports—they excel in it.

References:

Greenville Journal – Pikes Peak Win Coverage
Pikes Peak International Hill Climb – Behind the Wheel Feature (Post-2024)
Pikes Peak International Hill Climb – Behind the Wheel Feature (Pre-2024)
DirtFish – Laura Hayes Pikes Peak Coverage
Hemmings – Record Confirmation
Kick the Concrete – Laura Hayes Profile
Shift Up Now – Team Bio
MotorTrend – Pikes Peak Record Coverage