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Michele Abbate is a Las Vegas native who transformed from a karting spectator into a four-time U.S. road racing champion and barrier-breaking Trans Am TA2 driver, becoming the first woman to podium in TA2 and the first to compete full-time in the TA2 National Championship.

EARLY YEARS

Growing up in Las Vegas, Michele Abbate spent her childhood trackside, watching her older brother Michael dominate the go-kart circuit. She was six years old when Michael got his first kart at age eight, and for years, she was content to be a spectator. But somewhere around age nine, something shifted. Watching wasn’t enough anymore. “I have spent all of my life around many types of motorsports, but at first I was strictly a spectator,” she later explained. “My brother, Michael Abbate, was a very successful driver in many go-kart organizations and his achievements opened my eyes to the world of racing.”

The dream was there, but the reality took time. Michele knew what she wanted—she just had to figure out how to get it. She dabbled in karting at a hobby level, but her serious competitive journey didn’t begin until 2004, when she was sixteen years old. That’s when she showed up to her first SCCA autocross event in her daily driver. No fancy equipment, no deep-pocketed sponsors—just a teenage girl with something to prove. She competed regionally, learning the fundamentals of car control and racecraft while balancing her education. Michele went on to earn a Bachelor’s degree in Communication and Marketing from the University of Nevada–Las Vegas, skills that would serve her well when she later founded her own racing team and marketing company.

OTHER INTERESTS

Beyond the racetrack, Michele maintains interests in fitness and traveling. She’s also a businesswoman, having founded GRR Enterprises, a marketing company, alongside her racing operation. Her degree in Communication and Marketing wasn’t just a fallback plan—it became integral to building her brand and managing the business side of motorsports. While her focus has remained razor-sharp on racing, she’s proven that being a successful driver in 2024 means being part athlete, part entrepreneur, and part media strategist.

EARLY SUCCESS

Michele’s first national autocross event came in 2007 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California. She finished third—behind two national champions—and became the youngest female to podium in the SCCA GT-1 category at the National Championship Runoffs. Not a bad introduction to national competition. But autocross was just the beginning. Around 2009, she expanded into road course racing and time attack, competing with NASA, Redline Time Attack, UMS Tuning Time Attack, and 600 Racing/INEX. By early 2011, she had earned her NASA Time Trial License after about a year and a half of High Performance Driving Education. That same year, she finished second in NASA Time Trials TT-E points (pending the final race) and scored her first championship under Scion Racing in a 2011 Scion tC—making it Scion’s first road racing championship.

The wins kept coming. Michele proved she wasn’t just competitive—she was a threat. Her husband Anthony became her crew chief and mentor from day one, giving up his own passion for sport bike racing to support her dreams. “He always helps me make decisions, pushes me to do my best, and guides me when needed,” she said. “I wouldn’t be who I am or where I am without him and I’m very thankful.” With Anthony in her corner and a growing list of accomplishments, Michele founded Grr Racing, her own team, and set her sights on bigger series.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2007: Third place at SCCA National Championships at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, CA; youngest female to podium in GT-1 category.
• 2011: First championship under Scion Racing in a 2011 Scion tC (Scion’s first road racing championship); second in NASA Time Trials TT-E points.
• 2015: First female recipient of the Lindley Bothwell Driver of the Year Award in the award’s 68-year history.
• 2019: Fifth overall in Trans Am TA2 West Coast Championship.
• 2020: Trans Am TA2 West Coast Vice-Champion; first female TA2 podium; Trans Am Series Fan Favorite Driver of the Year.
• 2021: NASCAR Truck Series debut at Circuit of the Americas (COTA).
• 2022: First female full-time TA2 National Championship driver.
• 2023: Parella Motorsports Holdings Diversity Scholarship recipient.
• Career: Four-time U.S. road racing champion.

INSPIRATIONS

Michele’s racing journey has always been a family affair. Her brother Michael opened the door by showing her what was possible, and her husband Anthony kept it open by sacrificing his own racing ambitions to support hers. “I was about 9 years old,” she recalled when asked about when her racing interest began. “My older brother Michael was the racer and got his first go-kart when he was 8. I was 6 at the time so I got to experience the sport as a spectator for many years.” But spectating only went so far. Eventually, she realized that if she wanted to race, she had to stop watching and start doing. “It has always been my dream and passion to drive but it was not my reality until I stopped watching him and took action, myself, to get on the track.”

REPUTATION

Michele Abbate has built a reputation as a driver who doesn’t just participate—she makes history. She’s the first woman to podium in Trans Am TA2, the first to compete full-time in the TA2 National Championship, and the youngest female to reach the podium at the SCCA GT-1 National Championship Runoffs. In 2015, she became the first woman in nearly seven decades to receive the Lindley Bothwell Driver of the Year Award. The motorsports media consistently frames her career in terms of barriers broken and firsts achieved, but her peers and sponsors see something else: raw talent matched with relentless passion. Scosche, her sponsor since 2016, praised her “incredible driving skills matched by passion.” Fans agree—they voted her Trans Am Series Fan Favorite Driver of the Year in 2020. She’s also a savvy businesswoman, running Grr Racing (www.GrrRacing.com) and GRR Enterprises, her marketing company, while piloting the #30 Lucas Oil Trans Am Chevy Camaro TA2—a purpose-built tube-chassis beast nicknamed “Black Betty,” built by Howe Racing with an LS3 Chevrolet Katech engine and fiberglass Gen 5 Camaro body. Her sponsors include Lucas Oil, RECARO, and Scosche, and she’s built strong industry relationships through a combination of performance and professionalism.

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

Michele’s goals are straightforward and ambitious: race full-time in the Trans Am TA2 National Tour Series, become the TA2 Champion, and make her NASCAR Xfinity Series debut. She’s already proven she can compete at the highest levels of road racing, and with her team, sponsors, and support system in place, there’s no reason to think she won’t keep pushing boundaries. The 2023 Parella Motorsports Holdings Diversity Scholarship signals that the industry is paying attention and investing in her future. For a driver who started autocrossing in her daily driver at sixteen, the trajectory has been nothing short of remarkable—and she’s not done yet.

References:

MotoIQ Driver Profile: Michele Abbate
RECARO Automotive: Michele Abbate Profile
Trans Am Racing: Michele Abbate Official Driver Page
Scosche Ambassadors: Michele Abbate
Race Ramps Blog: Customer Spotlight – Grr Racing Michele Abbate
Scotscoop: Getting On Track – Michele Abbate Brakes Through Barriers in Racing
Gearhead Coffee: Michele Abbate