Riley Pegram

Riley Pegram is a twenty-year-old American racing driver from Hebron, Ohio, who made history as the first female driver in the Kumho FIA TCR World Tour and currently competes in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge alongside her father, veteran racer Larry Pegram.

EARLY YEARS

Born November 6, 2004, in Columbus, Ohio, Riley Lauren Pegram grew up in the racing world whether she wanted to or not. Her father, Larry Pegram, is a 52-year-old AMA Pro racer and team owner with decades of two-wheeled experience under his belt. Her mother, Heather Pegram, rounded out the family picture, though details about her background remain private. Growing up in Hebron, Ohio—a small town just outside Columbus—Riley was surrounded by the smell of race fuel and the sound of engines from day one. With a father who made his living on motorcycles and ran his own racing operation, the Pegram household likely had more shop talk at the dinner table than most. How and when Riley transitioned from watching Dad race to wanting a piece of the action herself isn’t documented, but with Larry Pegram’s influence and Pegram Racing already established, the path was there if she wanted to take it.

OTHER INTERESTS

What Riley does when she’s not strapped into a race car remains her business—no public information exists about hobbies, interests, education, or how she spends her downtime. For now, her story is told entirely through what happens on track.

EARLY SUCCESS

The details of Riley’s early racing career—what she drove first, where she competed, who coached her, and when she notched her first wins—haven’t been made public. What is known is that by the time she was a teenager, she’d found her way into sports car racing, specifically the IMSA SportsCar Challenge in the Touring Car category. Whether that was her starting point or simply where the public record picks up her trail is unclear, but it’s where she began building her résumé in four-wheeled competition. The progression from go-karts or regional series to IMSA-level racing, the financial backing that made it possible, and the mentors who helped along the way all remain part of her untold story. What’s obvious is that she had the skill and the support to compete at a high level while still in her teens—no small feat in a sport where seat time costs serious money and opportunities for young drivers, especially young women, don’t exactly grow on trees.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2024: Became the first female driver to compete in the Kumho FIA TCR World Tour[2].
• 2024: Participated in IMSA SportsCar Challenge – Touring Car category[4].
• 2025: Competing in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge sports car racing series with Pegram Racing, co-driving with father Larry Pegram[1].

INSPIRATIONS

It doesn’t take a detective to figure out that Larry Pegram played a major role in Riley’s racing life. As both her father and a veteran racer with his own team, he provided not just inspiration but infrastructure—access to equipment, expertise, and the kind of insider knowledge that can’t be bought. Whether she idolized him growing up, studied his race footage, or simply absorbed racing by osmosis while hanging around the shop is anyone’s guess. Beyond her father, Riley hasn’t publicly named heroes, mentors, or pivotal moments that shaped her approach to racing. Maybe she’s keeping that close to the vest, or maybe she’s still writing that part of her story.

REPUTATION

Riley Pegram’s most defining achievement so far is breaking into the Kumho FIA TCR World Tour as its first female competitor—a milestone that put her name in the history books before her twentieth birthday. That’s the kind of “first” that matters, the kind that opens doors and changes perceptions about who belongs on a world tour grid. Beyond that headline, though, public information about how she’s regarded in the paddock is scarce. There are no documented quotes from competitors, no published assessments of her driving style, and no controversies or drama to dissect. She’s not yet a household name, but she’s also not flying under the radar—becoming the first woman in a major touring car series guarantees that people are watching. Whether she’s seen as a serious contender, a promising talent still developing, or simply a novelty act will be determined by what she does next. For now, her reputation rests on the courage it takes to be the first and the skill required to earn that seat in the first place.

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

Riley’s 2025 season is already mapped out: she’s racing in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge with Pegram Racing, sharing driving duties with her father, Larry. It’s a setup that’s both practical—Larry’s experience and team ownership make it a natural fit—and unusual. Not many drivers get to compete alongside a parent at this level, and even fewer get to do it in a professional series where the competition is fierce and the stakes are real. Whether this is a stepping stone to a full-time solo ride, a way to gain experience while keeping costs manageable, or a unique chapter in what could be a long career is unclear. Riley hasn’t publicly outlined her long-term ambitions—whether she’s aiming for a factory drive, planning to build her own program, or eyeing other series. She’s twenty years old with a history-making achievement already on her résumé and a 2025 season that will put her in front of IMSA’s passionate fanbase. Where she goes from there is up to her, but the foundation is solid, and the doors are open.

References:

Riley Pegram Archives – MotoAmerica
Riley Pegram first female driver in the Kumho FIA TCR World Tour – FIA TCR World Tour
Recent Birth: Riley Lauren Pegram – Roadracing World
Riley Pegram – Driver Database