Sabré Cook

Sabré Cook is a mechanical engineer turned racing driver who parlayed 14 karting championships into a trailblazing car racing career, becoming the first woman in multiple professional series and a member of Porsche’s Female Driver Development Program.

EARLY YEARS

Born May 21, 1994, in Grand Junction, Colorado, Sabré Leigh Cook arrived on a Supercross Sunday—fitting for a girl whose father had raced professionally in motocross and supercross during the 1980s. Despite those two-wheeled roots, her parents steered both Sabré and her brother away from motorcycles and into karts, a decision that would shape everything that followed.

She started karting at age 10, growing up in the Colorado racing scene where her father’s influence loomed large. But Cook wasn’t content to just dabble. Over the next several years, she racked up 14 championships, traveling internationally to compete and becoming one of the most decorated female kart racers in the country. “It really kind of honed me as a person and as a racer,” she later said, “and had a lot of success… it took me all over the world.”

While dominating on track, Cook was also excelling off it. She pursued a mechanical engineering degree at the Colorado School of Mines, graduating in 2017 with the kind of technical foundation most drivers never acquire. That dual focus—speed and science—would become her signature.

OTHER INTERESTS

Cook’s interests have always orbited around the intersection of engineering and racing. After winning the Infiniti Engineering Academy competition, she landed a role with Renault’s Formula 1 team, working in composite suspension design. It was a rare opportunity for any young engineer, let alone one still actively pursuing a driving career. “It gave me a way into F1,” she said, noting it advanced her career by two to three years.

Her engineering work wasn’t just a fallback—it informed her driving. Cook has spoken about how her technical knowledge gives her an edge in setup conversations and performance analysis, making her a more complete competitor. The ability to toggle between data sheets and driver’s seat is uncommon, and she’s leveraged it throughout her career.

Injuries have tested her resilience. A hip injury required 18 months of rehabilitation before her 2023 season, and later that year, a concussion from a crash at Indianapolis Motor Speedway during Porsche Carrera Cup sidelined her for the remainder of the season. Both setbacks required patience and grit—qualities she’d need in abundance.

EARLY SUCCESS

Cook’s karting resume reads like a greatest-hits compilation. She became the first female SKUSA S2 National Champion in 2012, a three-time TAG USA World Champion, and an eight-time Colorado State Karting Champion. In 2014, she made history as the first female to qualify for the main event of the KZ World Championship, a feat that earned her the Maxspeed & Mazda Road to Indy Scholarship. The following year, she finished third in the US Open Shifter Elite National Championship and represented Team USA at the Rotax Grand Finals. By 2016, she’d claimed the US Open Shifter Elite National title.

Her transition to cars came later than most. In 2017, at age 23, her father put her in one of his race cars at Summit Point for an SCCA race. “That was the start,” she recalled. She finished ninth in the SCCA National Championship Runoffs at Indianapolis Motor Speedway that year, driving a Formula Enterprise. It was a modest debut, but it opened the door.

Cook worked relentlessly to secure sponsorship for the 2018 season, competing in both USF2000 and F4. Her best USF2000 finish was 14th at Indianapolis; in F4, she managed 15th at Circuit of the Americas. The results weren’t spectacular, but she was learning the craft of car racing on the fly, translating years of karting instinct into something heavier, faster, and more complex.

In 2019, she qualified for the W Series, becoming one of the few Americans in the all-female championship. She competed for three years (2019–2021), serving as the only American driver in 2020 and 2021. Her standout moment came in 2019 at Assen, where she finished third in the reverse-grid race and set the fastest lap—a performance that showcased her racecraft and consistency.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2012: First Female SKUSA S2 National Champion
• 2013: Women in Sports Foundation Project Podium Grant Recipient
• 2014: First Female to Qualify for KZ World Championship Main Event; Maxspeed & Mazda Road to Indy Scholarship Winner
• 2015: 3rd Place US Open Shifter Elite National Championship; Member of Team USA for Rotax Grand Finals; Challenge of the Americas DD2 International Champion
• 2016: US Open Shifter Elite National Champion
• 2017: Team USA Scholarship Finalist; Infiniti Engineering Academy Winner (led to Renault F1 role)
• 2019: 3rd Place & Fastest Lap in W Series Reverse Grid Race at Assen
• 2020–2021: Only American Driver in W Series
• 2021: Only Female to Podium in Porsche Sprint Challenge; 1st Place NLS 8 Nürburgring Cup 5 Class Win
• 2021–2022: IMSA Diverse Driver Development Scholarship Runner-Up
• 2022: Kelly-Moss Porsche Carrera Cup Scholarship Winner
• 2023: First Female in Porsche Carrera Cup North America (Porsche Female Driver Development Program); Best Finish 6th at Miami

INSPIRATIONS

Cook’s father looms largest in her origin story. A professional motocross and supercross racer in the 1980s, he not only introduced her to motorsports but also served as her early mechanic. She’s spoken about how meaningful it was to achieve success with him in her corner, a full-circle moment connecting his racing past to her racing present.

Later in her career, Patrick Long became a mentor through the Porsche program. Long, a legendary sports car driver and coach, provided guidance as she navigated the Carrera Cup series and the unique challenges of being the first woman in the championship.

REPUTATION

Cook is widely regarded as a trailblazer—a driver who’s opened doors simply by showing up and doing the work. Media coverage has consistently highlighted her dual identity as both engineer and racer, framing her as someone who brings uncommon depth to the cockpit. GT Motorsports described her journey as one marked by “grit and grace,” and her story has become a touchstone for conversations about women in motorsports.

She’s a pioneer in the truest sense, logging “firsts” across karting, sports cars, and beyond. As the inaugural member of Porsche’s Female Driver Development Program, she’s carved out a role that didn’t exist before her. She’s also been vocal—though not preachy—about her experiences, offering advice to young girls entering the sport and serving as a visible example of what persistence looks like.

There’s no controversy attached to her name, no drama that overshadows her racing. Fans and peers alike view her through the lens of perseverance: someone who’s faced injuries, funding challenges, and the inevitable skepticism that comes with being a woman in a male-dominated sport, and kept racing anyway.

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

As of 2024, Cook was competing full-time in Porsche Carrera Cup North America with MDK Motorsports, continuing her work in the series where she made history the year before. A July 2025 interview confirmed she remained committed to the Carrera Cup, though specific plans beyond that season remain undocumented. Given her engineering background and ongoing work in design and data analysis, it’s likely she’ll continue to straddle both worlds—racing when opportunity allows, engineering when it doesn’t.

References:

Wikipedia: Sabré Cook
Women’s Motorsports Network Interview (July 9, 2025)
GT Motorsports: Sabré Cook Profile
MotorTrend: Engineering and Racing