WRN recently had the pleasure to sit down with accomplished young motorcycle racer, 17-year-old Kayla Yaakov. She’s been riding since the age of four, now winning races in MotoAmerica, North America’s premier road racing series. Read on to learn more about this rising road racing star.
You may have heard the name Kayla Yaakov over the last few years. Well on her way to becoming one of the fastest road racers (male or female) in the U.S., Kayla started racing dirt bikes at just four years old and moved up to mini GP at seven where she won her first championship. She began racing full size motorcycles at the tender age of nine. And in 2022, at just 15 years old, Kayla Yaakov became the first woman to ever win a MotoAmerica race.
Who is Kayla Yaakov?
Kayla's milestone MotoAmerica win in 2022 is a groundbreaking achievement and showcase of her talent and determination. This year (2024) she has been racing for the Rahal Ducati Moto team in the Supersport class.
Her experienced Rahal Ducati Moto teammates, P.J. Jacobson and Corey Alexander push her to new heights. Former Supersport champion, Ben Spies, has also stepped in to mentor and coach young Kayla.
She’s doing all of this on a 955cc twin-cylinder Ducati V2, mostly stock with just minor modifications allowed under the MotoAmerica rules. (MotoAmerica Supersport bikes must be based on models available in dealerships with minor performance and ergonomic modifications.)
Breaking Stereotypes
Preparing for race weekends is a delicate balance. Between events, her focus is heavily on physical training, doing a lot of cycling and core work to stay in peak condition. Mental preparation is just as crucial, and Kayla’s learned to maintain a positive mindset.
“For me, it’s a lot about trying to stay as calm as possible early on and know that I belong there,” Kayla explains. “Even if I’m having a bad weekend, I have to remind myself why I do it—when I was little, I always wanted to be in that position.”
While she’s had to overcome some doubters and preconceptions about her abilities as a female racer, Kayla uses that as motivation rather than letting it hold her back. She explains, “I think sometimes people will underestimate me because I’m a girl, so a lot of times I feel like I need to prove myself, which I really shouldn’t have to do.”
But the skepticism has diminished over time as she’s consistently proven herself on the track. “It’s been getting better each year, but for sure when you go to a new paddock, a lot of times I get some strange looks at first,” Kayla says. "Once I’m able to kind of prove myself, it [the skepticism] starts going away.”
Short Term Goals and Long Term Vision
Kayla’s short-term goals are firmly focused on building on her previous successes. She aims to be a consistent podium contender in the Supersport class next season, potentially even fighting for the championship. Her long-term sights are set even higher, with aspirations of one day racing in the World Superbike championship.
She’s already gained valuable international experience, racing in the European R3 Cup as well as the Spanish R7 Cup. The highlight was a 2022 podium finish in the R3 Superfinale in Portimão, Portugal, in front of the World Superbike paddock.
“That was great, a great experience for me before I got into professional racing here in the U.S.,” she reflects.
Kayla Yaakov’s Work/Life Balance
When not chasing her racing dreams, Kayla tries to maintain a sense of normalcy and balance in life. An avid musician, she plays a variety of classical instruments to refocus. And of course she makes an effort to stay connected with friends back home, even though the rigorous travel schedule makes that challenging at times.
“Whenever I’m home, a lot of the time I’ll be playing music,” she says. “I play a bunch of musical instruments, so I try doing that and then just take time with my family, decompressing a little bit.”
Schooling is handled through an online program, which provides the necessary flexibility to accommodate her racing schedule. She will be graduating early this year, a testament to her dedication and time management skills.
What About a Women’s Race Series?
As for the ongoing debate around whether there should be a dedicated women’s road racing series, like many of us, Kayla has an opinion. While she sees the potential benefits of such a series in terms of increasing female participation, her personal preference is to continue racing against the fastest riders regardless of gender.
“I’m not a big fan of it,” she says. “I think for me, I would be much better off continuing to race with everyone. I’d rather race against the fastest people in the world rather than just the fastest girls. I think that’s just going to keep elevating me and making me better.”
Kayla’s ultimate goal is to encourage and support more young girls to get involved in the sport, showing them that they can succeed at the highest levels. “I hope to pave the way for more younger girls to come into racing and know that they can,” she says. “It doesn’t matter where you come from, but as long as you keep working and keep trying to get better, you’ll eventually make it and see success.”
Kayla’s 2024 Race Results
Her next stop in the series following our conversation was the MotoAmerica race at New Jersey Motorsports Park, where she was looking to build on previous successes. With her unwavering determination, impressive skills, and growing experience, the future looks incredibly bright for this remarkable young racer.
In September of this year, Kayla finished 7th overall with 151 points. A great feat in her first full season in the SuperSport class with Rahal Ducati Moto, aboard her Ducati Panigale V2. This was highlighted by the impressive third and second-place podium finish at day one and two at The Ridge. She is the first female to finish on the podium in a MotoAmerica Supersport race. These two additional podiums bring her to three times to date. Kayla also raced as a wild card on a Barni Racing Team Ducati Panigale V2 on Dunlop control tires in the CIV/Italian Supersport National Championship at Mugello, and qualified 35th and finished 25th in each of her two races. She had one additional top-five finish, and 11 more top 10 finishes, only finishing outside the top 10 in 4 races.
And That’s Not All for Kayla
MotoAmerica just launched the latest season of its high-octane docuseries Pressure to Rise. Similar to the wildly popular F1 Drive to Survive, this 12-episode series offers an inside look at the 2024 season through the eyes of three captivating racers.
Each episode will be available on YouTube, MotoAmerica Live+, and MSPTS1, with new episodes dropping every two weeks.