Kayla Yaakov is 19, making history and could be a star in motorsports

Kayla Yaakov, 19, made history on March 5 at Daytona International Speedway by becoming the first woman to finish on the podium at the Daytona 200. Riding in the battle for third place, the Gettysburg, Pennsylvania rider overtook Darryn Binder on the last lap after slingshotting outside him, securing P3. The result launched her into broader motorsports attention. Yaakov, now in third in the MotoAmerica Supersport standings, has nine podium finishes heading into this weekend’s final race at New Jersey Motorsports Park. The article traces her early career milestones, including becoming the youngest American to race full-sized road racing motorcycles at age 9 and amassing 47 regional championships and nearly 400 wins by age 12. She signed with Rahal Ducati Moto in 2023.