Olympic gold medallist Caitlyn Jenner will join the W Series grid as a team owner, launching Jenner Racing ahead of the 2022 season.
Jenner, most famously known for being part of the Kardashian family when she married Kris Kardashian (who became Kris Jenner after taking her husband’s name), later transitioned from male to female, dropping her birth name, Bruce, for Caitlyn in 2015.
Jenner, a two-time Olympic decathlon gold medallist, later embarked on a motor racing career when she won a celebrity race at the Long Beach Grand Prix in 1979. Jenner debuted as a professional racing driver at the iconic 24 Hours of Daytona race as part of Jim Busby’s team.
Jenner went on to compete professionally in the IMSA Camel GT Championship as a factory driver for the Ford Motor Company and Jack Roush for the next six years, making a total of 57 starts. After a near victory and a second-placed finish at the 24 hours of Daytona, Jenner came back in the 1986 12 Hours of Sebring alongside co-driver Scott Pruett, to whom Jenner would finish runner-up in the championship that year.
In her role as team principal, Jenner will oversee the day-to-day running of her Jenner Racing team. Driver line-up, car livery, and the acquisition of sponsors who are aligned with her mission of promoting women in sport and creating a platform for them in motorsport, will be first on her agenda.
W Series will support Formula 1 at eight rounds this season, including Miami, Silverstone, Japan, Austin and Mexico.
“As a believer in fair competition, a lover of motor racing, and a supporter of all women in sport from the grassroots to elite level, W Series ticks every box for me and is a fusion of the different aspects of my career,” said Jenner.
“A championship dedicated to inspiring young girls and giving women the chance to succeed in roles throughout what has traditionally been a male-dominated industry, W Series is changing the face of motorsport. As the series continues its rapid expansion with a truly international cast of drivers and races, this was the perfect time to come on board. W Series had a global reach of more than half a billion viewers in 2021, and I am going out to the market to acquire sponsors that align with mine and W Series’ joint missions.
“I watched on with great excitement last year when W Series made its American debut in Austin, Texas, USA, where its drivers entertained 400,000 fans over the weekend at the Circuit of the Americas. In May, I will be beaming with pride when my Jenner Racing team starts its bid for W Series glory on motor racing’s greatest stage at the first race of season three in Miami, USA, in support of Formula 1. As has always been the case, I’m in it to win it.”
