Kayla Yaakov is the first female national race winner in MotoAmerica history and the only female competitor in the Supersport class. Her 2026 season has brought one milestone after another: becoming the first woman to podium at the legendary Daytona 200, earning back-to-back poles, and setting the first MotoAmerica Supersport lap record by a woman at Barber Motorsports Park.

When we first met Kayla Yaakov a few years ago, she was a young racer making her way through the ranks of American motorcycle racing. Today, at just 19, she is no longer simply a rising star. She is making history.

But this season brought another extraordinary chapter in her career.

During Ducati’s 100th-anniversary celebrations in Italy, Yaakov became the first woman to ride a Ducati MotoGP motorcycle, experiencing Marc Márquez’s Desmosedici GP26 at Misano. She also rode Nicolò Bulega’s WorldSBK Panigale V4 R and received coaching from two-time MotoGP World Champion Casey Stoner and Ducati Corse MotoGP test rider Michele Pirro.

La Revista Mujer had the pleasure of catching up with Kayla at Circuit of The Americas during MotoAmerica 2026. We talked about her evolution as a racer, the pressure and motivation that come with making history, her extraordinary experience in Italy, and what she believes is still ahead.

Kayla’s curly red hair and bright, focused eyes still reflect the enthusiasm of the young racer we met years ago. But there is something different now: a quiet confidence that comes from experience, hard work, and knowing she has already accomplished what no woman before her has done in MotoAmerica.

A More Confident Racer

Photo by: Nicklessphotos

Kayla, when we interviewed you a couple of years ago, you were already making a name for yourself. Looking back, what has changed most about Kayla the racer since that interview?

Kayla Yaakov: A lot. I feel like when you have more time on the bike and more time in the class, you improve your confidence. I would say I’m a more confident racer and a more confident person.

I’m really happy with the progress. It has been a long time coming, and I feel like I’m finally where I wanted to be in the class.

What have you learned about COTA since the last time you raced here?

Kayla: This track is very difficult, so we prepare a lot for races like this. It’s a lot of physical training, a lot of cardio, and even heat training for a track like COTA.

Making History

2026 has been a breakthrough season for you. At the Daytona 200, you became the first woman to stand on the podium in the historic race.

At Barber Motorsports Park, you added another milestone by becoming the first woman to set a MotoAmerica Supersport lap record.

What did it feel like to see your name attached to those records?

Kayla Yaakov: It’s pretty surreal.

I feel like that’s what you dream of when you race a motorcycle—to do big things, to win races, to be on the stage. Especially at a race like the Daytona 200. It’s very iconic.

You’re always imagining yourself in that position, and to see it actually becoming true is pretty amazing.

I’m so happy with the year, and I really feel that the progress we made during the offseason and all the work really paid off.

Women on the Starting Grid

You are now competing not only against some of the fastest riders in the country but also under a spotlight that comes with being one of the most visible women in American road racing.

Does being recognized as one of the fastest women in American road racing create additional pressure, or does it motivate you?

Kayla Yaakov: I would say it’s definitely more motivation than pressure.

For me, I have a lot of very positive interactions, but a lot of negative ones as well. So I always try to keep doing my own thing.

«I have a lot of motivation behind me to keep going and also to prove that women can be up front.»

The Mental Side of Racing

What is the hardest part of racing that people don’t see or perhaps misunderstand?

Kayla Yaakov preparing for her race with her team at COTA

Kayla Yaakov: There are a lot. What spectators don’t always see is the mental preparation required to compete at this level.

«We’re people too, and sometimes we have things outside of the track that really affect us.Your mental state and being mentally strong is such a big part of racing.»

Going into the season, obviously I wanted to be physically prepared, but another big thing for me was being mentally prepared. So I did a lot of mental training going into this year and basically checked every box.

Italy, Ducati 100th Celebration

Photo: Courtesy of Ducati Media House

During Ducati’s 100th-anniversary celebrations at Misano, you were given the opportunity to ride Marc Márquez’s Desmosedici GP26—the Ducati MotoGP machine that made you the first woman to ride a Ducati MotoGP motorcycle.

What was the first thought that went through your mind when you realized you were actually going to ride Marc Márquez’s MotoGP bike?

Kayla Yaakov: I really didn’t think it was going to happen. It was a surprise, for sure.

You know, I love the Italians, but when they say, «We would do this,» and «We would do that,» I wasn’t really believing it at first. 

But through the World Ducati Week event, more and more people were asking me, «Oh, you’re going to have fun with the Marc Márquez bike.»

So it became more of a reality.

It was so crazy. Even on the day of it, it was kind of surreal.

Learning from the Best

The experience became even more significant with coaching from two-time MotoGP World Champion Casey Stoner and Ducati Corse MotoGP test rider Michele Pirro.

Was there one piece of advice from either of them that has stayed with you?

Kayla Yaakov: Michele Pirro was there, but really Stoner is the one I spoke with quite a lot.

A lot of the advice was to really understand the bikes—understand how to ride the bike with all the traction control and all the things involved with modern road racing.

Get comfortable with a bike that moves.

I feel like nowadays, with all the electronics, it can be very difficult to remember those things. So it was a big piece of advice: just keep riding motocross and road tracks and keep improving my general riding.

How Close Is the Next Level?

Having experienced Ducati machinery at three different levels, you now have an even clearer view of what separates MotoAmerica from the world’s premier racing championships.

Did that experience make the next level feel closer, or did it make you realize just how much more there is to learn?

Yaakov: I feel like it made me feel closer to the idea.

I was around a lot of the people in the paddock, and this year I’m racing against Darren, who has raced MotoGP. I’ve also ridden with some of the new riders who came here this weekend at COTA who have been in the World Championship.

It shows that the level is high—and we’re close. We’re very close.

I feel like that experience maybe didn’t make me feel closer or farther, but it gave me a taste for what I hope to have.

If You Could Ride Any Ducati…

Photo: Courtesy of Ducati Media House

Ducati gave you the keys to any racing motorcycle in the world for one day, what would you choose and why?

Kayla Yaakov: Having the chance to compare the GP bike that Stoner rode with what is now Marc Márquez’s bike would be really interesting.

Having those two days, going back-to-back between them, would be a very interesting experience.

I’d love to ride the older GP bike from 2009 or 2010 that Stoner was riding and then the current one—to have that comparison.

I feel like that would be a very cool experience and maybe even a learning experience.

And Then There Was Gelato

Behind every great racing trip, of course, there are the memories that have nothing to do with lap times.

What was your favorite Italian food during your visit?

Kayla Yaakov: Ah, I mean, the gelato!

I feel like going from the race shop just to get a nice, fresh, cold gelato was the most fun!

The Road Ahead

At 19, Kayla Yaakov has already accomplished something no woman had accomplished before her in MotoAmerica. She has stood on the Daytona 200 podium, set a Supersport lap record, claimed poles, and ridden Ducati machinery at the WorldSBK and MotoGP levels.

But perhaps the most revealing part of our conversation was not the records. It was her attitude toward what comes next. Stay tunned!

By: Lilia Rodriguez Davis

Cover photo: Nickless Photo

For Kayla Yaakov, the question is no longer whether a woman can make history in motorcycle racing.  She already has. The question now is how much further she can go.