Kayla Yaakov Makes History in Daytona

There are few places in motorsports that you can feel the history on arrival the way you do when you arrive at Daytona, and this year's Daytona 200 had no shortage of history made that we'll recall years from now.

Josh Herrin's 5th Daytona win, tying him for most 200 wins all time was a highlight and Ella Dreher becoming the youngest rider ever to compete in the famed race was phenomenal. But there was something about Kayla Yaakov crossing the line in 3rd to become the first female in history to score a podium at the 200 that caught our eye.

Standing in the famed victory circle taking in the moment, it dawned on me that while we all knew coming in that Kayla was racing and Ella Dreher was set to become the youngest rider to ever hit the banks for the race, we had heard little about the history of women in the event. So let's take a walk down memory lane to see how we got here.

The Ladies of the 80s

The story of women at Daytona began in 1979, when Gina Bovaird became the first woman to qualify for the Daytona 200. At the time, simply making the grid was an achievement. Road racing in America was overwhelmingly male, and until this point, few women were competing at the national level.

Bovaird not only qualified—she finished the race. Over the next few years she returned multiple times - and others soon followed. Riders like Toni Sharpless and Kathleen Coburn made Daytona 200 starts during the late 1980s. While they competed with solid pace, competitive results were still far away, with most of the early finishes well outside the top-30. Once these three pioneers moved away from racing, it was quite some time before the race saw another female competitor.

The Modern Era

A new wave of female racers began appearing at Daytona in the modern American road racing era, beginning around 2009. One of the most prominent was Melissa Paris, who became a regular Daytona 200 competitor between 2009 and 2014. Paris steadily improved her results, eventually finishing 10th in 2013.

That same year, another breakthrough arrived as Elena Myers delivered what would become the benchmark performance for female riders at Daytona, finishing ninth in the 2013 Daytona 200. The significance of Myers' run went beyond the number. She had already made history as the first woman to win a professional race at Daytona International Speedway, and her Daytona 200 performance reinforced that women could compete at the sharp end of the field.

A few years later, well tenured pro racer Patricia Fernandez found her way onto the grid, finishing 14th in 2016 and carrying the torch for the females on the grid over the next few years, finishing inside the top 20 multiple times.

The New Generation

For 2026, the new generation arrived in the form of two teenagers.

This year's event started off with news that Ella Dreher would become the youngest rider (male or female) to ride in the 200, for none other than the aforementioned Melissa Paris' MP13 team. Dreher brought it home 16th in her 200 and Supersport class debut just a few days past her 16th birthday.

Then there's 18 year old Kayla Yaakov. After finishing 11th in her first 200 back in 2024, Yaakov came into the 2026 race feeling as 'prepared as ever' after an off-season living and training with teammate PJ Jacobson.

46 Years to the Podium

When speaking to us on Friday following qualifying, Yaakov mentioned struggles with electrical issues and being nearly 10mph down on the competition. But despite the issues, when it came time to go racing, her and the Rahal Ducati Moto with Droplight team found their form. Laying down consistent laps, nailing pitstops and staying in the hunt throughout the 200 mile grind.

It all came down to one lap and Yaakov going toe to toe with former MotoGP rider and newcomer to the series Darryn Binder. What looked to be an early move out of the draft on Binder as the duo headed toward the checkered flag had team manager Ben Spies on the edge of his seat but moments later, history followed.

46 years and 9 female contestants later - the first woman landed on the podium in the form of Kayla Yaakov last Saturday. While the feat is monumental, she doesn't plan on stopping there.

"This is a race I've always wanted to win," Yaakov said, "this is still my bucket list race to win."

Sounds like it'll be game on in March of 2027.