RENEE Gracie’s return to racing is due to come later this month at Wanneroo Raceway in GT World Challenge Australia.
The 28-year-old, now known as an adult entertainer, has previous experience in Porsche Carrera Cup Australia and the Dunlop Super2 Series, plus two starts in the Bathurst 1000.
When Stan announced a Gracie documentary last month, her motorsport comeback appeared to be gaining traction, having stepped away at the end of 2017.
The Queenslander, who has made no secret of challenges attached to her line of work, has been plotting a return since 2021 and explained why GT was the right choice for her.
“The series was the natural choice for me to make a racing return,” she said.
“Aside from the fact I have previous experience in GT vehicles, it’s an international category.
“What I do now means I have a lot of international fans and a lot of people who support me from overseas.
“Competing in GT World Challenge means it’s a category with a global footprint and something that my fans overseas can watch and understand – a category that’s desirable wherever you are in the world.
“Everyone knows Mercedes, Porsche, Audi or BMW and people support the brands and the manufacturers involved.
“GT racing has come a long way. It’s popular and fresh and it’s very different now to what It was when I was racing previously. It felt like the right time to get involved.”
Furthermore, it could yet create opportunities abroad, although her first goal is simply to regain the enjoyment factor of motorsport.
“There is the opportunity to compete internationally if I can put myself in a strong position here,” she said.
“I have been doing some karting, and I got behind the wheel recently and was really pleased with how quickly things came back to me.
“I honestly don’t know how I will go but it’s like riding a bike – you don’t forget.”
Details of what car, team and sponsor she’ll align with are yet to be confirmed, but Gracie is keen to make a point.
“Ultimately it shouldn’t matter who you are or what you do,” she said.
“If you want to achieve something and you set your mind to doing it, you should be able to achieve that.
“It’s taken two years to get to this point with some people frowning on what I wanted to do and trying to stop me or discourage me, but the fact we have got to this point shows that it doesn’t matter – and it shouldn’t matter.
“This announcement is the proof of that.”
Round 1 of GTWC Australia took place this weekend at Mount Panorama, with Liam Talbot and Max Hofer taking a cleansweep of the two races.
Wanneroo Raceway plays host to Round 2 of the season on April 28-30, in support of Supercars’ Perth SuperSprint.
