Laura Byrnes, a Late Model motor racer and mentor to young women racers

Published: Sept. 28, 2021, 5:09 a.m.

Laura Byrnes is a Late Models Motorsport competitor in Speedway Motorsport (oval track dirt racing) for Red Shamrock Racing. She has been competing in motorsport for the past 15 years and in the 2020/21 race season, moved into Late Model racing - the pinnacle of sedan dirt track racing. Despite being only in her first season, Laura was Rookie of the Year Championship for the Pro Dirt Series, finished second overall during the Winter Series, and top 10 (out of 38 of Australia's best) for the Pro Dirt Series and Perth Motorplex Track Championship. Laura is the first in her family to race and got into motorsport through grit and determination at 11 years old. Laura is currently leading the Women in Motorsport section on Australian Motorsport news site - Behind the Sport, and contributor to Women in Sport WA. Laura has been a committee member for the Junior Sedan Racing Association and was a Women of Australian Motorsport Committee member, where she ran the Junior Driver Development Program. In 2021 Laura was a sports finalist in the WA Young Achiever Awards, and has recently received a the Shona Joy Sports Mentoring Scholarship through Women Sport Australia. Laura has also received a General Sports Scholarship from the UWA, where she studied Law and Psychology. Laura is an ambassador for the Miracle Babies Foundation as she was born 9 weeks premature. Standing at only 150cms tall and driving a race car over 5.5 metres long - Laura is determined to show your size, height, weight and background are not as important as your desire to succeed. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.