GT3 driver Renee Gracie on sexism in motorsport and how she turned her career around

Driving in the Bathurst 1000 was supposed to be the highlight of Renee Gracie's motorsport career.

In 2015, the now 30-year-old formed part of the first all-female line-up in two decades to compete in the iconic event.

But after crashing into the Forrest's Elbow wall on lap 15, Gracie would hit an all-time low.

At first she kept a low profile in Melbourne, where she had moved to pursue her V8 career, before travelling back to Queensland to see family for Easter the following year.

Unable to afford flights, she asked for fuel vouchers from her sponsor to make the almost 2,000-kilometre journey home.

Busting to go to the toilet, she stopped at a competitor's fuel station, only to be photographed by a fan, who posted the images on social media and tagged Gracie.

"By the time I got home, about six hours later, my phone had been ringing non-stop and management was losing it at me, saying I wasn't thinking and I was an idiot," Gracie told ABC Sport.

"I remember thinking, I don't have to put up with this … I should just be able to go to the toilet when I need to without repercussions. 

"That was the moment for me when I literally cut it off, and was like 'I'm done'."

It was also the catalyst for a dramatic change of direction, and to Gracie's surprise as much as anyone, a lucrative OnlyFans career.

At first, Gracie chose to stay in Melbourne, relying on contacts for jobs in the car industry, but was unable to make ends meet.

"I remember sitting in my apartment with no lights on, rent due. I had no dining table, no furniture, no nothing, because I was so broke," Gracie said.

On a whim, Gracie packed her things into the back of her Mustang and drove to Queensland to move in with her dad.

"From 14 years old, I had a Plan A only, and Plan A was to race cars," Gracie said.

"I didn't have a Plan B, so when I moved back home, I had nothing, and I mean I had zero dollars and zero cents to my name.

"I just knew, being at home and having that reset, that this was my opportunity to start again, and keep going."

Dads didn't want sons 'beaten by a girl'

Born on the Gold Coast, Gracie never aspired to a motorsport career.

A spur-of-the-moment go-karting trip on Hamilton Island, where 14-year-old Gracie lapped and out-paced her father, changed that.

"The mechanic [at the race track] ended up saying to Dad: 'I just want to let you know that this is something you don't want to sleep on. She might actually have something; she's kind of talented'," Gracie said.

Gracie then proceeded down the well-worn path of junior go-karting, describing local races as "fun and playful".

But once on the national circuit she attracted unwanted attention; especially from competitors' fathers.

"I think for the dads, I was at risk of taking something from their sons they so desperately wanted, which was a career in motorsport."

Seventeen-year-old Gracie soon became the first woman to compete in the Carrera Cup in 2013, but describes her first year as "really, really, really" hard.

She made a deliberate effort to make friends with other drivers to avert a gnawing sense of alienation.

"I wanted to show them that I'm actually a normal person, that they didn't need to bully me or be mean to me," Gracie said.

Gracie's weight and appearance scrutinised

By 2014, Gracie had finished in the top 10 of the Cup five times, earning her a spot as the first full-time female V8 Supercars driver in 14 years.

But as attention on her performance increased, her image was increasingly scrutinised.

"I had to report my weight in an email check in every week," she said.

In 2025, Supercar drivers must maintain a minimum weight of 95kg, including any apparel.

If they are lighter, a ballast is fitted to their car to bring the weight up to that number.

"I was told certain haircuts made my face look chubby, certain colours were unflattering, or to wear high heels so I looked better," Gracie added.

She argues that unsolicited feedback on her appearance was relentless.

"I think that was part of the plan; to build me up while making sure my confidence was low and it didn't go to my head."

Gracie says she was made to feel "undesirable" because she was a tomboy who did not conform to conventional feminine norms.

"My belief [was] that I was overweight and ugly, and that no-one would want to race with me because I was an unattractive female who is competitive," she said.

She was also consistently told there was "no place for women in the sport".

"I had team owners and managers say directly to my face: 'there's no way we'll ever have a female driver in our car," she said.

"I've had people say that a female would upset the team dynamic, and I'd distract the boys.

"They weren't one-offs, they were constant comments throughout my entire career."

Gracie says she was used to market Bathurst 1000 for free

Despite the consistently negative feedback on her appearance, Gracie said she was called on to do "months" of unpaid publicity in the lead-up to the Bathurst 1000 alongside teammate Simona de Silvestro.

"I think the idea was that we were two girls, and sex sells, so we'd make them heaps of money," she said.

Gracie said that not only was she not paid for marketing, she was not paid for participating in the event either.

"People were coming up to me at the race going 'you must be living the life as a professional race car driver', but I literally had negative $50 in my bank account," she said.

"I'd comfortably say that I'd be surprised if anyone else wasn't paid, except me."

The ABC contacted Gracie's former team Tickford Racing (then Prodrive Racing Australia) to verify this claim, but did not receive a response.

A Supercars spokesperson, meanwhile, said "commercial arrangements for drivers are managed directly between teams, drivers and their representatives", and that Gracie's manager had collaborated with a Supercars team to "secure the car and financial backing required". 

Adding salt to the wound, Gracie remembers being berated by her team after the oil-slick induced crash that severely damaged their Ford FG X Falcon. 

"I got into a lot of trouble because of how expensive it was going to be [to repair]," she said.

"I was like 'what are you worried about? I'm a racing car driver, I made a mistake'. That didn't sit right with me.

She describes it as the "beginning of the end" of her career, which led to the fateful trip back to the Gold Coast — and OnlyFans.

How OnlyFans restored Gracie's self-esteem

Living at home with her dad, Gracie said she was kept afloat by the kindness of fans who would write to ask when she would return to racing.

Then came the suggestion she start an OnlyFans account, something Gracie had to Google.

OnlyFans is a social media network where creators (including sex workers, athletes, musicians and more) sell content to their subscribers.

"My fans would make cheeky comments like 'I'd pay to see you take your top off'," she said.

Gracie happened to know someone who had an account, and asked if she could see it.

"It was like an Instagram feed, but with photos that were a little more risqué, a bit more sexualised, nothing crazy, and I was like 'I can do that'," she said.

Ten minutes later, Gracie had signed up and posted her first bikini shot, albeit not from a place of self-confidence.

"I was still in the mindset of not loving and not appreciating myself," she said.

"I was proud of who I was at the core. I knew deep down I was a good person, I was motivated, hard-working, a good friend … but externally, I thought I was a 2 out of 10.

"So when the fans kept messaging and asking me for content, I thought, 'well, if you're gonna pay for it, that's on you buddy, no refunds'.

"It was kinda like, 'sucked in for you paying money to see this because I'm ugly, fat and awful'. That was my belief."

After a career being told she was undesirable, Gracie said OnlyFans restored her self-esteem.

"Weirdly it gave me confidence because I had none, if that makes sense.

"With a flick of a switch, I was like, 'what am I so worried about? I must not be as bad as I thought if people are reassuring me'.

"Actually getting acknowledgement and recognition was exactly what I needed, especially after being in the place I was in."

At no point did Gracie feel ambivalent about the move, arguing "money talks".

"The money was insane, so in my opinion, everyone else [and their opinions] could get f***ed. I didn't care," she said.

The long road back to motorsport

Finally in a more stable place financially, and emboldened by her successful business venture, Gracie made the choice to return to motorsport in 2021.

She describes two difficult years of "closed doors, unanswered phone calls and emails".

It took a trip to the US, where she had a chance encounter with an OnlyFans staff member, to make the return a reality.

"I was at a content event, and I just said in passing, as a joke, 'you guys should sponsor me so I can go back to racing', and he said, 'absolutely, send me an email'."

In 2023, Gracie made a triumphant return to the GT World Challenge circuit, winning the Australian GT Trophy. 

She has just won the Am category once again, describing it as a "dream" return.

"I couldn't have scripted it better," she said.

"It's honestly been the best part of my life."

Gracie attributes that change to a new-found maturity, while she is also self-managed.

"I can handle situations differently now, and being able to steer the ship myself, as an older woman who has been successful in something else [made the biggest difference]," she said.

That does not mean it has been all smooth sailing, with Gracie saying she had a "lukewarm" reception at first.

"I think people were a bit hesitant, like 'which Renee are we going to get?'," she said.

"But once I started I think they realised I was actually the best version of Renee."

Sexism in motorsport may not have changed

There were other hiccups, too. In her first year on the circuit, and leading the championship — a championship she has now won after victory on the weekend — Gracie's car was conspicuously absent from TV coverage.

"I was completely cut out to the point where fans were writing in to [the broadcaster] and saying it was a disgrace," she said.

While Gracie was reluctant to speculate on why, she said it was "pretty obvious" that it was because of her sponsor.

She said things have changed for the better since GT3 split from under the Supercars banner, but stopped short of saying the culture of motorsport has improved.

"I wish I could say it has changed, but I think it's only because I'm in a new category, with younger management, that I'm so accepted," Gracie said.

She said GT3 racing has the advantage of being a global sport, with Europe embracing her.

"They don't care if a car is sponsored by OnlyFans, because sex isn't as taboo, and the culture is more liberated [in Europe]," Gracie said.

But while she is pessimistic about the culture of motorsport more broadly, she would still encourage young girls to pursue their racing dreams.

"Don't let anybody tell you what to do. If it's your burning desire to do something, do it. If, someone tells you no, find someone who will tell you yes," Gracie said.

"My biggest lesson is that it's OK to be told no, but you don't have to take no for an answer if you want it enough."