Caitlyn Jenner Adds Star Power to W Series as Team Owner

Caitlyn Jenner is getting back into racing.

Jenner, the 1976 Olympic gold medalist in the decathlon, has purchased a team that will compete in the W Series. The international open-wheel series featuring women drivers will once again race as a support series to Formula 1.

The Jenner Racing team will be part of the W Series’ third season. W Series will race at eight F1 weekends in 2022, beginning with the May 6-8 F1 Miami Grand Prix weekend. It is also scheduled to race at Circuit of the Americas in Austin on Oct. 28-30 weekend.

The Jenner Racing team's driver lineup and sponsors have yet to be announced, as the series is in the process of selecting its drivers for the season.

Last week, 15 prospective drivers from around the world, including seven from the Americas, attended a W Series test at the Inde Motorsports Ranch in Arizona. Drivers from the test, along with the top drivers from the 2021 W Series season will be invited to participate in the series this year. The series is free for drivers, as they are not required to bring sponsorship dollars as they would in most series at the professional level.

“As a believer in fair competition, a lover of motor racing, and a supporter of all women in sport from the grassroots to elite level, W Series ticks every box for me and is a fusion of the different aspects of my career," Jenner said. "A championship dedicated to inspiring young girls and giving women the chance to succeed in roles throughout what has traditionally been a male-dominated industry, W Series is changing the face of motorsport."

Jenner, though known most for her performance in the 1976 Olympics, has plenty of racing in her background. Jenner won a celebrity race at Long Beach in 1979, and a year later debuted as a professional racing driver at the 24 Hours of Daytona race as part of Jim Busby’s team.

Jenner went on to compete professionally in the IMSA Camel GT Championship, as a factory driver for Ford Motor Company and Jack Roush, for the next six years, making a total of 57 starts. After a near victory, and second place finish at 24 hours of Daytona, Jenner came back in the 1986 12 Hours of Sebring alongside co-driver Scott Pruett.

“I watched on with great excitement last year when W Series made its American debut in Austin, where its drivers entertained 400,000 fans over the weekend at the Circuit of the Americas," Jenner said. "In May, I will be beaming with pride when my Jenner Racing team starts its bid for W Series glory on motor racing’s greatest stage at the first race of season three in Miami in support of Formula 1. As has always been the case, I’m in it to win it.”

Catherine Bond Muir, CEO of the W Series said that the series will benefit having Jenner on board.

"We are determined to give females a platform and a pathway to succeed in our sport, and when I first met Caitlyn Jenner, it was clear that she is as committed to that mission as all of us at W Series are," Muir said. "She has performed at the highest level in sport, is a proven winner and a complete petrol-head, and I know that her passion for sport and motorsport will inspire everybody at W Series. We continue to rethink racing and I am excited to see how the Jenner Racing team performs this season.