Therese Lahlouh enjoys a lighthearted moment in the paddock at Circuit of the Americas. (Photo: Hannah Spagnoletti | The Podium Finish)
DEL VALLE, Texas — The ascent up the steep, 133-foot climb into Turn 1 at Circuit of the Americas is often described as a journey toward the sky. For Therese Lahlouh, that first trip up the hill in 2020 behind the wheel of a Subaru WRX STI felt like a summit of a different kind. Back then, she was a grassroots racer with a dream. Today, she is the only woman in the world competing in a Porsche 911 GT3 R campaign, a distinction that carries both the weight of history and the thrill of the chase.
Lahlouh, piloting the No. 242 Wright Motorsports Porsche in the GT World Challenge America powered by AWS , has taken a path to the professional grid that defies conventional wisdom. An Ivy League graduate who found her first professional calling in the high-stakes world of Michelin-starred kitchens, Lahlouh has traded the heat of the stove for the 140-degree cockpits of elite sports car racing. It is a transition fueled by a singular, late-blooming passion that was ignited not by a lifetime in karts, but by a spark found in film.
“I didn’t know it was possible. I didn’t know people did this. I didn’t know this world existed,” Lahlouh said. “I watched the documentary ‘Senna‘ in 2016, and I was just so moved by his life and his passion and how he approached it. And then watching ‘Rush’ with Niki Lauda and James Hunt… I really relate to Niki Lauda. Like, I was blessed with a really good ‘ass’ that tells me everything the car is doing under me!”
That sensory connection to the machinery has served her well. After her family sold their business in 2021, Lahlouh faced a crossroads that many only contemplate in their quietest moments. She chose the road less traveled, investing her resources and her future into a career that most would deem a long shot for a driver starting in their 30s.
“I said, you know, I could buy a house or I could live a dream. And so I decided to just go all in, put all my chips on the table and say, ‘I want to go to Le Mans, and I want to be the first female podium finisher at Le Mans.’ And so it’s the first time I’ve really invested in myself,” she explained.
A Three-Star Standard of Excellence
Transitioning from the world of Michelin-starred kitchens to the cockpit of the No. 242 Wright Motorsports Porsche, Therese Lahlouh brings a three-star standard of excellence to every session. (Photo: John Arndt | The Podium Finish)
The transition from event operations manager at world-renowned restaurants to a professional paddock was not as jarring as one might expect. Lahlouh noted that the pursuit of perfection remains the same, whether the medium is fine dining or a GT3 machine. Joining Wright Motorsports, a program with a storied pedigree in Porsche competition, provided the ideal environment for her high standards.
“For me, coming from three-star Michelin kitchens, I’m used to a really high level of excellence. In racing, it’s a bit like the restaurants, where I call it a ‘pirate ship’ — you’ve got a really interesting collective of people. But coming here, they’re definitely executing at that three-star level. It’s just really great to see that level of professionalism, that level of execution, and it really motivates me to rise to the occasion and push myself to be as good as the team is,” Lahlouh said.
To help navigate the steep learning curve of the GT3 R, Lahlouh is paired with Thomas Merrill, a driver whose resume includes a Rolex 24 at Daytona victory and a podium at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. For Lahlouh, who is in only her fourth year of racing, Merrill’s mentorship is the cornerstone of her development.
“Honestly, where Thomas really shines is he’s probably the best coach in the paddock. He’s got this really 10,000-foot macro view. He really helps build my confidence, helps me believe that I can do it. I am very green to racing; I’m in year four. So he just helps me build that competence and build that confidence, and I couldn’t be in better hands with him,” she noted.
That growth is tested every time the lights go out at COTA. The track is a brutal teacher, offering high-speed commitment and massive braking zones that demand total focus. While Lahlouh previously found success here in the Porsche Sprint Challenge, the move to the GT3 R has required a total recalibration of her instincts.
“Going up that hill the very first time is like going up Mount Everest! But I’ve had a lot of success here in the Cup car; I’ve gotten multiple podiums here, I’ve led races here, so I was hoping I would come in and kind of be a rockstar, but unfortunately the GT3 R is a very different animal. It’s much more capable, but also just as difficult to extract that speed,” Lahlouh explained. “I’m drinking from the fire hose trying to, you know, absorb everything.”
The Endurance Mindset
Therese Lahlouh navigates the 20-turn Circuit of the Americas, a facility she considers a “Rockstar” venue for sports car racing. (Photo: John Arndt | The Podium Finish)
The SRO format, which emphasizes longer stints and driver changes, suits Lahlouh’s background in hospitality. She views the endurance aspect as a collective mission rather than a solo pursuit of glory. Her pace often improves as the tires wear and the race settles into a rhythm, a trait she discovered during grueling runs at tracks like Sebring.
“I would honestly, I would love an even longer race. You know what I mean? Like, three hours is great, but I get better and better as the stints go on, as the tire goes on,” Lahlouh said. “Endurance really takes it from a personal endeavor… I come from hospitality, right? I live to serve other people. And it shifts it from a personal endeavor to a team element. And that’s what motivates me, you know? I want to do well for my team and I just get to go out there and do my job.”
The physical toll of these long stints in the Texas humidity is immense. Even with air conditioning in the GT3 R — a luxury compared to the stifling Cup cars — the heat remains a constant adversary. Yet, Lahlouh embraces the “glisten,” finding beauty in the struggle of the cockpit.
“We do have AC in the GT3 R, which I didn’t have in the Cup car. Oh, we definitely sent a couple people to the hospital last year at the end of the Sprint Challenge race; those Cup cars hit 145 degrees inside,” she recalled. “The GT3 R is considerably cooler than that, but it’s still hot. I got out real sweaty, as I’m sure you guys can still see, I’m glistening like a Krispy Kreme donut! So cold plunge is the name of the game here.”
Redefining the Norm
“You define your own definition of success,” says Therese Lahlouh, who has invested her future into achieving a podium at Le Mans. (Photo: John Arndt | The Podium Finish)
Beyond the lap times and the technical debriefs, Lahlouh is acutely aware of her role as a trailblazer. She is not content with being an outlier on the grid; she wants to see a fundamental shift in the sport’s landscape. By sharing her story, she hopes to prove that it is never too late to pivot and pursue a dream, regardless of societal expectations or age.
“I’m really not in this for myself. I’m in it to represent for other people who look like me, or for other women who want to follow their dreams, or for people who are 30 and feel like they’ve missed their shot in life, you know? You can do anything,” she said. “I really time for a shift — that there’s room for more than one woman. I don’t want to be the only one out here. I don’t want to be exceptional; I want to be the norm, and I want to normalize this.”
That mission is already bearing fruit. Lahlouh recalled a story of a three-year-old boy who dressed up as her for Halloween, a moment she considers the “pinnacle” of her life. It is evidence that the roadmap she is drawing — inspired by peers like Ashley Freiberg — is being read by the next generation of racers.
Lahlouh’s journey serves as a powerful reminder that the most meaningful victories often happen before the green flag ever drops. They happen in the decision to back oneself, to invest in a vision, and to refuse the “safe” path in favor of the one that makes the heart race. As a journalist who has covered the sport for nearly two decades, seeing this kind of raw, uncompromising dedication is a breath of fresh air.
“Be your best advocate, but also honor yourself,” Lahlouh said. “You define your own definition of success. If you really want it, you have to back yourself up and you have to invest in yourself and put all your chips on the table.”
As the sun sets over the Austin skyline and the sound of flat-six engines echoes across Del Valle, Therese Lahlouh continues her climb. This time, the view from the top is exactly what she envisioned when she decided to risk it all for the thrill of the race. For The Podium Finish, it is a story that proves the best chapters are often written when you stop following the script and start driving your own race.
