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Former professional driver Renee Gracie is reportedly earning up to $25,000 a week in her new career in the adult entertainment industry.
In a story on the Courier Mail website, Gracie claims she never earned a cent during her racing career and was working in a car yard before she decided to sell explicit images and videos on the internet.
“It has been the best thing I have done in my whole life,” Gracie told the News Limited site.
“It has put me in a financial position I could never have dreamt of and I really enjoy it.
“I am fine with whatever they want to call me.
“I am earning good money and I am comfortable with where I am at.
“I am averaging about USD $2500 a day. I have been able to pay for a house.
“I have a 30-year loan that I am about to pay off in 12 months.”
Gracie is charging USD $12.95 for a one-month subscription via a dedicated website where she has 2,500 subscribers.
Supercars released a short and sharp statement in response to the story.
“Supercars is aware of the article regarding former Super2 driver, Renee Gracie,” said the statement.
“As Ms Gracie is no longer competing in Super2, Supercars will not be commenting further.”
Gracie started her career in karting and progressed to Porsche Carrera Cup Australia for the 2013 and 2014 seasons.
The following year she made her Super2 Series debut and finished 18th in the championship with a best result of 14th.
In August of that year, it was announced she would be a part of an all-female team with Swiss driver Simona De Silvestro in a Prodrive Racing Ford FG X Falcon with backing from Harvey Norman.
Gracie hit oil on the track at Forrest’s Elbow on Lap 15 and hit a wall causing major damage, but the car was repaired and was eventually classified 21st, albeit 40 laps down.
The all-female campaign was embroiled in controversy when Prodrive Racing team-mate David Reynolds referred to the Gracie/De Silvestro car as the “Pussy Wagon” in a post-practice media conference on the Thursday of the event.
Reynolds was subsequently fined $25,000 for the comment.
“Reynolds’ comments were disgraceful and completely unacceptable in our sport and he has been fined $25,000,” said then Supercars CEO James Warburton at the time.
“Women are an integral part of our sport, whether they are fans, drivers or team members. And V8 Supercars will continue to support and promote female participation at all levels of our sport.”
The ‘Supergirls’ wildcard was backed by Harvey Norman, whose CEO Katie Page was at the track that day.
The following year Gracie competed in the Super2 Series and finished 19th in the championship with a best result of 12th at Sandown and Homebush.
Once again she teamed up with De Silvestro for the 2016 edition of the Bathurst in a Nissan Altima and despite starting on the back row finished 14th, two laps down.
Gracie joined Dragon Racing the following year for her final Super2 Series campaign.
She was replaced after five of eight rounds and duly retired from racing.
“It just didn’t work out,” Gracie said of her racing career in the News Limited story.
“It is as simple as that.
“I think in the end I had a lack of passion and realised I wasn’t as good as everyone else.
“I wasn’t getting the results and couldn’t get the funding.
“I tried to do my best but it got to a point where my dream vanished.
“Racing cars is not my passion anymore.
“I have no interest in going back.
“Racing cars in my eyes is not the pinnacle of what I have done.
“What I am doing right now, I would rather do than race around Bathurst.”
Gracie was obviously comfortable with the publicity from the News Limited story posting on her Instagram shortly after that her weekly pay had now increased by $5000 thanks to the publicity.
“Making $30k a week now thanks to the Courier Mail.”
