Julia Landauer

Julia Landauer is an American professional stock car driver, motivational keynote speaker, and entrepreneur. Born in New York City, she began racing go-karts at age ten and went on to set historic milestones in American and international motorsports. She gained widespread public recognition as a pioneering female driver in NASCAR-sanctioned series and as a contestant on CBS's reality television show Survivor.

Early Life and Racing Career

Landauer grew up in New York City, attending Stuyvesant High School before pursuing higher education at Stanford University. She graduated from Stanford in 2014 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Science, Technology, and Society. Landauer began her competitive racing journey at age 14, becoming the first and youngest female champion in the Skip Barber Racing Series. In 2015, she captured top honors in the Limited Late Model division at Motor Mile Speedway, becoming the first female track champion in that division's history. Moving up to the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West in 2016, she recorded seven top-five finishes and placed fourth in the overall points standings, setting the record for the highest-finishing female driver in the history of the series.

International Motorsports and NASCAR Xfinity Debut

Landauer expanded her racing portfolio internationally by competing in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series, where she achieved a fifth-place overall championship finish in 2020—the highest finish ever by an American driver in that series. She also competed in the Canadian NASCAR Pinty's Series, becoming the first female driver to lead a lap in series history. In 2022, Landauer made her official debut in the NASCAR Xfinity Series driving for Alpha Prime Racing at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Over the course of her racing career, she has earned multiple championship titles, podium finishes, and industry accolades, including selection to the 2016–2017 NASCAR Next class and Forbes' 30 Under 30 list in Sports in 2017.

Media, Business, and Personal Life

Beyond the racetrack, Landauer appeared on television in 2013 as a contestant on season 26 of CBS's Survivor: Caramoan. Utilizing her background in STEM and sports, she established herself as an international keynote speaker delivering TEDx talks on leadership, risk, and women's empowerment. She hosted her own podcast, If I'm Honest with Julia Landauer, and founded the advisory firm FrontRunner Strategies. Landauer resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her husband, Ben.