“I’m a Mum, a Woman, and I’m Fast”: A Look Into the Life of Africa’s Fastest Stock Turbo GT-R Racer

• Karen Naidoo, known as "Sexy Mum Racing," holds the record for the fastest stock turbo Nissan GT-R (R35) in Africa
• She broke into the male-dominated world of drag racing despite being underestimated as a woman and a mother, letting her results speak for her
• Naidoo built her racing identity around proving that motherhood and motorsport can coexist, encouraging other mums to chase their own goals
• Briefly News is celebrating Naidoo's journey as part of its Women of Wonder: Steering the Story series, honouring women reshaping South Africa's motoring industry

Karen Naidoo still remembers the first time she stood at the edge of a drag strip and felt the ground shake as a car launched off the line. That sound and that rush were enough to hook her instantly, even though becoming the one behind the wheel felt like a distant dream at the time.

Today, selected as one of Briefly News' Women of Wonder: Steering the Story, the Durban-born racer, known in the community as "Sexy Mum Racing," holds the record for the fastest stock turbo Nissan GT-R (R35) in Africa, clocking an impressive 9.7-second quarter mile in a car that still has its full interior intact.

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"It wasn't luck, it was hard work and showing up," Naidoo said of the record run that cemented her name among South Africa's top drag racers.

Breaking into a male-dominated sport

Getting there wasn't easy. Drag racing has been male-dominated, and when Naidoo first said she wanted to get behind the wheel, she was met with doubt. People didn't believe a woman, let alone a mother, belonged on the track. Naidoo told Briefly News that rather than argue her case, she let her driving answer the questions for her.

Her husband was one of the few who believed in her from the very beginning.

"If this is what you love, let's do it," he told her, and he's remained by her side through every race since.

That support has mattered, Naidoo says, because balancing motorsport with motherhood isn't easy. But she's found that the same focus, courage, and drive she relies on at home serve her just as well on the track.

The story behind Sexy Mum Racing

That balance is exactly what inspired the name of her racing team. Naidoo shared that the name comes from the simple fact that she's a mum, a woman, and she's fast, and that this is what Sexy Mum Racing represents to her.

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It's a statement that women don't have to choose between being feminine, raising a family, and still chasing a record.

Naidoo keeps most of her personal life private, but she did share that she grew up in Durban with siblings who still think she's "crazy" for choosing such a dangerous sport.

Encouraging other mums to start

For Naidoo, being one of the standout female competitors in the KZN Drag Racing Club community feels like purpose. She hopes her 9.7-second run shows other women that the sport is for them too. She told Briefly News that her advice to mums considering racing is simple: it's never too late.

"Don't wait for the perfect time, because it won't come," she said, encouraging women to start small, visit the track, and learn as they go.

Looking ahead, Naidoo says growing opportunities for women in motorsport will depend on support from brands and partners who believe in performance, family, and the future of the sport, and it's a cause she plans to keep pushing for as her career continues.

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This feature forms part of Women of Wonder 2026: Steering the Story in SA Motoring, proudly sponsored by Cars.co.za. As a proudly South African brand, Cars.co.za is committed to celebrating and empowering the women shaping the future of motoring in South Africa.

More on Briefly News' Women of Wonder

• Briefly News recently reported on a Northern Cape spinner who was gifted a Gusheshe at just 14 years old and went on to become a stunt driver in film.
• A 15-year-old South African driver is trading school parties for lap times as she chases a spot in Formula 1.
• A Johannesburg racer is breaking barriers as the only Black female single-seater driver competing in two major categories, all while running her own makeup business on the side.

Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.

Source: Briefly News