Veteran motorcycle racer Larry Pegram has competed on pretty much every brand of motorcycle imaginable. Whether it’s on asphalt road courses or dirt ovals, the Ohioan has enjoyed a huge amount of success on two wheels, from winning Superbike races, to scoring points in the Superbike World Championship, to competing at the X Games, to being just one discipline away from becoming only the fifth racer in AMA history to achieve the coveted Grand Slam (he’s notched Mile, Half-Mile, Short Track, and Road Race wins and only needs a TT win to complete the Grand Slam).
Pegram’s prowess in racing also extends to four wheels. He’s competed in, and won, in the driver’s seats of shifter karts, off-road side-by-sides, and road racing cars. And now, Larry Pegram is turning what is undoubtedly one of his greatest dreams into reality: to go car racing with one of his children as his teammate.
Larry Pegram and his oldest daughter, 20-year-old Riley Pegram, will compete in the 2025 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge sports car racing series. From the showroom to the speedway, the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge is IMSA’s showcase for the latest in high-performance sports cars, coupes, hatchbacks, and sedans. The series is home to the same cars seen on streets and highways around the world and offers racing in two classes – Grand Sport (GS) and Touring Car (TCR) – running in tandem with most of the WeatherTech Championship events. Pegram Racing’s Larry and Riley will race the number 72 Hyundai Elantra N in the TCR class.
“I’ve been racing for a long time and enjoyed a lot of success,” commented 52-year-old Larry Pegram. “Nothing compares to being able to go racing with your daughter. It’s a whole different level of enjoyment, and to be able to do it with IMSA, at the best tracks in America, and in front of the greatest fans makes it that much better.”
Riley Pegram, who started racing shifter karts at age 16, quickly advanced to car racing. In 2023, she drove a Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 for MDK Motorsports where she achieved a perfect finishing record and claimed fourth place in the Porsche Sprint Challenge North America Championship.
“I’m really looking forward to racing in the Michelin Pilot Challenge series,” Riley Pegram said. “I feel blessed to do it with our family-run team. We’re a new team to IMSA, and we have a lot to learn, so I’m excited to see how we grow and develop during the season.”
The IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge features 10 rounds held at iconic venues like Daytona, Indianapolis, Laguna Seca, Sebring, and Watkins Glen, as well as other major markets in the U.S. and Canada. Each race lasts from two to four hours, and they will be televised on NBC Sports, Peacock, YouTube, and IMSA.tv.
