Since the day she was born, Kyla Hubbard has been raised at the racetrack, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Her parents built their entire lives around drag racing, and they’ve passed their love for the sport onto their daughter.
A Texas native now living in Idaho, Hubbard began racing Jr. Dragsters at the age of six but stopped at 13 as she eagerly awaited the chance step into a big car. In 2018, without any influence from her father, Kenny Hubbard – a prominent small-tire racer – she decided it was time to get back behind the wheel. The first step was to restore her father’s 1985 Monte Carlo, which was his very first race car and has been in the Hubbard family since 1998. The car had been parked since 2006, gathering dust and cobwebs, until the now 24-year-old determined it was her time to get back on track.
[Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared in DI #191, the 30 Under 30 Issue, in November / December of 2024.]
“The goal has always been to race the Monte Carlo if I wanted to,” Hubbard says. “My dad waited until I was ready to make that decision on my own.”
In early 2021, the Monte Carlo underwent a complete rebuild. When it was time for the finishing touches, Hubbard understood her father’s desire to maintain the car’s factory yellow paintjob on the sleek G-Body. However, she was pleasantly surprised to see the car emerge from the paint booth sporting the same House of Kolor orange as her father’s iconic ProCharged 1974 Chevy Nova. Nowadays, the vibrant team cars of the father-daughter duo are hard to miss at events.
In February 2021, Hubbard made her first pass in the Monte Carlo. Since the moment the tree first dropped, she has consistently evolved and improved as a driver. Currently, she races in the Ultra Street class within the FuelTech Radial Outlaws Racing Series and has achieved a personal best elapsed time of 4.48 seconds at 155 MPH. In 2023, Hubbard secured her first class win at Alabama International Dragway, and she has been hungry for the next win ever since.
“After winning my first race in Alabama, I was so ecstatic,” she says. “I can’t even explain it, but I’m hoping to get another one soon.”
Hubbard graduated college at Sam Houston State University in 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in health science. While she has been juggling her new career in pharmaceutical sales with a very busy racing schedule, the young driver is no stranger to the pressure. From the moment she entered the small-tire racing scene, Hubbard managed to attend college while also working full-time. At the racetrack, however, she prioritizes pouring her heart and soul into every run. She is fully dedicated to improving her ability as a driver and learning from her teammate and father.
When asked what’s next for the young Ultra Street racer, Hubbard says she is focusing on the 2025 Radial Outlaw Racing Series season, starting with the World Street Nationals at Orlando Speed World Dragway. Her goal for the season is to attend and win as many races as possible, aiming for at least a Top 10 finish, if not the championship.
“We are going to chase that championship and just have fun,” Hubbard says. “Winning is great, but what matters the most is that I get to have a good time with my family and my race family. And that we are all happy and healthy.”
By the end of the 2024 season, Hubbard and her team made significant progress by gaining valuable seat time and becoming more dialed in as a driver. She credits much of her success to the unwavering support from her family, including her mother, Billie, her sister, Crystal, and her boyfriend, Chase. At just 24, Hubbard is only beginning her journey and is more determined than ever to make her mark in the world of small-tire racing.
This story was originally published on February 10, 2025. 
