In 2005, NASCAR and Indy 500 star Danica Patrick made headlines around the world by leading laps at the Indianapolis 500. This moment would change the course of Ayla Ågren’s life and spark a lifelong love of motorsport and IndyCar in Ågren.
Growing up in Norway, Ågren was just a young girl when she first saw Patrick make waves on the race track. Watching Patrick on TV, battling at the front of one of motorsport’s most iconic events, planted a seed that would grow into a relentless pursuit of racing.
Danica Patrick Changed the Course of Ayla Ågren’s Life
When Ågren was 17, she moved to America to pursue her dream of following in Patrick’s tire tracks. She had one goal only: to pursue a career in racing, just like her childhood idol. Along the way, she competed in several junior formula categories and endured the financial and logistical challenges that often come with racing.
Despite the struggles of finding funding and a global pandemic, Ågren made her W Series debut in June 2021. “When I started looking into IndyCar and the whole reason our eyes got open to it was due to Danica Patrick leading the Indy 500 that made the news to Norway,” she had told GrandPrix247. “And my parents were like, hey, look at this. It’s a girl doing what she loves, and she’s leading the Indy 500 field.
“When I heard about the W series, I’ll be honest, at first I didn’t know if it was the kind of direction I want to go,” she said back then.
“I’ve always really enjoyed racing against both girls and guys, but then, the more I thought about it, and the more people I spoke with, and kind of the more information received from the series, I saw it’s not to take girls away from competing with men, but to give more opportunity and track time in preparation to move forward.
“That all made sense to me and so there wasn’t any doubt in my mind that it was something I wanted to do. I actually tried out the first go around in Austria and didn’t make it in for the 2019 season at that point.
“I’m not going to lie and say that it wasn’t a big disappointment, but I kept at it and then when Dave Ryan gave me a call to get a second shot and get in a car for testing at Almeria at the end of 2019, I gave it all I got and I was very happy to receive the news, that I got the seat for 2020.
“If it wasn’t for the W Series, I am 99% sure that I wouldn’t be back in a car again,” she had said after returning post the pandemic.
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Like many before her, the W Series had offered Ågren the chance to keep her motorsports dreams alive. It had given her a platform to be a role model for the next generation, just like Patrick had been for her.
“I grew up watching F1, loved it. We had our Sunday routine, like a lot of other racing families as well. But when that news about Danica Patrick made it, it was almost like a lightbulb, and it was something that seemed more feasible,” Ågren had added.