It seems like a lot of us car enthusiasts have taken a less-than-direct route to finding our little niche in this great big community. That is certainly true of Kaytea Ellery, a young woman from California who wanted to be a race car driver in kindergarten, but then lost that love for years until rediscovering it in high school. Now, just a few years later she has a track-prepped VW GTI that she loves and is working as a technician at a Porsche dealer. It’s hard to turn your personal interests into a career, but Kaytea has not only done that, she’s kicking ass at it.
We talked with Kaytea about her journey, her plans for the future, and her worst project car stories. Check out the full interview!
What are you best known for?
A year ago, I would definitely be most known for my car Qbert, a 2007 GTI, that I track. Right now, a whole shift, I am most known for working on cars and especially working at Porsche and sharing my journey there.
How did you get into cars?
To start, I do not come from a car family at all, I am the only person in my family who is into cars. I was into cars because of Herbie (the Love Bug) when I was 5. I saved up ALL my money for an RC Herbie, which I ended up driving down a drain the same night I got it, and I even snuck onto a car ride at LEGOland. I told my parents I wanted to be a race car driver for a project we were doing in kindergarten. They definitely did not like that answer, so I changed my answer to teacher instead. I fell out of liking cars. I even ended up having a pretty intense fear of them for years, too, due to a few bad accidents I was in when I was young.
Eventually, in high school, I found that I liked Corvettes, but that was literally the extent of my knowledge. Then I got my license at 17, and I realized I liked driving a lot. I ended up buying my first car at 18 – a 2002 Jeep Liberty for $1,000 – and that is what really sparked my interest in cars again. From there, I started getting more into off-roading. I did Moab and the Rubicon Trail and so much more, but then it occurred to me that what I really liked was going fast. I wanted to be on the race track. In 2020, I sold my Jeep Liberty for $4,500 and I got my 2007 VW GTI Fahrenheit that I planned on making into a track build! COVID-19 happened, and my plans, like everyone else’s, were delayed.
While everything was shut down during lockdown, I built my first LEGO set ever and that is legitimately what made me realize that I would like working on cars. I then started learning on my own GTI by fixing and building it with a few techs I knew, as well as on my own. I did my first autocross event in June of 2022 and started going to school for automotive technology. I did my first full track event in November 2022, started at Porsche in September 2023, and the rest is history.
What I am saying is LEGO made me who I am today!
What about cars excites you the most now?
Driving on the track is my happy place; that is where I feel the most excited! I get to challenge myself to go faster every time and see what I am capable of. It’s where I feel most free. Other than the speed factor, I really love the customization and building of cars. I genuinely find so much joy in seeing everyone’s vision come to life, even if it isn’t my taste. That car is someone’s pride and joy and it inspires questions and conversations and and people together.
What are your current projects?
My project cars are Qbert, my 2007 Fahrenheit Edition VW GTI, a 1987 Porsche 944 race car called Kirby, and my daily driver – a 2011 Audi A3 TDI named Boo. I’m currently focused on my 944 that I got earlier this year. I’m currently trying to get it running and back to race-ready condition! I will be giving it a whole makeover once it’s back in running condition.
What are your car plans for the future?
My car plans for the future are to race competitively with my 944 in the National Auto Sport Association and Sports Car Club of America to see how far I can go with that. I am very determined to be something cool and big one day! My GTI will become more of a fun streetable track day car that I’ll continue to build up. Qbert will never leave my side! My Audi is a great daily since I drive a lot. I get great fuel mileage because it’s a diesel, but it’s not a forever car. I think that 2026 will probably bring a new daily.
What’s your worst project car-related horror story?
I think my worst horror story is just my GTI in general. It constantly breaks! I have gone through 3 turbos, a new engine, and a new transmission. Everything is nearly new, and it is still sitting broken right now because it needs a new K04 turbo or at least a turbo rebuild, a DSG gearbox mech unit, and more. It is just a nightmare all the time.
Even bringing Qbert home was a horror story! I took a train over to the seller in the middle of the desert, in the middle of the night. Driving home, I blew a tire not even 5 minutes in. It had a cracked windshield plus massive exhaust and oil leak fumes, so I couldn’t drive with the windows up! The thing was 50 shades of orange with no clear coat on the roof, yet I still love that car.
Where can people find you online?
I’m mostly active on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
What advice would you give someone just getting into cars or just starting to work on cars?
My advice for someone getting into cars is to not let anyone tell you you cannot do it or that it’s not cool. If you like cars, keep going! It is such a great community of people where you can make friends and even family.
If you’re just getting into working on cars, the best way to learn is by getting yourself hands-on experience. Do not be afraid to make mistakes either; mistakes turn into learning experiences. I genuinely believe that if I can do it, then anyone can.
