quattro Magazine: Beamer in an Audi

[by: William Hoey]

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in the Q1_2025 issue of quattro Magazine. Audi Club members enjoy early digital access to the upcoming Q2 issue, available online now. Click here to view the magazine in full before it hits mailboxes in late April. Not yet a member? Join today to unlock this exclusive benefit and many more!

Don’t let the last name fool you, this Ms. Beamer is an Audi enthusiast at heart. From drifting the sharp corners of NCCAR to cruising all over New England, Rachel and her 2022 Audi RS 3 (a.k.a. “Azul”) have been on quite a few adventures. While you might currently find the Turbo Blue RS 3 at a local cars and coffee in the Boston area, her journey didn’t begin in Massachusetts.

Originally from Charlottesville, VA, this automotive story begins as most teenagers’ do, with a starter vehicle. While her first car may have been a Honda, her original wish was for an Audi TT. Rachel was surrounded by German cars her whole life, with her parents often having a German car of some sort. Despite their never owning an Audi, Rachel still felt a pull towards the four rings and was keen on getting into one. As her car catalog grew and life migrated to North Carolina, she eventually found herself in an A3 TDI, later to upgrade to a Q7 TDI. Despite both cars being more than sufficient, she longed for more performance. When she finally got into a 2016 Audi TTS, she knew she had finally found the right car for her. That is, until she learned about the five-cylinder engine Audi is known for. Then, she stumbled upon an allocation for a car that not only matched the color of her eyes, but also the drive inside her, she knew she had to pull the trigger. However, she could not have predicted what the future had in store for her. 

Now that she found herself with her first RS model, she began attending cars and coffee events throughout the Raleigh area. It didn’t take long for her to get thrust into the car community as she began to make car events part of her regular schedule. It was her very first cars and coffee in Morrisville where she met Rob Wilmoth of Faster Skunk Racing. Soon after that, Rachel began tracking her RS 3. She participated in SCCA time trial events at both NCCAR and Carolina Motorsports Park (CMP). This led to a collaboration with Peter Jankowiak of 529 Innovations to test out the Carbotech XP10 Track Pads for the 8Y RS 3 platform.

Rob introduced Rachel to “Racing for ALS”, a program that utilizes high performance driving events to build ALS awareness and fund research to battle the disease. It is through Racing for ALS that Rachel was able to participate in Jim’s Race, a time trial event at Carolina Motorsports Park. Beyond the track, she continued to attend car events, further integrating herself into the car community both locally and virtually. She eventually added a few more modifications that included Unitronic mid-pipes and a sports exhaust from AWE. Even her introduction to Audi Club North America began with a fellow Audi enthusiast informing her about the club after spotting her car in downtown Raleigh.

With all of the track time Rachel was putting on her RS 3 she began to second guess if she should be tracking a car that was not only new to her, but very new to the United States. This gave her the wild idea to get another Audi TTS that would be better suited for the track. As fate would have it, during her search she came across her old TTS sitting at a dealership in Kentucky. It wasn’t long before Rachel found herself on a flight to reunite with her old car and drive it back to North Carolina. During this same time Rachel was exploring her interest in photography. Her Instagram account (@azul42_rs3) quickly turned from food and photos of her dogs to Azul at all the various car and track events she attended. As her social media presence grew, she ended up crossing paths with her now significant other William Hoey who resided in Massachusetts with his Audi TT RS. The bond quickly formed as they shared equal passion for both cars and Audi in particular.

Continue reading the full article in the Q1_2025 quattro Magazine issue: Her Turn – Women in Motion, available in the digital archives.

Hear more of Rachel’s story in our brand-new All-Wheel Driven podcast episode, where Rachel and William Hoey delve into Rachel’s journey, passion for motorsport, and initiatives to connect more women with the Audi community, along with their shared love for the brand. Watch it below, or listen on these podcast channels: Apple | Spotify | YouTube