Erika Hoffmann

Erika Hoffmann went from lapping a street car at a local track to winning international racing competitions in less than three years—a trajectory that rewrites every assumption about who gets to race and how they get there.

EARLY YEARS

Growing up in Barrhaven, a suburb of Ottawa, Canada, Hoffmann had almost no direct exposure to racing. She wasn’t karting at age six, didn’t have a garage full of go-karts, and certainly didn’t grow up in Europe with a racing pedigree. What she did have was an uncle who was obsessed with Formula One—obsessed enough to invest in fancy satellite dishes and record races onto VHS tapes so the family could watch them together. Those grainy recordings planted a seed, even if the dream seemed impossibly out of reach.

Erika was a multi-sport athlete as a kid, the type who threw herself into whatever was available. But racing? That felt like something reserved for people with different lives, different bank accounts, different zip codes. She assumed you had to start young, have serious money, and ideally live somewhere in Europe to make it work. So she filed it away as a fantasy and moved on.

She also pursued work that reflected her interest in the world beyond her own backyard. With a passion for conflict resolution and cross-cultural engagement, Hoffmann worked as an international delegate for an NGO in conflict regions around the world. It was meaningful, challenging work—but it wasn’t racing.

OTHER INTERESTS

Beyond her career in motorsport, Hoffmann has a background in international humanitarian work, having served as a delegate in conflict zones. Her interest in cross-cultural communication and conflict resolution speaks to someone who’s curious about people, systems, and how things work—or don’t. That analytical mindset, combined with a healthy appetite for risk and adrenaline, makes sense when you consider what she’d eventually pursue behind the wheel.

EARLY SUCCESS

In 2019, at 26 years old, Hoffmann finally decided to stop watching racing and start doing it. She began with grassroots lapping events at Calabogie Motorsports Park in Ontario, driving her own street car. No sponsorships, no team, no fancy equipment—just seat time and a steep learning curve. She qualified for the local series and came within one point of winning the season championship. One point. She walked away with the Ottawa Regional Runner-Up title, which is a nice way of saying she got close enough to taste it and wanted more.

Then COVID-19 hit, and the world shut down. But when things reopened, Hoffmann didn’t ease back in—she went bigger. In 2021, she entered the Formula Woman International Driver Search, a multi-round competition that drew 1,000 female drivers from around the globe. The competition was designed to identify talent and offer real opportunities, not just participation trophies. Hoffmann made it through the rounds and qualified for the finals.

In 2022, she won the whole thing. She beat out hundreds of competitors to claim one of four coveted spots on the Formula Woman GT Cup team, which meant moving to the UK and driving a McLaren 570S GT4. She came out of the final round with the fastest time of all competitors, a performance that sealed the deal. Suddenly, the girl from Ottawa who thought racing was for other people was a professional race car driver living abroad and competing in one of the most competitive GT series in the world.

Her debut season in the GT Cup Championship was a crash course in high-level motorsport. She competed in three rounds driving the McLaren GT4, going from a summer of lapping to full-on wheel-to-wheel racing in a seriously fast car. It was steep, intense, and exactly what she’d been chasing.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2019: Ottawa Regional Runner-Up in local series at Calabogie Motorsports Park, missing championship by one point.
• 2022: Won Formula Woman International Driver Search, beating 1,000 competitors globally; earned spot on Formula Woman GT Cup team.
• 2022: Competed in GT Cup Championship driving McLaren 570S GT4 in the UK.
• 2023: Represented Canada at FIA Rallystar competition; top North American female driver.
• 2023: Co-founded Slate Racing, a sports car racing team dedicated to breaking barriers and creating opportunities for women in motorsport.
• 2024: Competed in Porsche Sprint Challenge North America with Kellymoss in the Cayman Pro/Am class.
• 2024: Secured first career victory at Road Atlanta in Porsche Sprint Challenge North America.
• 2024: Led first-ever all-female 1-2 finish in Sprint Challenge history at Road Atlanta alongside Loni Unser.
• 2024: Earned double top-5 finishes at Watkins Glen and Virginia International Raceway.

INSPIRATIONS

Hoffmann’s inspiration didn’t come from a single hero or mentor—it came from watching Formula One on VHS tapes with her uncle and realizing that the impossible might just be improbable. She didn’t have a clear path, role models who looked like her, or a blueprint to follow. What she had was curiosity, stubbornness, and a willingness to start from scratch at an age when most racers have already been competing for a decade. That self-made quality runs through everything she does, from her scrappy start at Calabogie to co-founding a racing team designed to open doors for other women.

REPUTATION

Hoffmann has built a reputation as a fast learner and a fierce competitor who doesn’t let a late start define her ceiling. She’s known for her speed—she posted lap times at Watkins Glen that were quicker than the championship leader—and her consistency under pressure. Her win at Road Atlanta and the historic all-female 1-2 finish she led with Loni Unser cemented her status as a driver who delivers when it counts.

Beyond her results, she’s respected for her work off the track. Co-founding Slate Racing wasn’t a vanity project—it’s a real team with a mission to create pathways for women in a sport that still doesn’t make it easy for them. She’s also been recognized locally, inducted into the Nepean Sports Wall of Fame in 2023, and selected by WIMCanada and the FIA as Canada’s representative for international competitions. She’s become a visible, vocal advocate for women in motorsport, and she’s doing it while still proving herself on track.

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

For 2025 and beyond, Hoffmann continues to compete in the Porsche Sprint Challenge North America with backing from sponsors including Solairus Aviation and Coverly Home Protection. She’s focused on building momentum in the series, racking up wins, and continuing to prove that talent doesn’t have an expiration date. Through Slate Racing, she’s working to expand opportunities for female drivers and create a sustainable model for women to enter and thrive in sports car racing. The goal isn’t just to race—it’s to change who gets to race, and how.

REFERENCES

[1] From Streetcar to Racecar in One Year: Erika Hoffmann’s Rise in Motorsport – Females in Motorsport

[2] My Story – Erika Hoffmann Official Website

[3] Meet the Athlete: Erika Hoffmann – Shift Up Now

[4] Meet the Driver with WIMCanada: Erika Hoffmann

[5] Barrhaven Talent Recognized During Nepean Sports Wall of Fame Ceremony – Barrhaven Independent

[6] Ottawa’s McLaren GT4 Driver, Erika Hoffmann and a New Life in the Fast Lane – Faces Magazine

[7] Erika Hoffmann Leads First-Ever All-Female 1-2 at Final Round of Sprint Challenge North America

[8] Kellymoss Fields Expanded Female Driver Presence Across Porsche Racing Programs

[9] Team – Slate Racing

[10] Erika Hoffmann Shows Her Speed, Secures Double Top-5 Finish at Watkins Glen – Racers Behind the Helmet

[11] PSCNA: Erika Hoffmann Scores First Ever Victory at Road Atlanta – Racers Behind the Helmet

[12] Solairus Aviation Teams Up with Erika Hoffmann for 2025 Porsche Sprint Challenge North America