Martina Kwan

Martina Kwan is a three-time champion race car driver, FIA-licensed professional racer, war survivor, Emmy and Telly Award-winning producer, two-time international bestselling author, and champion mindset coach who didn’t step into a race car until age 50.

EARLY YEARS

Born in Hong Kong in 1965 to a German mother and Chinese father, Martina Kwan’s childhood was anything but ordinary. Being Eurasian in Hong Kong in the 1960s meant standing out from day one—different wasn’t just something she embraced; it was her reality from the start. At age eight, her family relocated to Beirut, Lebanon, where they lived from 1973 to 1975—smack in the middle of the Lebanese Civil War. She and her sister attended the American Community School while bombs fell and violence erupted around them. It was terrifying, disorienting, and formative in ways she wouldn’t fully understand until decades later. The experience taught her resilience, adaptability, and how to function under pressure—skills that would prove invaluable both on the track and in life.

After Beirut, the Kwan family continued their nomadic existence, moving through Germany, Bahrain, and the Netherlands before eventually settling. Martina holds dual US and British citizenship and is fluent in both English and German. The constant upheaval could have broken her, but instead, it forged a woman who thrives on change and isn’t afraid to reinvent herself—repeatedly.

OTHER INTERESTS

Before motorsports ever entered the picture, Kwan built not one but multiple successful careers. She earned two Master of Science degrees—one in Accountancy from MIT’s Sloan School of Management and another in Hotel and Restaurant Management from Bentley University. Armed with those credentials, she dove into the male-dominated world of finance and accounting in New York City, working for heavyweights like KPMG, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Lehman Brothers. She eventually landed senior management roles with Ian Schrager properties, including the Hudson Hotel and the Paramount Hotel, where she honed her leadership skills in the luxury hospitality world.

But Martina wasn’t done reinventing herself. She founded So! Animation, a production company that earned her two Emmy Awards for producing and four Telly Awards for production management. Later, she launched Neoteric Luxury Outdoor Collections, a furniture design company that snagged an IIDA/Hospitality Design Product Design Award. She’s also a mother of two teenage daughters and has made it her mission to help teens become safer, more confident drivers through her Teen Car Control clinics at DK Racing School, which she co-owns.

Today, Martina is also a certified mindset, confidence, abundance, and manifestation coach. She runs Daring to be Different Coaching, offering one-on-one coaching, and hosts Xtreme Confidence Mastermind Women’s Retreats. She’s a speaker, a two-time international bestselling author, and a brand ambassador. In short, the woman doesn’t do downtime.

EARLY SUCCESS

Kwan didn’t start racing until 2015, when she was 50 years old. She began with the Porsche Owners Club in Southern California, driving a 2009 Porsche 911 Carrera in the modified class. With a stock 997 wing and some suspension work, she quickly proved she wasn’t just there for fun—she was there to win. Her first year out, she earned her first-place finish in the Porsche Owners Club Time Trial Series, and the wins kept coming. In 2017, she clinched her first championship in the MS Time Trial class. The next year, she dominated the M4 Time Trial class and was also named Most Improved Driver. In 2019, she took the GT4 Time Trial class championship, making it three consecutive titles in three different classes—a feat that set her apart as a serious competitor in a field dominated by men.

She set track records in each of her Porsche car classes, a testament to her natural talent, relentless work ethic, and refusal to be intimidated by the boys’ club she’d walked into. At an age when most people are thinking about slowing down, Martina was just getting started.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2015: Began racing career with Porsche Owners Club in California at age 50[1].
• 2017: MS Time Trial class champion, Porsche Owners Club[2].
• 2018: M4 Time Trial class champion and Most Improved Driver, Porsche Owners Club[3].
• 2019: GT4 Time Trial class champion, Porsche Owners Club[4].
• 2019: Competed in seven races in the Saleen Cup Series, earning two podium finishes driving a Saleen S1[5].
• 2019: Earned FIA International race license[6].
• 2019: Raced professionally in the GT World Challenge[7].
• Set track records in multiple Porsche car classes (BSR, M3, M4)[8].
• Co-founded DK Racing School (formerly DK Precision Driving School) with fellow FIA-licensed driver Dwain Dement[9].
• Won two Emmy Awards for producing and four Telly Awards for production management with So! Animation[10].
• Won IIDA/Hospitality Design Product Design Award with Neoteric Luxury Outdoor Collections[11].
• Two-time international bestselling author[12].

INSPIRATIONS

Kwan credits her childhood experiences—particularly living through the Lebanese Civil War between the ages of eight and ten—as the bedrock of her mental toughness and ability to adapt under pressure. The chaos and fear she witnessed in Beirut taught her that survival requires grit, quick thinking, and an unshakable belief in herself. Those lessons didn’t fade; they became the foundation for everything she’s accomplished since.

Her mission as a mother of two teenage girls also drives her. She’s passionate about teaching teens—especially young women—how to be safer, more confident drivers. Through her Teen Car Control clinics at DK Racing School, she’s passing on not just driving skills but the self-assurance that comes from mastering a high-performance machine.

REPUTATION

Martina Kwan is known for being fearless, adaptable, and unapologetically herself. In a sport where women—especially women of color, especially women over 50—are still a rarity, she’s carved out a space by sheer force of will and talent. She’s respected in the Porsche racing community for her competitive drive, her technical skill, and her ability to set track records in multiple classes. Her peers don’t see her as a novelty; they see her as a legitimate threat on the track.

Beyond racing, she’s built a reputation as a motivational force. As a speaker and coach, she’s known for helping women find their inner badass, step into their power, and pursue dreams they’ve been too scared to chase. She’s living proof that reinvention isn’t just possible—it’s exhilarating. And she’s not shy about sharing that message with anyone who’ll listen.

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

Information about Kwan’s specific racing plans for 2025 and beyond is not currently available. However, she continues to operate DK Racing School, offering full-immersion driving experiences aimed at teaching safe, skilled driving and increased confidence. She remains active as a champion mindset coach, speaker, and advocate for women in motorsports, and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

REFERENCES

[1] Martina Kwan – Racing Driver Profile – 51GT3
[2] Awards – Martina Kwan
[3] Streets of Willow – Porsche Owners Club
[4] Awards – Martina Kwan
[5] Martina Kwan – SpeakerHub
[6] Martina Kwan – Racing Driver Profile – 51GT3
[7] Martina Kwan – Racing Driver Profile – 51GT3
[8] About – Martina Kwan
[9] About DK Racing School
[10] Stepping Into the Race and Out Of The Closet – Martina Kwan
[11] Awards – Martina Kwan
[12] About – Martina Kwan
Martina Kwan: Champion Race Car Driver, War Survivor, Award Winning Business Founder
From War Survivor to Race Car Driver: Interview with the Tenacious Martina Kwan
Living Overseas – Martina Kwan
Finding Your Inner Badass Over 50 – The Grown-Ass Woman’s Guide
Martina Kwan ~ Champion Mindset Coach, 3x Champion Race Car Driver
High Octane Hustle E15 Martina Kwan, Champion Race Car Driver
1257: Martina Kwan – CARS YEAH
Martina Kwan’s 2009 Porsche 911 Carrera – OLOI Cafe
Champion Race Car Driver, War Survivor, Award Winning Business Founder – Martina Kwan Interview