Samantha Tan
Sports Car racing // Gormley, Ontario, Canada
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Samantha Tan is a 26-year-old, Chinese-Canadian professional race car driver and owner of ST Racing. She’s a trailblazer in motorsport, inspiring women and minorities.
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Something that’s always motivated me is the idea of becoming so successful that they can’t ignore you
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FULL BIO: Samantha Tan
Samantha Tan is a trailblazing Chinese-Canadian professional race car driver who owns ST Racing and made history as the first Asian woman to win a major international endurance racing championship while serving as a global ambassador for BMW Motorsport.
EARLY YEARS
Born to immigrant parents who moved to Canada from Southeast Asia, Samantha grew up in Gormley, a small town north of Toronto, where she and her brother were among the few Asians at their predominantly White school. Her passion for motorsports was ignited by her father, a car enthusiast who introduced her to Formula One, took her to car meets and track days, and enrolled her in performance driving schools to master car control on icy Canadian roads. At 14, a hot lap with a professional driver in a Ferrari 458 Challenge during a performance driving program cemented her desire to become a racing driver.
EARLY SUCCESS
At just 16 years old, Tan made her competitive racing debut with the National Autosport Association at Virginia International Raceway in 2014. After enrolling in racing school at 15, she quickly progressed from competing in regional events with her 1991 Honda Civic to the Canadian Touring Car Championship, where she finished fifth and earned the 2014 Rookie of the Year title in a Mini Cooper S JCW. Her impressive performances caught Kinetic Motorsports’ attention, who offered her a seat in the TCA Class of the Pirelli World Challenge, where she finished sixth in both 2015 and 2016. When her initial team went into receivership in 2016, Samantha demonstrated her business acumen by becoming a team owner at just 18 years old.
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS
- 2019-2020: Won back-to-back GT4 America titles as a team owner with ST Racing.
- 2021: Secured Overall Winner GT Team and Driver titles in the 24H Series, with multiple championship victories that season.
- 2022: Achieved the first victory for the BMW M4 GT3 at the 12 Hours of Mugello and won the Silver Class at the Indianapolis 8 Hour.
- 2022: Became one of only two women to win a drivers’ championship in GT World Challenge America.
- 2023: Won the Pro-Am Class at GT World Challenge America at Road America and claimed a class victory in the NLS 7 with the BMW M240i.
- 2023: Appointed as a global ambassador for BMW Motorsport, representing the brand in North America and Europe.
- 2024: Swept the Pro-Am class in both races at Circuit of the Americas, taking the championship lead and finishing second overall in race one.
REPUTATION
As the first Asian woman to win a major international endurance racing championship, Samantha has established herself as both an exceptional driver and an effective team leader. She proudly represents her heritage, serving as a role model for aspiring female and minority drivers in a predominantly male sport. Her resilience was particularly evident after a serious crash in 2017 that tested her confidence but ultimately strengthened her resolve. Beyond her racing achievements, Tan’s role as an ambassador for BMW Motorsport and the AAPI Victory Alliance has amplified her influence as an advocate for diversity and inclusion in motorsport.
FUTURE GOALS/PLANS
In 2025, the 26-year-old will make her debut in the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge, competing full-time in the new GTDX class with her BMW M4 GT3. Looking beyond, she aspires to compete in prestigious events like Le Mans and the Nürburgring while establishing a junior program for young drivers, offering the mentorship and guidance she lacked when starting her own racing career.
References:
AAPI Victory Alliance: Samantha Tan
In Love Magazine: The Road to Success
Females in Motorsport: “I’m not afraid to say I’m an Asian woman”
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