Really Ride - Race Car Driver, Samantha Tan
PHOTOGRAPHY: Francesca Sostar (@francescasostar)
STYLING: Keyla Marquez (@keylakeylakeyla)
INTERVIEW: Isis Nicole (@theisisnicole)
PRODUCTION: Hannah Black (@pinkvariegated)
PHOTOGRAPHY ASSISTANT: Jack Nelson (@creatingnelly)
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT: Branden Ruiz (@branden.ruiz)
HAIR: Eddie Cook (@eddie_cook)
MAKEUP: Dana Delaney (@danadelaney)
NECKLACE: VIVIENNE WESTWOOD
RINGS: HANNAH JEWETT
TOP: VINTAGE
PANTS: SIMON MILLER
SHOES: PRADA
Samantha Tan has diligently established herself as a trailblazing presence in the world of racing—both in 2017, when she started racing with BMW in an M235iR in TC America (a tour car racing series based in the United States); and last year, for the second year in a row, with her team sealing the Team Championship in Pirelli GT4 America SprintX (a race 60-minutes in length featuring mandatory driver and tire changes).
“As a small, Canadian team, it’s an honor to be recognized by BMW Motorsport on the global stage,” Tan says as she settles into a hip cafe near Orange County in the afternoon. It’s hot and sunny outside, but it’s dry heat. Tan is a bit fatigued recovering from jet-lag, “But I mostly feel content, calm and composed,” she explains.
And for Tan, racing is just as normal as anything else in her life. I’ve been working in tech for almost two years now and feel the pressure of also managing a magazine, so it’s kind of overwhelming to imagine that when Tan started attending university in Irvine in 2015, she was also racing full-time.
“It was extremely difficult having to balance both, which time and time again resulted in all-nighters, late night flights, and sleep-deprived mornings in order to continue studying hard and achieving good grades,” she shares. “I finally graduated with an Economics degree from UC Irvine in March 2020, and soon after, dedicated myself fully to training for my races.”
Getting to know racing’s rising new star, as it turns out, Tan attributes her recent successes to the consistent hard work, sacrifices, dedication, and persistence that her parents instilled in her. How’s that for driven excellence. Next stop Le Mans!
Isis Nicole: Can you introduce yourself?
Samantha Tan: I’m from a small town north of Toronto, Ontario called Gormley. Most people generally know it as Stouffville! I just turned 24-years-old last month and my interests growing up were music (I played four instruments), art, gaming, learning French, and track & field. My favorite childhood memories would have to be all the times I baked banana bread with my grandma or the times when I was still small enough to sit on my dad’s shoulders and feel like I was on top of the world.
IN: What was your dream job growing up?
ST: One of my most vivid childhood memories was my kindergarten graduation. I’m an animal lover and desperately wanted to be a veterinarian so I could be around them all the time. When they called my name and asked me to tell the other parents what I wanted to be when I grew up, I thought I said “veterinarian” but everyone thought I said “vegetarian” and laughed. I was quite embarrassed. Unfortunately, I’m allergic to all animals so it’s safe to say I learned I couldn’t pursue that career path pretty early on. If you ever saw my childhood bedroom, you would understand why I had so many stuffed animals.
Isis Nicole: Did you imagine that you would be where you are today?
Samantha Tan: Honestly, no, I didn’t imagine I would be where I am today. Even leading up into college, I still didn’t know who I really was or what I wanted to do, even though I had begun walking the path of my racing career. I decided to take Economics as a major because both my parents did, and I honestly thought I’d pursue investment banking or something else in finance. College was a whirlwind of exploration, rediscovering myself, and establishing who Samantha Tan really is. I didn’t think I’d end up owning my own race team or race professionally. My younger self was so doubtful of herself, but I think she’d be more than proud of the person we became.
IN: How are you able to sustain your motivation during the pandemic?
ST: Before the pandemic, my life consisted of university and racing. I was always so busy, I barely had any time for anything else. I barely even had time to train! Once lockdown hit, I felt like I had all the time in the world. I had just graduated (March 2020) and all of my races were postponed or canceled. At first, it was definitely more difficult to stay motivated fitness-wise because the gyms were closed, and I got bored of my home workouts easily. However, I later fell down the rabbit hole of fitness YouTube, so I was able to create a more sustainable workout routine of HIIT and strength training at home!
During this time, I was also able to find other sources of motivation. I revitalized my natural competitiveness because I immersed myself back into the gaming world and felt a deep need to improve my skills so I could play with my friends who were all highly experienced. It frustrated me so much when I couldn’t keep up. I met new friends and rekindled friendships online and was able to dedicate more time into my other hobbies. I learned to work out and eat healthy because it made me feel good instead of rooting it in the pursuit of a certain unattainable body type. I felt refreshed. It gave me a new outlook on life and when racing finally started up again, I had such a deep sense of motivation rooted in self-improvement and love.
CROP TOP: DION LEE
JACKET + BOTTOMS: TLZ L’FEMME
JEWLERY: HANNAH JEWETT
SHOES: PRADA
IN: What is a day in your life like now considering COVID-19?
ST: The pandemic definitely made me even more introverted. I cook almost all of my meals at home now and work at home. I’m lucky my apartment building has a gym too, so I don’t even need to leave to train! Ironically enough, I’ve traveled more than I’ve ever traveled in my whole life this past year. I’ve been to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Italy, France, Germany, Spain, and the UK. A lot of my time has been spent gathering the proper documentation and arguing with the gate agents that I’m approved to travel to these countries due to racing. Earlier this year, I was getting COVID tested almost every week! Currently, my daily routine consists of: waking up at 6:30am—due to jet-lag—making breakfast, checking emails, making lunch, running errands if needed, more emails, Zoom meetings, going to the gym, making dinner, entertaining my hobbies if I have time, and getting into bed around 11:00pm.
IN: Can you tell us the history behind your very own team, ST Racing?
ST: In the beginning, my dad and I had no plans to start our own race team. In racing, most of the time, you rent a car from a team who preps everything for you, also known as an “arrive-and-drive” program. The team transports, stores, and sets up the car for you, so all you have to do as a driver is show up. Over the first few years of my racing career, my dad and I realized that we wanted more control over the operation and logistics, as there were many times where the decision making wasn’t to our liking. For example, in one of my first races in Pirelli World Challenge, I was involved in a racing incident that caused my engine to blow. The team didn’t bring a spare engine, which resulted in me missing the other two races that weekend. Had I just finished those two races in any position, I would’ve placed 3rd or 2nd in the championship at the end of the season. Fast forward to 2016, after the first race of the season, the team we were renting from went into receivership and we had already paid the deposit for the season. The owner offered to give us the race car to pay us back, but we had no team to support it! Thus, Samantha Tan Racing was born. We teamed up with the Wittmer family who we had known since 2014, and who were also competing in the same series. We ran with them for the rest of the season. At the end of the year, we chose to hire the same team members that are a part of ST Racing today, and to this day, I still race with my awesome teammate, Nick Wittmer!
IN: How do you externally and internally prepare for competition?
ST: To externally prepare and train for my races, I do a combination of cardiovascular endurance and strength training exercises. On a typical day, this could look like an 8-10 mile bike, core, and arm strength training. I go to the gym around 4-5 times a week! Nutrition wise, I eat pretty healthy - lots of protein, complex carbohydrates, and a variety of fruits and veggies - and cook at home most days. During the race, I’ll typically eat a banana after every stint and drink a lot of water. You lose about 2 pounds in water weight during a stint, if the ambient temperature is around 25-27°C/77-80°F-! I also rely on Liquid IV for added electrolytes.
To internally prepare, I try to think about the instances where I was successful and felt the most confident in myself. As silly as it sounds, I’ve also tried “manifesting” my goals such as hitting a certain lap time, because I think if you truly believe in yourself achieving that goal, you’ll most likely take the necessary steps to attain it. Having a good mindset before hopping in the car is key, because racing is about 85% mental! If you’re nervous and think about crashing instead of focusing on the task at hand, you’ll most likely make many mistakes. To help me calm down, I’ll typically listen to music, draw something, or play piano. It’s really about hyping yourself up and feeling confident so that you continually push yourself mentally and hit all your marks.
IN: If you don't mind sharing insight, what does it take to start a career in motor racing?
ST: In general, motorsport is one of the most expensive hobbies. It requires a lot of funding; you need to cover the costs of a race car, car parts, car maintenance, transport, storage, consumables like fuel and tires, fireproof race gear, a helmet, etc. It adds up quickly, which is why one of the first things I say to people when they ask for advice on becoming a race car driver is: learn how to market yourself effectively and build a unique brand because sponsorship is the name of the game.
You have to be ready to seize every opportunity you can and make the necessary sacrifices in order to succeed. The journey can be daunting, but as I’ve also said in the past, whenever you try anything new, you’re going to fail a lot of times and you’re going to make mistakes. You have to learn to be okay with that. Failure just means that you’re trying. You fail and you eliminate a method that won’t work. From failure, we learn, grow, and succeed.
IN: How did you become a part of the BMW Sports Trophy?
ST: The BMW Sports Trophy is for all customer racing drivers and teams. In other words, all drivers and teams using BMW vehicles to compete in certain specified national and/or international racing events are eligible to enter the BMW Sports Trophy. I have been a part of this competition since 2017, when I started racing with BMW in an M235iR in TC America. As stated by BMW, “Every top-ten result with a BMW racing car at selected events scores points towards the overall standings. The top 25 drivers receive attractive prize money and the ten best-placed teams also receive awards.” Last year, for the second year in a row, my team clinched the Team Championship in Pirelli GT4 America SprintX, as well as 2nd and 3rd in the Driver’s Championship. After 14 podium finishes with my teammates Jon Miller, Harry Gottsacker, and Nick Wittmer, my team managed to score enough points to finish in the top ten in the 2020 BMW Sports Trophy Team Competition. This year, since we are competing in both Pirelli GT4 America SprintX and the 24H Series, my team and I are hoping to score higher! As a small, Canadian team, it’s an honor to be recognized by BMW Motorsport on the global stage.
CHOKER: JUNYA WATANABE
RINGS: HANNAH JEWETT
LAYERED TOPS: HANES, BCALLA
DENIM: GYPSY SPORT
IN: Is your ultimate goal still to be the first Asian woman to win Le Mans?
ST: Yes! Le Mans is the most famous and prestigious endurance race in the world! It is an honor to be invited to compete in it. It’s almost like qualifying for the racing Olympics, you have to be good enough to be invited to go there. If you’ve ever watched the movie “Ford vs. Ferrari,” you’ll understand the struggle of obtaining the opportunity to compete at Le Mans and the prestige associated with it.
To be the first Asian woman to win Le Mans...it would be monumental. For so long, Asian women have been perceived as docile, dainty, submissive, not strong-willed, and not outspoken. I want to redefine this stereotype. When someone sees an Asian woman, I want them to see us as powerful, independent, and valued. That’s why representation is so important. It is so critical for Asian women to see their faces, voices, and stories in media; to see themselves as visible and respected. I hope that if they see me, standing on the podium against all odds, a badass, Asian female race car driver, it will inspire and empower them. I hope they will feel hopeful, that they have the power and freedom to be who they want to be and feel deeply proud of who they are.
As Carroll Shelby said in “Ford vs. Ferrari,” “There's a point at 7,000 RPM... where everything fades. The machine becomes weightless. Just disappears. And all that's left is a body moving through space and time. 7,000 RPM. That's where you meet it. You feel it coming. It creeps up on you, close in your ear. Asks you a question. The only question that matters. Who are you?”
IN: Who would play you in the movie about your life, and historic win at Le Mans?
ST: If I had someone play me in a movie, I think I’d have to choose Anna Sawai, who coincidentally starred in “Fast and Furious 9.” I loved how badass she was in the movie and the moment I saw her on screen, I felt like I could relate to her personality. I think she’s an actress that can portray both the physically intense, hardcore moments in my life as well as the emotionally reflective parts. As someone who is always told, “you don’t look like a race-car driver!”, I think she will also be able to play off that unassuming appearance.
IN: What deep pushes do you want to see in the world of motor racing?
ST: I want sponsors to believe in women in motorsport. I want them to put their faith in us, to stop segregating us into “women-only” series, such as W Series, and instead provide us with the opportunities to compete in the same top series as our male counterparts. I want people to stop assuming or making excuses for when women are successful, such as “she slept her way there”, “they gave her a mechanical advantage”, “it’s only because she’s pretty that she was given that spot”, or “her teammates are the reason why she won”. Recently, for example, I ran a very competitive lap at Circuit Barcelona Catalunya during practice, and one of my competitors could not believe that it was me. He thought they put my teammate in the car and left my driver ID/name on the car so it “seemed like I did it”. Boy, was he wrong.
IN: What do you hope to see remain in the world of motor racing?
ST: I hope that the competition never changes, that motorsport will continue to be a sport where everyone, regardless of race or gender, can compete equally. The car doesn’t care who you are - it only cares about whether you can handle it well.
IN: Learning that your dad is a super supportive figure in your life, what’s one thing your dad always used to tell you growing up that turned out to be true?
ST: Growing up, my dad would always tell my brother and I, “There is no secret to success...It’s just consistent hard work and persistence.” My dad immigrated to Canada with his older sister when he was 13-years-old. They came with nothing, and my dad always liked to remind my brother and I how he could barely afford to purchase a small fry from McDonalds. Consistent with Asian culture, my dad learned to put his head down and just work hard. He started his own company and built it from the ground up, which over the years went from operating in a small suburban home to multiple office buildings and warehouses worldwide. This story of persistence always inspired me to follow in the same path, with the idealistic notion that I could achieve whatever I wanted as long as I put in the work. Knowing that my parents worked tirelessly and sacrificed so much to ensure that their children were able to live a better life, I always strived to do the best I could in whatever I pursued.
When I started attending university in Irvine in 2015, I was also racing full-time. It was extremely difficult having to balance both, which time and time again resulted in all-nighters, late night flights, and sleep-deprived mornings in order to continue studying hard and achieving good grades. A typical midterm exam week sometimes went like: Monday to Wednesday, attend lecture, study, then fly to race event. Thursday, practice, review lectures, and finish homework. Friday, practice, qualifying, and studying. Saturday, Race 1 and review notes. Sunday, Race 2, fly home for Monday's exam, and finish last minute studying. I finally graduated with an Economics degree from UC Irvine in March 2020, and soon after, dedicated myself fully to training for my races. I attribute my recent successes to the consistent hard work, sacrifices, dedication, and persistence that my parents instilled in me. So, I guess some of my dad’s advice over the years has merit!
IN: What principles/values from your youth stick with you today as an adult?
ST: I have a long list: persistence, compassion, optimism, hard work, balance, curiosity, humility, patience, and empathy. From kindergarten all the way to Grade 12, I attended the same school. During my time there, I participated in many community fundraisers and charities, and learned about world issues through UNICEF and Amnesty International. These experiences taught me how privileged I am to be able to have my basic needs satisfied, to have an education, to have parents that support my passions, among many other things. As passionate as I am about racing and dedicated to achieving my own personal goals, as cliche as it sounds, I want to help make the world a better place. Whether this is through my racing and inspiring others to pursue their passions, empowering the Asian community, or raising awareness and funding for humanitarian issues, I want to help create change for future generations so they too can chase their dreams as I have.
Originally published in IN #10, FW 2021/22