Samantha Tan

Last updated
Samantha Tan
Blancpain GT World Challenge America (46551243934).jpg
Nationality Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canadian
Born (1997-08-09) 9 August 1997 (age 26)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
GT World Challenge America career
Debut season2015
Current teamSamantha Tan Racing
Racing licence FIA Silver Driver.png FIA Silver
Former teamsKinetic Motorsports, Team Ost Racing
Previous series
2021-22 24H GT Series
Championship titles
2021 24H GT Series

Samantha Tan (born August 9, 1997) is a Canadian racing driver and team owner, currently competing in GT World Challenge America with her team Samantha Tan Racing, [1] a team that she co-owns with her father, Kenneth Tan. She is a global ambassador for BMW M Motorsport. [2]

Contents

Racing career

Samantha Tan began racing at the age of 16, participating in events under the National Auto Sport Association in the Performance Touring E category with a modified 1991 Honda Civic. [3] She moved on to race in the 2014 Canadian Touring Car Championship with a Mini Cooper. [4] Tan made her debut in the Pirelli World Challenge in 2015, racing in a Kia Forte Koup in the TCA class. [5] She returned the following year in 2016 under the same class, this time racing in a Honda Civic Si, finishing the year 6th overall. Tan would race in BMW machinery for the first time in 2017, driving a BMW M235iR for the full season, alongside a new teammate in Nick Wittmer. She would score 23 points and finish 29th in class.

Tan and Wittmer would move up into GT4 participating in the 2018 SprintX GT Championship Series, [6] driving a BMW M4 GT4 now alongside each other in one car instead of as two separate entries. The team would participate in two rounds at Circuit of the Americas and Virginia International Raceway, scoring in all four of the available races as well as scoring a pole position and a podium in the second race at COTA. Tan would continue to improve throughout the 2019 and 2020 seasons of the GT4 America Series, finishing in the top 3 of the standings in both seasons with teammates Jason Wolfe and Jon Miller. Tan would make her first venture outside of North America in 2021, competing in the 24H Series. Tan would earn her first championships as both a driver and team owner, winning three races including the 2021 Dubai 24 Hour on route to winning the 24H GT Series teams' and drivers' titles with teammates Chandler Hull and Jon Miller. [7]

The following year, Tan moved up to GT3 cars, participating in the GT3 class in 2022 GT World Challenge America alongside Wittmer. Harry Gottsacker joined the pair for the 2022 Indianapolis 8 Hours, where the team finished the race in 10th overall as the only Silver entry. She also made her first appearance at the Spa 24 Hours endurance race in the 2022 edition of the event racing with Wittmer, Gottsacker, and Maxime Oosten, finishing 36th overall and 9th in class. For 2023, Tan participated in both the 2023 GT World Challenge America and the 2023 GT World Challenge Europe series.

Personal life

Tan was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada to a Malaysian mother and a Filipino father, Kenneth Tan. Her mother studies at the University of Chicago, and her father Kenneth is a businessman, team principal, and co-owner alongside Samantha, of Samantha Tan Racing. She also has a brother, Kevin, who is pursuing a career in STEM. [8] While racing in the National Auto Sport Association, Samantha Tan also studied at and has since graduated from UC Irvine with an economics degree. [4] [3]

Race results

Career summary

SeasonSeriesTeamRacesWinsPolesF/lapsPodiumsPointsPosition
2014 Canadian Touring Car Championship ------N/A
2015 Pirelli World Challenge - TCA Kinetic Motorsports16000010866th
2016 Pirelli World Challenge - TCA Team Ost Racing200007516th
Samantha Tan Racing80000
2017 Pirelli World Challenge - TC ST Racing1200002329th
2018 Pirelli World Challenge - GTS ST Racing40001457th
2019 GT4 America Series - SprintX West Pro-Am ST Racing1001371482nd
GT4 America Series - Sprint Am 100001020th
GT4 America Series - Sprint 100000NC
24H GT Series - GT4
2020 GT4 America Series - Sprint ST Racing1501561903rd
24H GT Series - GT4
2021 24H GT Series - GT4 ST Racing737361301st
2022 24H GT Series - GT3 Pro-Am ST Racing21011204th
GT World Challenge America - Pro-Am 300001614th
GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup 100000NC
GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup - Silver 10000229th
2023 GT World Challenge America - Pro-Am ST Racing1311451554th
Intercontinental GT Challenge 10000428th
GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup ST Racing with Rinaldi500000NC
GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup - Pro-Am 51112693rd
2024 GT World Challenge America - Pro-Am ST Racing
GT America Series - GT4 STR38 Motorsports

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References

  1. "Samantha Tan Racing For Fanatec GT World Challenge America". www.dailysportscar.com. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  2. Turner, Bryce (2024-03-01). "Samantha Tan Returns As BMW M Motorsport Global Ambassador In 2024". Inside Track Motorsport News Magazine. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  3. 1 2 Frye, Andy. "Meet Samantha Tan, Championship BMW Race Car Driver And Team Owner". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  4. 1 2 Makse, Brian (2021-02-12). "Meet the upstart Canadian team shaking up the endurance racing circuit". Hagerty Media. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  5. America, Kia Motors. "Kia Racing Privateer Effort Expands To Three Full-Season Kia Forte Koup Entries In Touring Car For 2015 Pirelli World Challenge Season". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  6. "ST Racing to enter two cars in 2018 Pirelli World Challenge". us.motorsport.com. 2018-02-02. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  7. "ST Racing celebrates Overall GT Teams' title in maiden season". 24H Series. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
  8. Nguyen, Kimberly (2021-01-27). "Meet the Pro BMW Race Car Driver Who Owns Her Own Championship Team". NextShark. Retrieved 2024-03-01.