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Pro Racing Driver Samantha Tan Wants to Become the First Asian Woman to Win Le Mans

Not a lot of race car drivers out there flaunt vehicles with an artistic design, but the BMW M4 GT4 with a design inspired by Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” is a true match for Samantha Tan. The 24-year-old racing champion is reaching for the stars and hoping that her beloved car will take her to the top.
The 24-year-old became the first Asian woman to win a major endurance racing championship 10 photos
Photo: Instagram/Samantha Tan
Samantha Tan BMW Race Car DriverSamantha Tan BMW Race Car DriverSamantha Tan BMW Race Car DriverSamantha Tan BMW Race Car DriverSamantha Tan BMW Race Car DriverSamantha Tan BMW Race Car DriverSamantha Tan BMW Race Car DriverSamantha Tan BMW Race Car DriverSamantha Tan BMW Race Car Driver
If you haven’t heard of Samantha Tan until now, get ready to hear much more about her in the years to come. This young Canadian-Chinese driver is skyrocketing in the racing world and taking big steps towards her final destination – Le Mans. Only a few weeks ago, Tan became the first Asian woman to win one of the most important endurance racing championships. She and her racing team’s debut in the 24H GT4 Series brought them four wins and eight consecutive pole positions.

Born in Ontario, Canada, the young driver started to love racing in her teens, as many famous racing drivers do. Her professional career has been remarkable so far, despite not being very long. From the TC class in the 2016 Pirelli World Challenge, she moved to GT4 two years later, and in 2019 she turned heads with her performance in the GT4 America championship. Many would remember the striking BMW M4 GT4 which Tan shared with Jon Miller. For the 24H Series, they were joined by Chandler Hull and Nick Wittmer.

This recent victory catapulted Tan at a higher level of notoriety in the endurance racing world, and much closer to her dream, which is to become the first Asian woman to win Le Mans. “I hope that if – when – I do make history at Le Mans, when they see me standing atop the podium against all odds as a badass Asian female racing car driver, that it will inspire and empower,” she told the South China Morning Post, referring to all the young women who also want to achieve big things in this challenging world.

Tan is staying strong in her belief that she’ll be closer than ever to competing in the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans by 2024. Until then, the next big challenge is the 24H of Dubai, her team’s first GT3 event, coming up in January 2022.



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About the author: Otilia Drăgan
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Otilia believes that if it’s eco, green, or groundbreaking, people should know about it (especially if it's got wheels or wings). Working in online media for over five years, she's gained a deeper perspective on how people everywhere can inspire each other.
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