Pirelli Paddock Pass: Samantha Tan

Samantha Tan has been breaking barriers in motorsports for years, both as a driver and as the owner of ST Racing.

This week in the Pirelli Paddock Pass, Tan fills us in on how the season has gone so far, how she handles the sometimes conflicting roles of owner and driver, and how she prepares for a new event.

How would you assess the season so far for ST Racing?

“Mixed feelings. We did really well at the season opener in COTA by getting a podium finish.

“We had a really promising race at VIR and was going to have another podium finish, but unfortunately we had a drive-through penalty in both races because we missed the minimum pitstop by less than a tenth of a second.

“It was just really frustrating. Lime Rock was forgettable and not a good race track for the M4s. Overall, I think we’ve learned a lot so far through our mistakes and can’t complain as it is our first season in GTS SprintX.”

What has been the highlight of the season to date?

“I think there have been a few highlights, including leading the entire GTS pack in a couple races and finishing P3 at COTA.

“It was awesome having all our drivers standing on the podium and changing PWC history during COTA weekend: two females leading their respective classes at the same time.”

How do you balance your roles as both owner and driver on weekends that you are doing both?

“I leave the owner part for the crew to run and focus on the driving.”

How does the team prepare for a track like Portland that hasn’t been on the schedule in quite some time?

“Sim racing, watching youtube videos, and actual practice. We had a test day there recently on July 3rd so I got to learn the track.”

What makes Pirelli World Challenge the ideal platform for ST Racing?

“We are a very young team having only done one full season (2017) and we still have so much to learn.

“The PWC GTS SprintX format is just perfect for us because it is not too demanding on what is required of the team to race at this level.

“In the meantime, the budget required to run in it is reasonable for a small upstart team like STR. The schedule also is much easier to handle for a full-time university student like me.”