In the quest to establish her own ST Racing at the top of international's endurance racing, Canadian driver and co-owner Samantha Tan announced a step up to the brand-new BMW M4 GT3 machine for the 2022 24H Series with a 2-car operation.
The rise of Canadian driver/owner Samantha Tan towards the highest spheres of international endurance racing has been fast and steady.
From regional racing in the US in touring cars, the now 23-year old went on to bigger and bigger stages, such as the SRO GT4 America in 2020 and, ultimately, her first international campaign in the CREVENTIC's 24H Series in 2021.
One of the biggest endurance racing series worldwide, the 24H Series features on its calendar elite events such as the 24H of Dubai, as well as 12-hour races on the most popular racing venues in Europe and North America: Mugello, Paul Ricard, Hockenheim, Barcelona and Sebring.
Tan had a remarkable start of her 2021 season, winning the world-renowned Dubai classic at her second participation - and claiming a back-to-back victory in the Emirates in the non-championship race at Abu Dhabi.
In her own ST Racing BMW M4 GT4, Tan was second at Mugello and with more podiums in the South of France and in Germany, she remains in contention for both the GT4 and overall GT rankings.
To build on this year's success, Samantha Tan Racing will return to the CREVENTIC-organized championship in 2022, and will step up to GT3 machinery with the newly-launched BMW M4 GT3, which will replace the M6 GT3 as the German brand's top race car.
The new M4 GT3 - featuring an updated 3-litre M TwinPower Turbo straight-six engine - is expected to make its competitive debut later this year. The Bavarian manufacturer has focused on driveability and cost efficiency with the aim of improving accessibility and operation to customer teams such as ST Racing - a loyal BMW M customer team since 2016.
The Canadian outfit is set to receive two brand-new M4 GT3 in the fall, ahead of the 2022 Hankook Dubai 24 Hours in mid-January.
“I think I speak for everyone when I say that we have all worked very hard to get here and are ecstatic to be making the next step up to GT3." - said driver and co-owner Samantha Tan. "We’d like to thank all of our sponsors, BMW Motorsport, and BMW USA for their support in helping us achieve our goals as we continue to push the boundaries of motorsport."
"I’m extremely proud to work with brands that are willing to celebrate diversity and help empower people from various backgrounds to pursue their dreams unapologetically. We’re all very excited to start testing the new M4 GT3 in the fall and will be making adequate preparations until then. Here’s to more wins and podiums with the all-new Samantha Tan Racing BMW M4 GT3s!”
Samantha Tan will race in the #38 car in a PRO-AM line-up yet to be announced, while the #28 car will be entered in the AM category and will be reserved for experienced gentlemen drivers that will be able to capitalize on the fast-growing team experience and coaching program.
With the #28 and #38 numbers, the team has sealed multiple victories and championship titles in the 2019 and 2020 SRO America's Series.
"This has been a dream and a goal for a long time, one that sometimes felt so far away given the much bigger budget and expertise needed to be a proper GT3 contender." - echoed Kenneth Tan, ST Racing's Team Principal.
"Now, I feel we are ready to take this big step after four years racing in GT4 and the extensive time we have experienced in the 24H SERIES. The whole team is ready and very excited for the step up and the new challenges that await us."
After the recent cancellation of the 24H of Portimao, Samantha and her team are now getting ready to hit the track again at the 24H of Barcelona, Spain, on 3-4-5 September.
