Samantha Tan delivered a strong debut in the IMSA VP Racing Sports Car Challenge at Daytona, battling challenging weather on a track where she had limited experience at, to secure two bronze-class runner-up finishes and consistently contend for overall GTDX podiums.
Samantha Tan made her debut on the IMSA platform with two bronze-class runner up positions in the VP Racing Sports Car Challenge season opener at Daytona, where the driver/owner of the #38 ST Racing BMW M4 GT3 also consistently fought for the overall GTDX podium.
The first round of the 2025 was also the first time for GT3 cars in the series, joining LMP3 and GT4 (GSX) classes. The new addition gave Tan the opportunity to continue her development in GT3 machinery, as she aims to progressively build her experience towards a potential future IMSA Sports Car entry.
This season represents Samantha’s first solo series, after making her GT3 debut in 2022 following multiple titles in the 2021 24H Series, her first international campaign. Among those victories was the 12 Hours of Mugello, where she notably earned the BMW M4 GT3’s first global success.
Since then, Tan has steadily climbed the ranks of global sportscar racing, competing in GT World Challenge America and Europe - including the world’s biggest GT3 race, the 24 Hours of Spa. In 2024, she was a standout competitor in the GT World Challenge America Pro-Am class, securing three class wins and ten podiums, ultimately earning the Vice-Champion title.
In 2025, Tan announced her debut on the IMSA support package, and tackled the first weekend at Daytona, in support of the Roar Before the 24, on a circuit where she had very minimal experience at. Her only previous start at the Daytona International Speedway was in fact in 2022, when she collected a podium in Ferrari Challenge North America.
Despite minimal experience at the track, Tan quickly used the free practice sessions to build speed progressively. In the first session, she clocked a 1:48.683, the seventh-fastest time in GTDX. She climbed to fifth in FP2, setting the fastest time among bronze-class drivers ahead of qualifying.
Samantha Tan started qualifying with strong pace, immediately placing in the GTDX top five. She posted a 1:53.416 before improving to 1:51.611 on her final run. This lap placed her fourth overall in GTDX.
Pole position went to Muss, who improved on his final lap to edge out Adam Adelson for the top spot. Perez Companc also improved late in the session, temporarily demoting Tan to fifth. However, Tan responded with a 1:51.213, reclaiming fourth place.
After a post-session penalty for the #66 Ferrari, Tan was promoted to third overall in GTDX and claimed pole position in the bronze class. Her second-best lap of 1:51.611 also ensured third overall and another bronze-class pole for Race 2.
Race 1 took place on Saturday afternoon with a split start behind the LMP3 prototypes. Tan had a clean start from the second row but dropped to P4 when Musial got by; she quickly fought back, reclaiming third by passing the Conquest Racing Ferrari on lap two.
Now in clean air, Tan set the purple time in sector 2 and began closing in on Perez Companc. Lapping consistently in the 1:48 range, she reached her rival’s mirrors by lap five.
Behind her, a battle between Musial and Muss gave Tan some breathing room, while Adam Adelson’s Wright Motorsports Porsche extended its lead to nine seconds by lap 10.
Tan made several attempts to pass Perez Companc but was soon joined by Musial, creating a three-way battle for second place. Despite being faster by a few tenths per lap, Tan was unable to make a move stick.
As traffic from GSX cars came into play, Muss attacked Perez Companc, opening an opportunity for Tan. On lap 21, she executed a brilliant pass for third at the Bus Stop chicane but was immediately re-passed at the International Horseshoe.
With two minutes remaining, Tan continued to press for third but faced challenges from the Ferraris’ superior straight-line speed. Musial ultimately overtook her on the penultimate lap, leaving Tan to finish fifth overall and second among bronze drivers.
Despite narrowly missing a GTDX podium, it was a positive start to her IMSA debut, where she battled fiercely for the top three overall throughout the race and stood on the Bronze podium for the first time this season.
Sunday’s Race 2 saw very different conditions, as heavy rain at Daytona caused delays across the schedule. The race eventually started under caution after two formation laps, allowing drivers to adjust to the wet track.
Tan started from third overall in GTDX and pole in the bronze class; at the green flag, she cautiously navigated Turn 1, dropping to fifth in GTDX and behind Washington for the bronze-class lead.
Adelson quickly took the lead, passing Muss at the Bus Stop chicane before Muss spun at Turn 1. This promoted Tan back to fourth overall. Adelson then pulled away, setting the fastest laps in GTDX and building a six-second lead over Perez Companc.
Conditions remained tricky, with several LMP3 leaders making mistakes, including Catalano sliding off, Schultis hitting the barriers, and Thienes going deep. A Full Course Yellow was deployed, and Tan held her position in fourth, second in the bronze class.
When the race resumed with 24 minutes remaining, Tan capitalized on the restart and executed a clean pass on Perez Companc to claim third place in GTDX. Up ahead, Washington’s GMG Racing Porsche launched an attack on Adelson for the lead but was overtaken by both AF Corse Ferraris, which used their superior straight-line speed to move ahead.
Despite her best efforts, Tan couldn’t match the outright pace of the Ferraris and fell behind. However, she maintained focus and launched a determined charge in the final 10 minutes of the race. She set a series of strong laps, including personal bests of 1:32.146, followed by an impressive 1:28.949.
On lap 19, Tan gained nearly two seconds on Washington, closing the gap significantly. Despite this late push, she ultimately finished just shy of fourth place in GTDX, securing fifth overall and second among the bronze-rated drivers.
"Happy with my IMSA debut weekend in VPRC" - Tan commented. "With limited experience at this track and no testing, I’d say it was a success. Looking forward to building on this during the rest of the season!"
Despite the BMW M4 GT3’s not having the outright speed at Daytona, Tan showcased her ability to maximize her results, bringing home two bronze-class podiums.
The Canadian now looks ahead to the next round at Circuit of the Americas, a track she knows well, from February 28 to March 1, where she aims to build on her positive start of the season.
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