While not as rare as it used to be, finding a young female in a race car is still uncommon. Christina Lam, however, finds herself very comfortable behind the wheel and has the experience to back it up. During her career, Lam has raced in the BMW CCA Club Race series, SCCA Majors and gotten behind the wheel in TC, TCA, GT4 and GT3 race cars. Currently, she is the pilot of the of the Rockwell Autosport Development team in the Audit RS3 LMS TCR in the TCR class of the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge. She made her debut this past month at Daytona when she and her co-pilots took home tenth place in the TCR class.
Unlike many up-and-coming racers, Christina does not come from a racing family. No one in her family was into cars, let alone racing. Going back in time, you wouldn’t find the usual car magazines in her bedroom. It was her curiosity in her early twenties that led her to autocross and track days, and she was hooked.
Let’s start with the obvious question; have you always been fascinated by cars?
I always liked cars growing up, but nobody in my family was really into them. I got into the car scene after college when I got my own car!
Speaking of cars, do you remember the car you learned to drive in?
I learned to drive in my dad’s E39 528i. This was what sparked my love of BMWs. The E39 is still my favorite 5 series.
What was the very first car you owned?
The very first car I owned was an E90 328i xDrive. I did autocross in this car, and some of my first track days at Summit Point.
When did you know you wanted to get into racing?
I was a few years into track days and time trial before I even considered racing. It wasn’t until one of my good friends wanted to start an all-female endurance race team that I considered getting into wheel to wheel racing which was around 2016.
What is it about racing that got you hooked?
The thing that got me hooked on racing is that there is always something to improve on every time you race. The adrenaline rush is fun, but one of my favorite parts about racing is improving the car and my driving before the next time I’m out on track.
How did team ownership come up? What made you go in that direction as well?
Team ownership came up when HPD reached out to me about owning some of their factory cars. We partnered with them to run an arrive and drive team consisting of a TCA Civic Si and a TC Civic Type R.
Tell me a little bit about the toughest challenges to juggling everything you have going in your career, or should I say careers.
The toughest part about juggling multiple careers and racing as one of them is the time commitment to each career while also prioritizing self-care. The biggest challenge I have found is to make sure I eat well and prioritize exercise despite how much I have going on each day. It helps me with mental clarity and to work more efficiently. Take care of yourself first, and the rest will follow.
That brings us to your current gig with Rockwell Autosport in IMSA for 2025. How did the opportunity with Rockwell come about?
I’m super excited to be working with the Rockwell’s this season. I was a finalist for the IMSA Diverse Driver Development scholarship last year and it sparked a conversation with Eric Rockwell who is a veteran in the IMSA paddock. I’ve competed against Eric’s team at the club level many times, and knew he ran a strong program. With title sponsor Helium Mobile and our partners at OG Racing and the Center for Women’s Innovation, we put together a great car and program for 2025.
Do you follow any other motorsports racing; F1, NASCAR, Indy Car, Motorcycles?
I’m an absolute die-hard fan of V8 Supercars. I started watching this series when I began racing my E36 and learned a ton from it. It is some of the best racing in the world and one of my dreams is to compete in Super 2 or Super 3 at one point.
Do you have any new projects in the works?
While it may seem early in the year in 2025, I’m already working on securing sponsorship for next year to continue racing in IMSA.
If I were to open your garage door at home, what would I find in there?
I’ve got a 2025 Tesla and a project E46 M3 that may be another future project build.
Living in the DMV, what’s your daily driver?
I’ve got a boring DD, it’s a Tesla Model 3. It’s a fantastic appliance vehicle and my first EV. I enjoy the tech in the car a lot and even drove it all the way down to Daytona and back. While nothing replaces a good V8, this is quick fun ride to commute in.
What’s your dream car? Why?
Dream race car is a M4 GT3. I’m always going to be a BMW girlie at heart and the GT3 M4s are just so incredible. Dream daily would be a 718 Cayman GTS. That car does everything perfectly and I would daily one in a heartbeat.
You’re a bit of a foodie, what’s your go-to choice? Anything you haven’t tried but would like to?
I can always go for some ramen and a boba. In fact, I think one of the things I do at every racetrack is search what boba is nearby. So far Daytona has had the best options in close proximity of the racetrack. I don’t think there is anything I haven’t tried. I’m always open to hitting up a recommended restaurant. My favorites are hole in the wall hidden places, they always have the best food!
Any particular destinations you love driving to, or roads you like to drive on?
While I love racing, I actually don’t enjoy driving on the streets or public roads that much. DMV drivers aren’t the best and most of the time I feel like I’m just trying to avoid getting clobbered by an SUV that is texting and driving.
Any race tracks you haven’t been to yet that are on your “need to attend” list?
I’ve driven a ton of tracks so far but three on my bucket list are all on the west coast! I’d like to do Sonoma, Laguna, and the Long Beach road circuit.
Any final thoughts?
I’m always excited to meet fans who have come across my stuff online. So, if you read this interview and you’re at one of my races please come by the garages to meet the team!
Thank you for spending time behind the wheel with us Christina, we are excited to watch your 2025 season unfold and, who knows, we just might swing by the paddock some day and to say hi and get an even more up-close view of the team.
