“We took her round, and when the session finished, she cried. She wanted to go for another round!” Shasha said with a smile.
This little incident proved prophetic of Sophia’s future passions: the young Georgetown-born lass would go on to blaze a path for herself as a talented racer.
She would achieve multiple podium finishes in various go-kart championships, such as the Kart Racing and Development (KRD) Championship, the IAME X30 Championship and the Asia Rotax Max Championship.
Now 15, Sophia has moved on from go-karts to actual car racing. In 2022, she was selected for the Toyota Gazoo Racing Rookie Selection. On Aug 10 this year, she competed in her first car race at the Malaysian Championship Series.
“It was challenging, it felt quite new to me. There were so many more cars compared to a regular track day. 55 cars on the grid!” Sophia told FMT Lifestyle.
At the race, Sophia was named the youngest female driver at the Sepang International Circuit, and the youngest female driver in track racing by the Malaysia Book of Records.
According to the teenager, racing is something that always makes her feel alive.
“I love the feel of adrenaline when you do it. I’m inspired by what Lewis Hamilton said, that when he was young, he felt like an outcast, and racing gave him the will to win and stand out. And now, it’s inspiring to try and be the best in a sport mostly dominated by men,” Sophia said.
Sophia, who admires drivers Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel, remembers being interested in go-kart racing since the age of five. Her parents, both also avid racers, gave her a go-kart of her own on her sixth birthday, and she was racing the following year.
This year, she attained her driving license, and now often races alongside her father, Shafiq Samsudin, in their Suzuki Swift ZC32 at the Sepang International Circuit racetrack here.
The talented lass is as adept with weapons as she is with wheels: she is also a state fencer for Perak, and has won multiple medals in national competitions. She competed in this year’s Sukma Games, which took place in Sarawak from Aug 17-24.
She trains on “track days,” when the track is open to the public a few times every month. Her youth means she frequently goes up against other racers much older than her: the teenager, however, takes this as a positive.
“I can learn from them and be guided by their experience. Hopefully I can be as good as them, or even better,” she said with a smile.
Sophia dreams of one day racing with Porsche: could she go professional someday, and make a career out of car racing? For her mother, it’s studies first, of course: after that, it’s up to Sophia as to what she wants to do.
“If she decides to take up racing, locally or internationally, we will support her all the way,” Shasha said.
Sophia’s second race will be on Sept 6: FMT Lifestyle wishes this talented young racer all the best for that event, and for her future endeavors.
Asked what advice she had for aspiring racers, Sophia said it was important to stay focused on your dreams, and to keep being resilient.
“Just give it a try. You never know what could happen. You might turn out to be the best,” Sophia said. “And even if you fail, it’s alright. Just get up and try it again: you never know, this ‘next time’ could be where you succeed.”