The Chinese-American is one of very few female rally drivers in America and her rise through the ranks has taken her from “big dreamer” to champion, with TV and movie credits including “The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift.”
Mei’s passion for fast cars and racing was sparked during her time as a model, when, at a trade show, she plucked up the courage to head over to a rally school display and earned her chance to practice and develop her driving skills in-car with a one-minute elevator pitch.
That opportunity opened her eyes and from there, Mei set herself the steadfast goal of making it in rallying. She was well aware it would be an uphill battle – the off-road format is notoriously tough and unforgiving.
“I actually got into motorsport while modelling in the automotive industry,” said the Hawaii-born racer, who will be married to her British fiancé in Seattle on Sunday.
“I was sent to a lot of different races and film-sets, and that is where the passion for motor racing grew. I didn’t know anything at the time about what I was getting myself into – all I knew was that I loved the community and I wanted to become a driver.
“My career progressed from stunt school, through to me becoming a professional stunt driver and on to drag racing before making a switch into drifting. I competed in Formula Drift for about four years then I went on to compete in Time Attack and then rallying.
“Rallying was always my dream. At the start, I didn’t know how I was going to get there or how it was going to happen. I just really wanted to get into it and I put everything into making it happen.”
Climbing the ladder
On her way up the ladder, Mei broke new ground, becoming the first woman to compete in Formula Drift and Redline Time Attack – where she was also the first female to win a class championship.
When the chance came in 2012 to move things up a gear and test herself in Rally America’s National Championship as part of the Team O’Neil Rally School outfit, she and her co-driver Leanne Junnila were the only female team in the series.
“That move gave me the chance and pushed me to another level,” added the 45-year-old. “I didn’t know what I was capable of behind the wheel. There are a bunch of female co-drivers but it is mainly men in the drivers’ seat in rallying.
“Because of that, the biggest challenge I had to face was the constant feeling of having to prove myself over and over again. People were saying they don’t care where they finish as long as they beat me. They saw me as a threat when I started performing.
“In the end, I just focused and chased my dream. I knew what I had to do and I was determined to accomplish it.”
Mei’s focus yielded results. She and her co-driver became pioneers as the first women’s team to win the 2012 National title in the United States
Since then, her career in professional driving and in motor racing has coincided with a long-held passion for gaming; another passion she is delighted to now call “work.”
“My driving and rallying led me into gaming,” she said. “As a kid, I loved video games and my parents stopped me playing back then! They didn’t like it and they didn’t see it as being productive! I am super happy it has become something I can do for a job.”
Mei will take to the grid in the Race at Home Challenge in Support of UNICEF this weekend at a virtual New York City, competing alongside some of the fastest sim racers in the world.
She is under no illusions as to the level of the challenge ahead and is most excited about the prospect of contributing to a good cause in raising money for UNICEF.
“I feel like the Race at Home Challenge has brought people and motorsport enthusiasts together all over the world,” said Mei. “Whether that’s being able to participate, or watch the real drivers go head-to-head in something they are not all that used to.
“People might think it would be an easy transition going from a real-life race car to getting behind the wheel of a sim, but it’s harder than it looks.
“I love to drive by the seat of my pants! I feel the car move with me and feel the weight transfer, so when I get in the sim I really have to change and rely on visual feedback. The sense of speed and braking depth can be a bit of a tough one.
“I don’t expect to be at the top of the leaderboard at all, I just want the chance to race with the best sim racers around and see if I can hold my own. I am especially thrilled as it’s a charity event for UNICEF, racing for a good cause."