This Pro Drifter Car Girl Uses A 2JZ E46 As Her Weapon Of Choice

The drifting scene is dominated by names like Vaugh Gittin Jr, Fredrik Aasbo and Ken Block. But that isn’t to say that drifting is exclusively a male sport. To show our appreciation of female petrolheads, we’re rolling out a new feature in which we recognise a car girl by sharing her story with you.

Today, we’re kicking off with Tinna Riis, a 24-year-old drifter from Denmark, who’s making a mark early on in her drifting career.

Tinna is a Danish driver who started getting serious about her driving three years ago and has been quickly climbing her way through the ranks ever since. We spoke with Tinna about her passion for racing and what’s next for Team Riis.

Where did the love for drifting begin?

‘I was always into sports when I was younger, but it wasn’t until I was a teenager that I got into cars, mostly drag race events at first. My mother loves motorcycles and my father is a technical inspector at Danish drift events, so eventually I got into drifting.’

How did your first event go?

‘It wasn’t a great event for me. I was driving my BMW but at that time it had a standard 3 litre engine (M54B30) and my cooler broke so I was only driving for about an hour. Such a shame.’

What changes did you make after your rookie season?

‘I was in need of more horsepower, so my team and I discussed an engine swap. A 2JZ powered BMW is actually quite common in the Danish drift scene; it’s cheaper to build and tune. No major problems with them, good and stable engine. Plus the sound every time I am going sideways and I can hear the engine screaming because it’s maxed out, I am sitting with the biggest smile on my face. I LOVE IT… It’s music to my ears.’

What has been your most memorable part of your career so far?

‘I was in Norway last year at the Gatebil event and got invited to compete in the World Powerslide Championship (only 80 drivers out of 800+ were invited) the next day. Some of the best drivers from all over the world compete while 40,000 people watch and cheer.’

Is there a certain driver you’ve always wanted to meet?

‘Yes, luckily I’ve already met him. At the Gatebil event I went to bed early for the big race the next day. I was sleeping in the front seat of the van and someone knocked on the window. There was Vaugh Gittin Jr.! I was in shock. One of my mechanics met him and asked if he’d come talk to me. We had been joking about it being impossible to meet him on the way to the event. I got him to sign my hood and we talked.’

Is there a route you’ve always wanted to drift?

‘That’s a tough one. I think it would be uphill drifting on the road to the top of Alpe D’Huez in France. I’ve been there a bunch of times skiing, but I think it would be more fun to borrow Mr. Vaughn Gittin Jr.’s Mustang and just drift all the way up.’

Why drifting? Why not another motorsport?

‘Because drifting isn’t like any other motorsport. It’s action-packed, burnt rubber, screaming engines and fantastic friends. Never ever did I think I would meet such great people. In the world of drifting everybody is equal. We are enemies on the track but like a family in the pit. We are all helping each other in every way possible. If your car had broken down just before a final or a qualification everybody will do everything in their power to get you in the game again. We even borrowing each others’ cars from time to time. Your competition is your enemy during the day but your best friend at night. That’s what I like the most about this sport. The people and the mentality.’

What comes next for Team Riis?

‘This year I’m in the Queen of Europe drift league. We’re bringing in more sponsors to get me to every event and hopefully take the championship. Also, my little sister is 16 and the plan is that before the 2016 season I will build a new car and my sister will race my BMW. She wants to be a drifter too.’

See Tinna’s BMW parked in the Car Throttle Garage here and feel free to comment with any questions or ideas you have for her. If you want us to set up an AMA with her soon, let us know and we’ll make it happen.