DRIFTING’S MOTHERS OF INFLUENCE

Photo courtesy of Chellee Hansen.

Cheers To The Mums of Drifting On and Off the Track.

In the spirit of our annual nod to the ladies in drifting, in honor of Mother’s Day, we’re highlighting a few of the heroic mothers who are helping to shape drifting in ways that don’t always get the spotlight, but are impossible to ignore.

It’s important to note that, for each of these amazing ladies, there are a hundred other moms all over the world walking in their footsteps. We’re thankful for each and every one of these remarkable ladies, along with the special contributions, time, energy, and passions they devote to the sport of drifting.

Photo courtesy of Brianna Bailey

The Typical Drifting Mother’s Day.

Mother’s Day in drifting doesn’t look like a quiet Sunday at home. It looks like long drives, late nights in the paddock, hands sometimes covered in grease, and a constant balance between supporting family and chasing a dream.

Across every level of the sport, from grassroots events to the highest stages of professional competition, mothers are playing a role that goes far beyond the sidelines. They’re building drivers, shaping communities, and in some cases, competing themselves.

Here are a few notable mums that are making big differences in this sport’s culture, character, and viability.

Masayo Minowa - Strength, Perspective, and Drifting Legacy.

As both a professional driver in Formula DRIFT Japan herself, and the mother of professional driver Hiroya Minowa, Masayo Minowa understands the sport from two completely different perspectives. One, defined by control, and the other by uncertainty.

“When I'm driving, I can stay focused and in control,” Minowa explained. “But as a parent… I can't help worrying about accidents and Hiroya’s safety.”

That contrast defines her experience in drifting today. While she understands the pressure of competition firsthand, she recognizes that her son faces a different kind of weight.

“Compared to the pressure I feel, the pressure my son experiences as part of a team is beyond measure,” Minowa continued. “However, although it is a competition, my hope is that he can enjoy racing and have fun while doing it.”

But Masayo’s perspective on drifting isn’t just shaped by the sport, it’s also shaped by survival. “I had stage 4 cancer when Hiro was one and a half years old,” she shared. “I’m really happy that I’m able to witness his growth.”

That experience has transformed how she approaches both motherhood and motorsports. For Masayo, drifting isn’t just about results, it's about being present, supporting her son, and appreciating the journey they get to share.

“It’s essential to respect your children’s will,” Minowa added.“And I think parents should remain humble so that their children can stay humble as well.”

For Masayo, drifting isn’t just competition, it’s something she and her husband - fellow professional drifter, Shinji Minowa - fight to experience altogether as a family.

Chellee Hansen - Motherhood, Leadership, and Drifting with Purpose.

For Formula DRIFT PROSPEC driver Chellee Hansen, motherhood and motorsports have never been separate, they’ve always grown together.

“When our kids were younger, we would haul them with us to events,” Hansen recalled. “They loved camping at the tracks and traveling to new places.”

As their children grew and found their own paths, that dynamic shifted, but the impact of those early years stuck. “Drifting taught them a ton of life skills,” Hansen added. “Now they are the kids that all their friends ask for help when it comes to car problems.”

At the track, Chellee naturally stepped into a familiar role.

“I am definitely the person everyone comes to for things like bandaids, ibuprofen, and even just water,” stated Hansen. “As a mom, everyone knows you are prepared, so you become ‘Track Mom’ for sure.”

Yet, Chellee’s role extends far beyond this. Behind the scenes, she also helps run a full race program, not only for herself, but also for husband and Formula DRIFT PRO driver, Rudy Hansen. 

“I take on managing the logistics, partners, merch, media… and Rudy manages the rigs, cars, and tires,” Hansen explained. “On top of that, we both own our own businesses to fund all the racing.”

Chellee’s story, however, goes even deeper. “At age 30, I was diagnosed with stage 2b metastatic breast cancer,” she shared. “I did 18 rounds of chemotherapy and 44 rounds of radiation.”

Nearly a decade later, just months before her rookie PROSPEC season, Hansen was diagnosed again. “With my first pro event only four months away, I chose a partial mastectomy and battled numerous infections and healing issues during the season,” she said.

Where most would step back, Chellee leaned in.

“Because of it, I am coming into this season with more strength than ever, proving that fragility doesn’t disqualify you from greatness,” Hansen declared.

Now, her platform carries a purpose far beyond competition. Through her partnership with the Keep A Breast Foundation, Hansen is using drifting to raise awareness and encourage early detection. She will be advocating for the Keep A Breast App, which teaches women how to do monthly self-examinations and walks them through the process step-by-step. You can find the app at: https://www.keep-a-breast.org/keep-a-breast-app

“The thing about being diagnosed with a life-threatening illness is that you get this gift of deep understanding of how special life is,” Hansen concluded. “For me, connections with others and experiences are what lead to a fulfilling life.”

For Chellee, drifting isn’t just about driving, it’s about how you can make a larger impact on those around you.

Jess Boyd - Finding Identity Through the Drifting Lens.

For Jess Boyd, drifting started with a simple ask… and it quickly became something much bigger.

“My son actually started in drift media first,” Boyd explained. “He needed a spotter… so that was my first time on track.”

That moment opened the door to a completely new world.

As her son transitioned into driving, Jess picked up her camera - which had historically been used for shooting weddings - and she never put it back down. “That turned into me shooting for all ‘my kids’ at the track,” she said.

What began as support, evolved into something more personal.

“I’ve always loved cars and there’s a beauty in the flow, in the smoke, in the mimicry of the tandems that is hugely appealing visually,” Boyd shared. “It’s very dynamic and exciting… and far less pressure than weddings.”

Since then, Jess has built her own identity within the sport. She travels solo across multiple states, shooting everything from grassroots events to higher-level competitions. In addition, she creates educational content for other photographers entering the space that she hosts on her social media platforms. 

Her journey represents a different kind of ‘drift mom’ - one, who didn’t just support the action from the sidelines, but stepped right into its culture and carved out her own lane entirely.

Breanna Bailey - Resilience, Sacrifice, and Building a Competitive Drifting Team from the Ground Up.

For Breanna Bailey, the drifting journey didn't start with a lifelong passion for cars. It started with her sons, Micah and Madden, and a driving simulator in their home.

"When some guys saw them driving on a SIM at 14 and 11, and said we should get them behind the wheel of a real car, I kind of thought they were nuts," Bailey admitted. However, after watching them continually excel in simulator competitions, the family went all in and purchased two project cars in a matter of weeks.

What followed wasn't an easy ride. The family faced a major setback early on when a promised sponsorship fell through, resulting in a loss of property, trust, and time.

"It was hard for me as a mom to realize that I let that happen to a degree by trusting the wrong person," Bailey shared. "But the boys didn't let it break them. They forgave, they healed, and we took what we had left, dusted ourselves off, and started building something that was ours."

That something became Slidewayz Garage. To support her sons' dreams, the family rehomed their farm animals, leveled their backyard, and built a shop. It's become a safe space, not just for Micah and Madden to build their cars, but to help other young people get involved in the drifting sport.

The day-to-day reality of supporting two grassroots drivers is demanding. While her husband Brian goes straight from his desk job to the shop, and the boys balance school, college courses, and part-time jobs to fund their tires and fees, Breanna is the glue holding it all together.

"I don't have any background in mechanics, and have a lot to learn, but I love being involved in and learning with my boys," Bailey stated. "I have a background in surgery, and although a shop is a completely different world than an OR, I do what I can to maintain some order, help organize, search for tools and slap them in their hands like I would a hemostat in a surgeon's hand."

From making "trunk tacos" so they can keep working late into the night, to managing the family calendar, organizing logistics for track days, and serving as the team videographer, Breanna's support is unwavering.

The payoff makes the sacrifices worthwhile. Seeing Micah place 11th out of 55 drivers at Evergreen Grassroots last year and watching both boys drive and tandem together in Canada at British Columbia Drifting Alliance (BCDA) events are the moments that validate the long hours.

"I am very grateful for this journey we are on," Bailey reflected. "The days are long, but we are building something."

Jenny Jones - A Show of Drifting Passion That is More Than Support.

For Jenny Jones, the journey into drifting was completely unexpected, but the connections she's built are deeply intentional. If you’ve been around the Formula DRIFT paddocks, you will likely recognize her handmade bracelets donning the wrists of almost every team on the track

Jones’ introduction to the sport came through her son, Collin Glans, whose passion for time trials, drag racing, and eventually drifting, brought her into the fold.

“I was wide open to ride-alongs, but got nervous behind the wheel,” Jones admitted. “Drifting was the opposite of everything I knew [as a driver], but the thrill got me hooked, and Collin has been a very patient teacher.”

Yes, she eventually even started drifting on track herself. 

But her most visible impact on the community happens one bead at a time.

What started as a show of support at grassroots events and escalated into the FD paddock is now a massive undertaking of care and connection. Jenny creates custom bracelets featuring drivers’ names, car numbers, and event details; stringing together approximately 35,000 beads a year! The designs are even a multi-generational effort, with her granddaughter Khloè creating many of them. 

Her dedication earned her a special title from her niece - “Drifting Mama” - which now serves as her nickname across the professional drifting community. 

“I don’t exactly fit the typical demographic, but they embrace me as the team mom,” Jones said, laughing.

Amy Bakchis - The Weight Of Words In Drifting And The Balance Of Family.

For Amy Bakchis, the view of FD looks different than it does for most. As the spotter for her husband, professional driver Aurimus ‘Odi’ Bakchis, her perspective is from the spotter's tower; a vantage point that carries immense pressure and responsibility.

"My job is to objectively observe my driver on the track and provide relevant feedback," Bakchis explained. "In theory, I observe through the judges' eyes, letting Odi know how he looks on the track and communicating potential areas of improvement."

But spotting at the highest level of drifting isn't just about calling lines and angles. It's a psychological balancing act. “There is a lot of pressure to understand driver psychology, since my words carry a lot of weight," Bakchis continued. "I need to understand when to speak, when not to speak, and what to prioritize in each message. It's a work-in-progress."

While she's managing the high-stakes environment of the spotter's tower, another role is always running in the background.

"The mom hat stays on all of the time," Bakchis admitted.

Whether her children are at the track or back home, Amy Bakchis’ attention is constantly divided between the demands of competition and the needs of her family. "This means, I make sure the kids are set before I head up [to] the spotter tower, I may check in with the sitter while I am there, or might need to text them some last-minute instructions. I try to be accessible while simultaneously drawing a clear line that I'm staying in the tower and watching drifting for the next few hours,” she shared.

Working alongside her husband for 15 years in the sport has brought extreme highs and deep lows, but they've built a system to keep their family grounded amidst the chaos of professional racing.

"We protect our family time together and are intentional about how we organize our trips away from the kids as well as our trips all together," Bakchis explained. "But behind all of that, I know that successfully working together comes from God and a lot of prayer; praying for unity and discernment as we attack racing, business, and family life all at the same time."

For other women and mothers looking to find their place in motorsports, Amy's advice is practical and reassuring:  Find what interests you, evaluate your realistic capacity, and remember that it's okay to take a step back when your family needs it.

"I took last year off as a spotter because it was best for our family at that time, and now, we are ready to have me back as a spotter," Bakchis concluded. "It's okay that the situation changes."

It All Begins with Mom.

Drifting is often defined by drivers, cars, and competition results, but the foundation of the sport is built by the people who show up every weekend to support it.

For many drivers and others with a passion for the sport, that foundation often starts with mom.

Whether it’s behind the camera, in the paddock, managing a team, or stepping into the driver’s seat themselves, these women are shaping the future of drifting in ways that don’t always make headlines, but always make a difference.

This Mother’s Day, it’s worth recognizing that behind every great driver, team, and passion, there’s a critical support system and the strongest part of that system is often the person who believed in them first.