Sally Erdmann Interview

In Conversation with Germany’s Sally Erdmann

Sally Erdmann is an up and coming German Racing Driver who has her eyes set on climbing the ranks to the top tier of Endurance Racing. Having been in love with motorsport for as long as she can remember, she first started behind the wheel when she was five years old, testing the limits of both Quad and Cross Bikes.

It’s fair to say that since then, she’s progressed through karts and radicals, this year competing in the NES-500 Endurance Series.

We caught up recently to chat about her motorsport journey so far, including the highest high to date as well as the most challenging obstacle that she’s had to overcome – as well as how it felt to get out onto a proper race track for the first time, which historical figure she’d love to meet if she could go back in time and much more!

I hope you enjoy our conversation.

What first got you interested in the world of Motorsport?

I have been interested in Motorsport ever since I learned how to walk. After I drove a “pocket bike” in my hometown, I dug up my Mother’s garden with a mini quad! My parents always looked after my safety but as there was always something fast with a motor, I had to try it with a huge smile on my face.

You’ve worked your way up the motorsport ladder for track/endurance racing. Why did you choose this form of motorsport instead of single seaters or rallying for example?

It was a wonderful accident that my first race car was a Radical (two seats). It was such a great experience to learn how to race in this kind of car because there were no aids, such as traction-control, abs or similar. Since I got deeper into the motorsport sector, I am getting more and more fascinated about LMP vehicles. Even though I have great respect for all rally racers and am also interested in single seaters, I feel the most comfortable in the section I am in right now.

But overall, let’s see where my career will lead me

Photo Credits: Alex Ahrens

Proper track racing for you started in 2020 – what was it like driving those cars for the first time?

When I think about the first time on a racetrack… there are actually no words left to describe it. It was a surreal feeling, but the first time I sat in the radical, I knew that racing is what conquered my heart!

It was not as easy as one could think because I drove the radical on the racetrack before I had my drivers license! But with the help of my instructor, Steffen Helmert, I got the hang of it very fast! With every completed round, more and more adrenaline flew into my body and that’s kind of the best feeling for me.

This was also when you first learnt to drive alone – what was this experience like?

At the track I felt very safe because I had my family and my team behind me. If there was a question or something new I could immediately resort to my trainer. When Steffen said everything was fine, everything was fine. With that knowledge I could just focus on me and the track.

The first time on the street was very easy because I knew how to drive and just had to learn how the road traffic acts.

For my family it was an exciting experience because their young daughter already knew how to drive… but my mother still wanted me to drive slow until I proved to her that I really knew what I do

Photo Credits: Alex Ahrens

What’s been the biggest challenge in your career so far and how did you overcome it?

The biggest challenge so far was the huge disappointment with my sponsor. Last year I actually had a main-sponsor that assured me a two-season-sponsorship deal in a GT4 series.

To explain it in a nutshell – they didn’t fulfill their contractual obligations…

Last year, I was in the middle of the season with MY obligations to the team and a promise of financial support that was not kept.
Basically, there was a point where I wanted to stop my motorsport career because I could not afford it by myself, not even with the support of my family…

This was also the time I met Alex Ahrens, a photographer and videographer. He persuaded me to keep going and not to give up on my racing career.

Together with my family and him, we fought for a few sponsors so I could start in the NES 500 this year.

Alex is no longer just a photographer for me, we are actually a team now and complement each other because both of us are fighting to achieve our dreams!

On the flip side, what has been your favorite racing moment so far?

My favorite moment was once when my trainer and I were in Oschersleben with the Radical SR1 for the first time. The whole time he was faster than me but there was this one round I tried to use a different gear in the first curve and I was faster! I told him, so he followed my advice and bam… he was faster again!

BUT at the end of the day he knocked on my helmet and said: “Congratulations, nobody was ever this close to my lap time as you were today.” I will never forget that day!

How is 2024 going so far and what are your plans for the rest of the year?

This year, I’m competing in the NES 500, a long distance race series.

I drive a Nissan 370z with the team JLC-Racing. So far I got to know the team and the car for the first time in Zolder. I am confident that this year will be very successful.

Apart from that I will offer some race-taxi-rides with the Radical SR3 on the Bilster Berg. You can book them on my website racing

Photo Credits: Alex Ahrens

What are your long term ambitions?

Overall I am very interested in LMP vehicles as I mentioned earlier.

Do you have a favourite piece of music?

I pretty much like to listen to American Rap songs, like Snoop Dogg, 50 cent and similar artists. But actually I listen to nearly every kind of music – it depends on the mood and the circumstances.

Photo Credits: Alex Ahrens

If you could meet anyone from history (not motorsport related) who would you choose and why?

That was a very interesting question because I had to think of it for a long time. In the end, I decided to choose Albert Einstein because I really want to know more of his way of thinking and more of how he saw the world.

Thank You to Sally for taking the time to chat and best of luck for the rest of 2024.

Author: Thiemo Albers-Daly