Driving at competition speed inches from other cars, managing the physical and mental demands of professional motorsport, and building a career in an arena historically dominated by men — Amanda Sorensen has done all of it. When Amanda Sorensen sat down with Sean Kelly on the Digital Social Hour, the result was one of the more energetic conversations the show has produced: a first-person account of what it takes to reach the top of a sport as demanding and technical as professional drifting.
The episode covers her path through Formula Drift and into Extreme E — an off-road electric racing series that took her to Saudi Arabia — and the behind-the-scenes realities of running a racing team, managing sponsorships, and preparing for competition that leaves very little room for error. It's a conversation equally about sport and about what it takes to build something in a field where the costs are high and the margins are thin.
About Amanda Sorensen
Amanda Sorensen has earned her place among professional motorsport's most notable figures through a career that spans Formula Drift, Extreme E, and off-road racing. She made history as the first female podium finisher in Formula Drift Pro Spec — a milestone that reflects both her skill behind the wheel and the consistency required to compete at that level against a full professional field.
Beyond the results, Sorensen has built the organizational side of her racing life with the same seriousness she brings to competition: she runs her own racing team, manages relationships with sponsors, and thinks carefully about how motorsport is evolving. Her involvement in Extreme E — a series designed around electric racing in extreme environments — puts her at the edge of where the sport is heading, as hydrogen and electric powertrains begin reshaping what competitive racing can look like.
What Amanda Sorensen and Sean Kelly Talked About
- What the physical and mental preparation for professional drifting actually involves day to day
- How Sorensen made history as the first female podium finisher in Formula Drift Pro Spec
- The financial realities and calculated risks of competing at the highest levels of motorsport
- Her experience racing in Extreme E, including competition in Saudi Arabia's demanding off-road terrain
- What it takes to build and manage a racing team as both a competitor and a business owner
- How the motorsport landscape is changing with the rise of electric and hydrogen-powered racing
- The experience of competing as a woman in a sport where female competitors remain a notable minority
- Adventures beyond the track — including skydiving with the Air Force — and how they fit into her broader outlook on challenge and risk
Why This Conversation Matters
Professional motorsport at its highest levels requires a combination of technical skill, physical preparation, business acumen, and psychological resilience that few sports demand quite so completely. Amanda Sorensen's conversation with Sean Kelly is a vivid account of what it actually takes to build a career in that world — and a look at where the sport is headed as new technology begins rewriting what competition can be.
▶ Watch the full episode on YouTube
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About Sean Kelly & the Digital Social Hour
Sean Kelly is an entrepreneur and the host of the Digital Social Hour, one of the fastest-growing interview podcasts in the world, where he sits down with entrepreneurs, athletes, creators, and cultural voices for candid, long-form conversations. The show draws over 100 million views a month across platforms. Explore more guest features on SeanKelly.io.
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