About: Biography

Last updated November 5th, 2011

Nadine Sachiko Toyoda-Hsu
Nadine founded Drifting Pretty in 2003 with the dream of one day leading an international organization of women racers.

Throughout her childhood, Nadine would listen to her dad every day talking about Formula1 and the newest “it” car on the cover of Motor Trend.  At 15 years-old she witnessed her first street race and instantly fell in love with cars.  Year-after-year she attended the Ontario street races with friends, cheering for this ONE woman racer out there “Kimbo,” who sometimes won and sometimes lost, but always seemed to be making a statement.  Nadine dreamed that one day she could be out there racing and beating the odds (and the guys) too.

In the late 90’s, shortly after becoming a teen-mom, Nadine was given an 1989 Nissan 240SX by a family member…she wanted to trade it for a Honda Civic.  Being a regular participant of the Pomona Fairplex drag races and Import Showoff attendee, she learned quickly that having a 240SX was special.  In Japan, the car was widely popular with the racing crowd and it graced the pages of all of Nadine’s favorite Japanese car magazines.

In 2000 she met her now husband, Benson Hsu (a fellow 240SX owner).  He introduced her to the underground world of touge racing (mountain racing) and drifting and she was instantly hooked on him and the racing.  Along with Benson, Nadine ventured out to drive autocrosses, road races, karting, and drifting events all in her 240SX.  She was hooked on racing.

After becoming the first woman drifter to be sponsored by a tire company (Yokohama Tires) in 2002, she went on to form Drifting Pretty (2003) and later “Team Drifting Pretty” (2004).  She toured the midwest and east coast with Yokohama and again with Kumho Tires in 2005.  Nadine competed in the Formula Drift Series in 2005 and ranked #20 of 50 drivers.  She also competed in many local drift series around California and hit the top 6 on a regular basis.  One of the highlights was placing 2nd place in a twin drifting competition with her husband.

In 2006, Nadine retired from Professional competition to focus on running Drifting Pretty and starting a family.

In the most recent years, along with acting as President of Drifting Pretty, Nadine has been driving in drifting exhibitions, giving inspirational speeches, working as an accountant, stunt doubling in movies like Fast & the Furious: Tokyo Drift, autocrossing in her front-wheel drive Mazda and being a mom.  In Fall of 2011 Nadine launched her own photography business, Sachiko Studio.