Jimmy Lin (Actor/Racing Driver)

Jimmy Lin stands out as one of the most prominent figures among artistes from Taiwan Province, China, boasting the most extensive motorsport pedigree and the widest competitive portfolio. His racing career spans supercars, single-seaters, rallying, and endurance racing, making him the first salaried professional racing driver in the Chinese entertainment industry, as well as the first salaried professional racing driver in Taiwan Province.

Early Passion and Racing Beginnings

Jimmy Lin’s passion for cars began in his childhood. He collected Matchbox die-cast models from a young age and read car magazines thoroughly, conceiving the dream of becoming a racing driver after watching a motor race for the first time. In 1997, he secured a podium finish in third place during his maiden outing in the Supercar Cup (Supercar)—an unexpected breakthrough trophy that set him firmly on his motorsport path from then on. In 1999, he headed to Zhuhai for formal racing driver training, embarking on his competitive campaign in series such as Formula Campus Renault and the Spider Challenge Cup.

Dominant Era in Taiwan Province Supercar Racing

Between 2000 and 2001, Jimmy Lin delivered a dominant performance in the Taiwan Province Supercar Cup. Behind the wheel of a BMW M3 race car, he broke the Taiwan Longtan Super Car fastest lap record four times in a single year, establishing a benchmark of four consecutive annual championship titles in Taiwan Province Supercar Racing. In 2001, he swept all four rounds of the Supercar Cup, while simultaneously claiming multiple Group A victories in the China Formula Renault International Championship. In 2002, he officially became the first salaried professional racing driver in Taiwan Province; describing his remuneration, he once remarked that "competing in a single race earned as much as filming several television drama episodes".

Sustained Breakthroughs in Single-Seater Racing

Jimmy Lin’s achievements in single-seater racing are particularly noteworthy among Chinese artistes. In 2005, driving for Dynaten Motorsport in the Asian Formula Renault Series, he finished fifth overall for the season, emerging as the highest-ranked driver representing a Chinese team that year. In 2010, competing in the international category of Formula Renault at the Shanghai International Circuit, he clinched victory once again against a grid of seasoned professional drivers from 19 countries.

Rallying and Team Operations

Jimmy Lin’s racing portfolio was not restricted to circuit racing. In 2003, he represented the Giti Tire Team at the Shanghai round of the China Rally Championship and was appointed brand ambassador for Giti Tire. In 2005, he formally joined the Honghe Rally Team and established "Jimmy Racing" (JR Team) under his own name, mounting a full campaign in the China Rally Championship. In 2006, the "Jimmy Lin Rally Team" scored a double championship victory for both team and driver at the Shanghai round of the China Rally Championship, alongside a third-place finish in the overall annual team standings. His personal best in the China Rally Championship was sixth among Chinese drivers in the International Category at the 2009 Beijing Huairou round.

Endurance Racing and Team Management

From 2017, Jimmy Lin ventured into prototype endurance racing, taking on the dual roles of team owner and driver. Leading PTRS Racing in the FRD LMP3 Series, he clinched the win at the Shanghai round, ultimately securing overall team runner-up and first runner-up in the Drivers' Championship. In 2018, PTRS Racing claimed the overall annual championship in the China Prototype Endurance Series, with Lin steering the team to a commanding 1-2 finish at the season-opening round in Ningbo.

Cross-Discipline Pursuit of Speed

Jimmy Lin’s quest for speed extended beyond four wheels. In 2008, he signed with the China Tianrong F1 Powerboat Team - China Merchants Bank Team, setting his sights on the F1 Powerboat World Championship. The move required obtaining a "Super F1 Powerboat Pilot Licence", held by only 42 individuals globally at the time. While this cross-discipline attempt did not culminate in an immediate race start due to the lengthy licensing process, it underscored his broad passion for extreme sports.

Crash and Introspection

In 1998, Jimmy Lin suffered a high-speed crash into the barriers at 150 km/h during a race, after which his car caught fire; he fractured his leg and was sidelined for six months. The incident marked a defining turning point in his racing mindset. He later reflected: "I was in too much of a hurry to overtake others, losing sight of the limits of my own capabilities." Following his recovery, he redirected his focus toward "constantly outperforming myself" rather than fixating purely on race positions, leading to a marked improvement in his results on track.

Recent Endeavours and Motorsport Promotion

In 2026, Jimmy Lin made an appearance at the F1 Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai, engaging with younger-generation artistes in his capacity as a professional racing driver, earning accolades from on-site media as a "veteran racing mentor". In the same year, he travelled to Italy's Ferrari Fiorano Circuit to test-drive a Ferrari F1 machine, sharing a "driver's POV" onboard video that showcased his professional handling capabilities. A dedicated Ferrari collector, he took delivery of the Ferrari F80 in March 2026, becoming one of the very few owners of this flagship hypercar in Taiwan Province.

Over his racing career, Jimmy Lin has amassed 17 championship trophies, leaving a tangible track record across four distinct disciplines: supercars, single-seaters, rallying, and endurance racing. While his outright pace may not have matched the upper echelon of full-time professional drivers, his stature as the figure with the deepest motorsport commitment and broadest racing breadth in the Chinese entertainment scene granted him significant cultural influence, playing an instrumental role in popularising Chinese motorsport culture in its formative years.