The unexpected beginning
The most ironic aspect of her journey was that she did not realise she was already working with her future workplace. “I didn't know I was holding the driver's grid number for Porsche Carrera Cup Asia,” she admitted. “They were the support race. But back then, they didn't know me yet. And I didn't know the series yet.”
Around two years later, her agent contacted her to say that China Television Service (CTVS) were looking for a bilingual TV host who could host in both English and Mandarin, and it could be a fit given her experience hosting events in Malaysia.
Hum auditioned for the role, although she recounted that it was for another racing championship, not PCCA. On the eve of the first PCCA press event, where drivers addressed the media regarding the upcoming season, an unexpected request came through to her agent: “Is Sammie available to fly in the next two weeks?”
Since she had a prior commitment as a model, Hum worked overtime to find a replacement since she thought this was a “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity. Initially thought to be a one-off appearance, she was eventually offered a contract for the entire 2019 season.
When the COVID-19 pandemic ground the motorsport world to a halt, the Malaysian host figured her chapter with PCCA had simply reached a natural conclusion. But when racing activities finally resumed, the organisation reached out to invite her back into the fold. The rest is history.
Despite growing up and studying what TV hosts do, Hum said motorsport presentation is niche, and approaching it the way a news anchor does would not fit. “I was only given two weeks [to prepare] before I flew to Shanghai for the first press conference [in March 2019],” she revealed.
There were many things Hum needed to learn before her departure, including understanding the championship and what was going on with the motorsport industry. “I think the first year was really challenging for me. Because the experience I have was just as a grid girl, and that's really surface level.”
“Be friends with everyone” — The unseen paddock work
How much of the PCCA experience actually happens entirely away from the cameras?
“The preparation is definitely something that people don't see. And actually, a lot of them, it's [building a] relationship.”
On screen, any broadcast presentation can seem flawless — though the intense preparations behind it often go overlooked. Standing in a paddock that felt foreign, Hum remembered the first year was particularly difficult since she did not know how to make friends with the grid.
One of her CTVS directors gave one instruction that changed how she viewed everything: “Sammie, your role is to be friends with everyone.” At the time, she did not quite understand what he meant.
Hum eventually learned that being friends with anyone, from the drivers down to those who operate the hospitality suite and the production, was the key to being comfortable. She added that the audience would not know this from TV, as relationship-building takes years and it always happened when the cameras were not filming.
After the seasons went by and Hum had gotten well-acquainted with the grid, she claimed that it did not change the way she presented the series. “I would say there's more warmth because now I'm connected to the people and trying to understand how they feel,” she said. “And we are bringing these emotions, these stories of these people to the audience instead of just the race itself.”
Being the bridge between the series and Asia
The PCCA is positioned primarily for the Asian market, a region with diverse cultures and varying degrees of motorsport knowledge. Hum is proficient in both English and Mandarin, making her equipped to communicate with audiences in the region and beyond.
What does it mean to present a championship for a primarily Asian audience?
“If they want to communicate with a Chinese audience, I can be the bridge — acting as an interpreter for Chinese drivers during interviews so people can understand their stories, as well as connecting with international audiences scattered around Asia,” she explained.
With limited speaking time, Hum has to be selective with her words. When speaking to the drivers, she had to balance the drivers' enthusiasm with her airtime.
Hum anchors the PCCA storytelling team alongside pit reporter Steve Dawson. Their roles were designed not to overlap, but to complement one another well. Dawson is more involved in the technical side of the series, while Hum’s engaging personality is tailored for the human side of the series.
Hum leaves the technical commentary to the live-stream commentators. Her primary mission is to drive audience interest, sparking curiosity and making the championship feel exciting, fun, and accessible to everyone.
“So the tuan rumah will come out and say, ‘Oh, hello, welcome to our home! Please make yourself comfortable and let’s watch this show and have fun together,’” she said, using the shared Malay and Indonesian word for host to describe the local warmth. Whether viewers are die-hard racing fans or completely new to the series, Hum ensures they always feel welcome.
Hum argued that translating motorsport into something that can be understood quickly by the audience is a critical skill for any motorsport presenter.
How do you make something as complicated as a racing championship accessible without talking down to the audience?
“If I don't understand the topic, the audience won't either,” she explained, sharing her rule number one. “My second rule is to keep it bite-sized, and never overcomplicate things.”
Hum admitted that her early days were frustrating; she wanted to master every detail of the series because she prided herself on being authentic on camera. With only a single minute every time on air, she had to quickly adapt, choosing only the key points and delivering the most critical information.
Growing with the series
Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific (PMAP) sees Hum and Dawson as central figures in the development of the series.
Sammie (and her colleague Steve Dawson) have been with our championship for many seasons and are essential to the communications strategy of PCCA. [...] The relationship with Sammie has grown over the years, and she is now fully embedded in our paddock, familiar with our teams and drivers [...] giving her meaningful insights she can then share with the public.
— Alexandre Imperatori, Manager Porsche Carrera Cup Asia
Hum was 24 years old when she signed up as the season host and felt like a “fresh graduate.” She needed to adjust her usual event MC persona to not come off as casual, since the series partners with premium brands and stakeholders. Growing with the series allowed her to mature and be confident in speaking with the drivers as she had gotten acquainted with them.
Regarding how she measured success, Hum said there is no Key Performance Indicator (KPI), and it is more qualitative than strict numbers. “If my director is happy, that means the show is great,” Hum said. “Steve always says that if there is no response from production, it means it was good. Sometimes I tend to overthink, so I look at the people coming to hospitality. If they are leaving with smiles and looking forward to the next race, then I know it's a good show.”
For aspiring motorsport presenters, Hum offers two critical pieces of advice: be highly specific about the exact broadcasting roles you pursue, and treat the audition as your absolute make-or-break moment.
“Shoot your shot!” Hum exclaimed. “I nearly said no to PCCA because I was afraid of offending [my] agent, [whom] I [had] promised to work as a model, and I actually took the liberty of explaining the entire situation to [the client]. And luckily enough, she was understanding.
“She was angry, of course. ‘You have to find someone,’ [she said.] So she gave me a task to find [a replacement], and I made sure I found someone. But that was the shot I took because I really wanted this.”
From a hesitant 24-year-old modelling graduate to the definitive, multilingual voice anchoring one of Asia’s premier sports car racing series, Hum proves that in the fast-paced world of motorsport, the greatest risk in life is probably not taking the chance at all.
All images belong to Porsche Carrera Cup Asia
