Sherry Ma: Revolutionizing Motorsports Fashion with Grandstand Project

By: Allison Cho

At the inaugural Las Vegas Prix on November 18, 2023, Sherry Ma stepped onto the busy, vibrant Strip in her custom-made moto jacket, turning everyone’s heads. Fans even stopped her every five minutes to ask her where she got her jacket, which got her thinking. What began as a playful joke questioning, “What if I start an Etsy shop?” on the drive back to Los Angeles turned into a bold decision within a week. 

She created the Grandstand Project (GP), a motorsports apparel brand dedicated to empowering female fans and drivers with stylish and inclusive merchandise that goes beyond boring jerseys or generic team hats dominating the current scene. 

Sherry, the founder and CEO of The Grandstand Project, isn’t a typical entrepreneur. After studying public relations and marketing at Emerson College, she aimed to create a mission to close the gap in motorsports culture, where women lacked merch that combined their sense of style with their fandom. 

The idea to blend fashion, creativity, and advocacy was a way to make every female fan feel seen by bringing the glamour of the paddock to the grandstands. Turning the idea into reality, Sherry is fueled by resilience, community, and a love for racing, especially when she went from loving cars at a young age to being a trailblazer in a male-dominated industry.

Photo by Metyen Oyebade

Sherry’s journey to creating and building The Grandstand Project began with a childhood surrounded by the sounds of engines and under the influence of a fantastic role model. Sherry was raised by her mom’s passion for cars and motorcycles, as she grew up in Los Angeles. 

“My mom… really loves cars, and she loves motorcycles, and I just always wanted to be like my mom,” she recalls. This early love for the community was intensified by her playful obsession with Pixar’s “Cars”, which she highly recommends watching when getting into motorsports. 

However, as she grew into a teenager, the societal pressures began to get to her with a more traditional idea of “femininity,” leading her to stop following her passions. “I wanted to be as feminine as possible and as girly as possible, and what society deemed as such,” Ma shared, noting how she tried to separate herself from racing to fit in.

During college, she rekindled her love for motorsports, as Netflix’s “Drive to Survive” started igniting a cultural phenomenon in the United States. The documentary series opened up a new world for the community on social media, specifically TikTok, where she found a group of women embracing racing. 

“Suddenly, my TikTok feed was all of these girls talking about racing and talking about cars, and it feels like this accepting community suddenly just opened up to me,” she said. This shift set the stage for Sherry, as she would take advantage of her love of the sport to change her journey.

Photo by Griffin Riley

Her journey really began in November 2023 during the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix, when she struggled to find merchandise that also matched Vegas's glamorous vibe. She wanted to showcase her love for the sport as she was planning outfits for the trip with her friends, who weren't necessarily racing fans, while also supporting her team with a sense of style. 

“I didn’t really want to wear a hat or a jersey. I wanted something that I can wear into the clubs and the after parties, and then I can walk around the strip in Vegas and feel like I’m expressing myself creatively,” she explained. Her solution was to customize her own moto jacket that she bought online and transformed with her own patches to reflect her team spirit. The response was out of this world. 

“I couldn’t go five minutes walking on the strip without someone stopping me and asking me where I got my jacket from,” she recounted. The question going through her mind became a light-hearted joke that quickly gained momentum amongst the group, asking, “It was kind of a joke, like I should start a shop or something and sell these jackets.”

The drive back to Los Angeles from Las Vegas became a turning point for her. “I just couldn’t stop thinking about it,” Sherry stated. “And then a week later, I had a business plan, and then it wasn’t really a joke anymore.” 

On a plane shortly afterwards, she had all of her ideas in her notes app, with a draft foundation for The Grandstand Project. She was determined to bring her vision to life, as she enrolled in a local community college for a semester of fashion merchandising in February 2024, just a few months after the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Enrolling was an adventurous step to equip herself with the necessary skills needed to navigate the industry. 

Following her dreams, born from a single race weekend, her passions are an inspiration, redefining her path and connecting communities in unexpected ways. 

Photo by Caroline Dame

Her journey to create GP marked the beginning of Sherry’s entrepreneurial journey, blending her academic background with persistent self-education and real-world challenges. She set on a corporate path after graduating from Emerson College with a degree in public relations and triple minors in marketing communications, business studies, and nonprofit communication. 

“I wanted to work in corporate PR. I wanted to work in the nonprofit sector. I had just wanted to go into marketing,” she shared. But after college, burnt out from corporate life during her internships and unsure of her next step, she decided to pivot toward her rekindled joy and passion for motorsports and fashion. “I was like, I think I’m going to take a year off and just finally relax after being in school for so long, be with my family, and kind of lean into my hobbies a bit more,” she said.

Nothing left her more laser-focused. “I walked in there telling anyone and everyone that would listen that my goal is to walk out of the semester and be ready to start a clothing brand,” she explained. Sherry was always looking for advice and practical knowledge, asking, “What do I need to know to communicate with manufacturers in LA, like what do I need to know so that I can be in this space and actually have a successful brand?”

It only took her one semester to land at the UCLA Anderson School of Management, as she launched GP in October 2024, driven by her vision. “I just couldn’t hold back. I left UCLA and we launched in October, and I’ve just been full send committed to Grandstand ever since,” she noted. 

Building GP came with a few challenges, especially as a self-funded startup in the costly world of fashion. “Clothing takes a lot of money right now. Grandstand is entirely self-funded, which is a crazy journey,” Ma admitted. She faced the daunting tasks of navigating LA’s fashion district, learning to communicate with manufacturers, and managing finances. “How do I start a business? How do I manage a business? How do I keep Grandstand from going bankrupt within the first year?” she reflected. 

Photo by Caroline Dame

Sherry’s vision for GP thrives on her amazing support system and her commitment to amplifying women’s voices in motorsports. Her family played a pivotal role in her journey. “My mom specifically has been so supportive through everything that I’ve done, even though I know that she’s very worried,” Ma shared, acknowledging the risks of starting a business from scratch. 

Her partner was also instrumental, as he stood by her side from the moment she filed for the LLC. “He’s been helping with Grandstand since the very, very beginning, like he was there when I started the LLC, filling out the application,” she noted. 

Friends like Ananya, who assists with GP’s media, have also volunteered their time, forming a tight-knit community that Sherry credits for the brand’s early success. “I genuinely would not be able to do it without any [of them],” she said, emphasizing the emotional and practical support that fuels her to keep going.

Her path wasn’t without skepticism because when she first shared her idea for GP, she encountered surprise and confusion, especially from people outside of motorsports. “I never thought about how there’s not much female merchandise in motor sports, or actually, maybe even sports in general,” she recalled. 

Within the motorsports community, she found a lot of support, but online, she occasionally faced dismissive comments like, “Why are these girls touching the cars?” This led her to retort with, “The girls own those cars. They bought those cars, and they took care of those cars.” Her mission is highlighted by those moments, by challenging stereotypes and emphasizing the presence of women in the sport. 

Representation lies at the heart of GP’s impact and social responsibility. Sherry believes the sports media space needs to have more conversations about women in motorsports, whether it’s with the drivers or fans. “I think just more conversations are lacking about women in motor sports and the female fan base in motor sports,” she stated. 

Her passions aren’t only in fashion and creating merch, but it is also about giving women the recognition they deserve, noting that “there are a lot of women working in motor sports... that, again, they’re just not getting their flowers.” 

She also challenges the derogatory use of “fan girls,” arguing that they are the driving force behind the sport’s growth, whether men like it or not. “They’re such a catalyst for all of it, because they’ve been the ones spreading that joy of loving the sport,” she emphasized, stressing their role in creating an inclusive community.

Photo by Metyen Oyebade

Initially, GP aimed to create track-specific collections tailored to the unique vibe for each race: elegant like Monaco, party-ready like Vegas, cowboy-themed like Austin. “I really just wanted to make a collection for every single track, so that people have things to plan outfits with so that they can support their drivers, their teams,” Sherry said. 

However, conversations with female drivers discussed a more profound need: better merchandise for women. Whether they are drivers wanting better merchandise for their fans or female fans looking for more fashionable representation, women want different kinds of merchandise than men. 

Many female drivers don’t necessarily have the time to immerse themselves in the fashion industry and tailor their merchandise beyond the usual industry standards, she explained.

Female drivers focused on racing, often being forced to settle for basic merch like generic jerseys and hats. This conversation shifted where GP was heading, collaborating directly with drivers like Zoey to create custom pieces, such as tank tops featuring her number and autograph that sold out at Long Beach.

“We made those tank tops for her in a month... and we completely sold out,” Ma shared proudly. “Finally, the little girls, her fans that are little girls, were able to buy something that they could wear.”

The name “The Grandstand Project” encapsulates this very mission. “I love the idea of GP, and then being similar to Grand Prix... and we have so much inspiration from the WAGs in the paddock. The goal is really to try to take that culture and just bring it out so that the rest of the fans can participate,” Ma explained, aiming to normalize paddock-style fashion for everyday fans. 

Sherry’s values of inclusivity, creativity, and female empowerment all stem from her own journey of reconnecting with her tomboy-like roots and finding a community that embraced her passions. She isn’t just building a brand but fostering a space where women in motorsports feel seen.

Photo by Cathrine Renee

Sherry’s journey with The Grandstand Project is nowhere near its end. With plans to expand track-specific collections, deepen collaborations with female drivers, and continue advocating for women in motorsports, she is set to define the sport’s fashion landscape. 

“I never thought I would ever be in motor sports professionally at all. So it’s just been a wild journey,” she reflected, capturing the journey of her dreams from early passion to CEO. From the initial spark of her custom jacket at the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix to the thriving brand she launched in October 2024, her story is truly an inspiration of resilience and reinvention. 

Her story inspired not just motorsports fans but anyone daring to chase a passion against their odds. Sherry managed to blend her love for racing, fashion, and community, creating a platform that empowers women to express their fandom boldly and authentically. As she continues to break barriers, her work reminds everyone that every race, every outfit, and every story can bring us closer to a more inclusive and empathetic world.

Disclaimer: The thoughts, experiences, and opinions shared in this article are solely those of Sherry Ma and are based on her personal journey. They do not necessarily reflect the views of any organizations, sponsors, or institutions with which Sherry may be associated with.

To ensure accuracy and maintain context, Sherry Ma and The Grandstand Project reviewed this article before publication. Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this material is strictly prohibited. For any inquiries or concerns regarding this article, please contact info@hazzemedia.com