While her classmates prepare for Bible exams or post TikToks, 10th-grader Yeva Ivanov from Afula shifts into high gear — literally. She’s only 16 and not yet old enough to get a driver’s license, but on Europe’s drift tracks, she’s already a familiar name in the karting world, competing against seasoned adult drivers. When tire smoke swirls and the crowd roars, it’s easy to forget this is a teenager who still needs her parents to drive her to see friends.
It all started when she was 8, after her father, Ruslan — a lifelong motorsports enthusiast — took Yeva and her twin sister to a karting track. The sister quit, but Yeva was hooked. By her 14th birthday, she had been gifted a drift car, and her life became a split between training sessions in Georgia and math lessons back home. “At first it was just for fun,” she says. “But when they bought me the car, I realized it was crazy — and I kept going.”
Yeva Ivanov behind the wheel
Even as a child, she showed control and confidence behind the wheel, making the push to compete a natural step. She’s already raced in karting championships in the Czech Republic and won Israel’s national title twice. Karting, she says, gave her the perfect foundation — learning racing lines, understanding vehicle behavior, and developing a competitive instinct.
Engines, oil, and spare parts
The Ivanov home in quiet Afula is anything but silent. It’s filled with the sounds of engines, the smell of oil, and stacks of spare parts — a testament to Ruslan’s passion for motorsports. He’s not just the one who introduced Yeva to the sport; he’s also her manager, mechanic, tow driver, adviser, and biggest cheerleader.
“This was my dream when I was a kid in Russia,” he says. “We had a karting club, and I always dreamed of racing. In the end, she’s the one living the dream — in her way.”
The drift racing Yeva now focuses on is a far cry from “clean” speed racing. The goal isn’t simply to cross the finish line first, but to execute controlled slides, maintain high-speed control, and trace lines that from the outside look like chaos. Success demands technical mastery, a deep understanding of the physics of motion, and plenty of courage.
By 14, while her peers were thinking about first crushes and dance classes, Yeva was driving a modified BMW E36 with professional safety systems and a roaring engine. One car stays in Israel, the other in Georgia, where she flies regularly to compete. “When I was younger, it was just for fun,” she says with a smile. “But once they bought me the car, I knew this wasn’t just a game — it was my life.”
Sacrifices and training
Her life as a high school student who packs a suitcase between math class and fitness training comes with trade-offs. While the beach, parties, and friends beckon, she spends hours on the track, practicing turns, adjusting drift angles, and swapping out tire sets that burn out within minutes.
“I have friends, but I’m mostly training,” she says. “My life is different from other girls — but I don’t feel like I’m missing out.”
Her small but dedicated crew includes Ruslan, who maintains her car down to the last bolt, a local mechanic who knows every inch of the machine, and her coach, Melod Meladze, who enforces a strict regimen of warmups, simulations, and performance analysis. “She might be young, but she trains like a pro,” he says. “Most importantly, she’s not afraid to take risks.”
The results are showing. Over the past year, Yeva competed in the Winter Drift Cup, finishing eighth, and in the Georgian Drift Series, where she placed third in two races and fourth in another, currently ranking second overall. She also races in the King of Drift Pro2 category — not the top tier, but still fiercely competitive. Technical issues sidelined her in two races, but she remains undeterred: “In the race I did run, I made it to the top eight — and that just motivates me to keep going.”
Breaking stereotypes — and the bank
Support from her family runs deep, but so do the expenses. Drift racing is one of the most expensive motorsports, with tires wearing out fast — a set can cost thousands of shekels — and engines requiring constant maintenance under extreme stress. Add vehicle transport, flights, and accommodations, and costs skyrocket.
“In the first race I bought tires for 1,000 shekels and thought, ‘Wow,’” Ruslan admits. “Now I know that’s nothing. It’s an investment, but it’s worth it.”
Yeva also faces occasional snide remarks, mostly from classmates. “There’s this boy who always asks, ‘So, did you crash?’ or ‘Did you lose?’ But I know it’s just jealousy,” she says with a grin. Her goal is clear — to become a professional drift driver representing Israel on the world stage.
Ruslan sees her as proof that gender is no barrier. “There’s a stereotype that girls can’t compete in motorsports,” he says. “Yeva is the proof. She races against people 25 and older — and she can beat them.”
For the first time, Yeva will get to show her skills in front of a home crowd, competing in a drift event in Karmiel on Aug. 20–21. Age restrictions had previously kept her from competing in Israel, but now she’ll be the youngest driver on the track. The event is expected to draw Israel’s top drift drivers, with finely tuned cars and skilled crews.
“This is more than a motorsport event — it’s a celebration of culture, community, and innovation,” says the Israeli Motorsport Federation. “We’re proud to bring motorsports to northern Israel and believe events like this will help foster a new generation of drivers, while promoting safety, values, and sportsmanship.”
Preparations are underway at the Patsa’el track, where Yeva is adjusting to a new engine. “The closer we get to the race, the more the pressure will rise,” she admits. She has no pre-race rituals, but does have one unusual habit: eating a lemon, which her coach claims improves blood flow and sharpens focus.
No fear, just drive
Asked how she feels at the starting line, moments before the flag drops, her answer is simple: “I have something to prove — not just to myself, but to anyone who thinks girls can’t do it.”
She says she’s never been directly told she doesn’t belong in a male-dominated sport, but she knows some think it’s less “suitable” for women. For Yeva, every race she wins — or even finishes with a sense of accomplishment — is a double victory.
Between homework and practice laps, flights to Georgia and video calls with friends, Yeva Ivanov is paving her road — one that starts on a dusty track and might one day lead to the peak of global motorsports. And she’s doing it the most Israeli way possible: without fear, with plenty of chutzpah, and with an engine that never stops.