CHRIS FORSBERG's Last Season with Falken Tire

[DA News]

As Chris fixes the bruise's that were left on his 350z from the wall at Irwindale he gears his 350z up for its last and final run under Falken Tire and Sears Auto Center in D1. Falken Tire has been extremely supportive of Chris and his drift cars over the past 3 years. We would like to take this time and thank Falken Tire’s staff and team members for their hard work and long nights. We would also like to thank Sears Auto Center for their Support in 2006, they have been the most supportive and have always gone the extra mile to do whatever the car needed on and off the track.

Chris is gearing up for the 07 Season with a lot of changes. Kevin of LS Auto has been working with Chris and they will be making the following changes:

- New motor with ITB's 550hp
- New Origin Body kit with Do-Luck rear fenders
- Seibon vented hood and widened front fenders
- New paint Scheme
- New rims SSR MS1
- New suspension/steering modifications

There are just a few things to give you guys an idea.

If you have any interest in working with Chris and his V8 powered 350z in 2007 as a Sponsor please feel free to emails us for more information.

[D1 DRIFTER]

is falken backing out of drifting as well?

[Motdyn-Ls1fd]

Good Luck Chris is 07 !!!

[Stannyboy]

wow everyones making changes.. best of luck chris..

[olddrifter]

Chris, hope you find some sponsors and have a good 2007 season.. Mckinney Motorsports......

[Octagon]

Unfortunately, and while I'm not aiming to be critical of Chris as a driver since any year with a new package is going to be absurdly difficult, I think he's a victim of one of the eventualities of professional motorsport; unfulfilled expectations.

Going into 2006, Forsberg was a name driver with two seasons of consistent 3rd and Final Round trips, including one Overall Win. Really appealing package for a sponsor. A known performer with a fanbase, perfect to give some cash and get exposure.

Unfortunately, Chris's 2006 season was spent fighting with his unique V8 powered 350Z roadster. His best result of the year was a 3rd round loss at Wall Stadium, and he failed to score points in two rounds early on.

Ultimately, in motorsports, there's an old adage; You're only as good as your last race. For Chris, his last couple of races haven't been so good, regardless of reason, and for the over-extended Falken Tire Company and relative newcomer to drift sponsorship Sears, removing Chris from their advertising budget was as easy as looking at the results versus their expectations.

[DA News]

Octagon,

Interesting speculation but it's just that, speculation. Sears entered the drifting market wanting and desiring a relevancy, authenticity and competitiveness and they found that in Chris. Regardless of his final result or standing in the championship Sears did accomplish those things. Sears entered the industry partnered with Falken as a strategic partner so the decision to not go with Falken this year also comes with having to suffer the severed relationship with SEARS.

Thanks again for your insight and your speculation but the sport is ever evolving as are the drivers, there are stand out drivers, Chris Forsberg being one of them. Again just wait and see the vehicle in the coming season with the listed modifications aesthetically, power wise and obviously new additions support/sponsorship wise.

[Slapshotnerd]

Dibs on the new setup

There are a lot of shake-ups in the Falken camp (as with all tire manufacturers in the off season). There's a new series, and decisions are being made by all the companies about which events / teams / drivers they will be supporting. There will be many more changes before the off season is over.

However, that doesn't take away from the drivers and their cars. Even if Chris didn't do as well as he has in previous seasons, he still kicked a lot of arse and is getting a lot of publicity for himself and his sponsors (Can we say cover of Super Street right now?!) I'm excited to see the car next year, and can only see Chris taking it to a whole new level in '07.

Go Falken Go Nissan Go Chris Forsberg Go Formula D

[cfrost]

octagon--

I think that one of the things you're overlooking in drifting is that the DRIVER as a personality is something that plays a big role. Although, yes, there are points to look at and podiums to stand on, Forsberg is a POPULAR driver, so for sponsors like Sears or whoever else sponsors him to get the exposure that they're really looking for they don't necessarily need to get on the podium every time. You have to kind of look at it as the companies slapping a name on that car in an attempt to gain credibility, make them look cool or whatever. Look at the D1 guys who've got that popularity and character...I guarentee that if Nomuken got 10th every round in D1 he's still be a lot of people's favorite just because he's popular for being unique.

Try to look at drivers here in the USA the same way...

(I'm not saying that's how it works 100%, but you can't overlook that as a factor)

[olddrifter]

Many teams/owners are streached to the end (money wise) after 4 year of DRIFTING and not much money coming in via sponsors and prize money. Expect to see many more changes as teams scramble to get what they need to complete in 2007. Many of these changes have nothing to do with drivers there $$$$ based and the business side of drifting. Large Factory teams will pull away from smaller independant teams, Tire Companies and small self funded SHOP teams. Drifting is caught in the middle of expanding and going main stream with the ability of teams to fund this expansion. Sponsor what more exposure and races while what there willing to pay stay low. Drifting needs more sponsors like Sears, Target, Napa, Nextel to allow non-factory teams to keep up and grow, to get these sponsors into Drifting must get more and better TV and print media exposure so sponsors want to invest there money. They must be able to see that they will get there ROI so they want to sponsor drivers and teams. To keep drifting growing ; drifting must change so large corperations want to see there products endorsed by teams and drivers... Just one persons oppinion...

[Slapshotnerd]

Many teams/owners are streached to the end (money wise) after 4 year of DRIFTING and not much money coming in via sponsors and prize money. Expect to see many more changes as teams scramble to get what they need to complete in 2007. Many of these changes have nothing to do with drivers there $$$$ based and the business side of drifting. Large Factory teams will pull away from smaller independant teams, Tire Companies and small self funded SHOP teams. Drifting is caught in the middle of expanding and going main stream with the ability of teams to fund this expansion. Sponsor what more exposure and races while what there willing to pay stay low. Drifting needs more sponsors like Sears, Target, Napa, Nextel to allow non-factory teams to keep up and grow, to get these sponsors into Drifting must get more and better TV and print media exposure so sponsors want to invest there money. They must be able to see that they will get there ROI so they want to sponsor drivers and teams. To keep drifting growing ; drifting must change so large corperations want to see there products endorsed by teams and drivers... Just one persons oppinion...

Wise words....

but I think a lot of that is already happening. Formula D has yet to announce their TV package, but I hear it's big. Look at what happened at irwindale - Jimmy Kimmel coming out, several other new media outlets were there, etc. Also, several new sponsors stepped up in '06 with money to support drivers - Red Bull, Sears, America's Tire Co (Discount Tire has been supporting since '04, but ATC is new), TOOL products, etc. There was also a lot more contingency money available in FD this year than ever before. It's getting better, and there's still time for announcements before the '07 season.

[hatebbobbarker]

I think that TV deal is really gonna matter, im dying to hear who it is. if its something like ESPN itll be humongous for the sport and the sponsors, and if its marketed right on the channel, further legitamize the sport.

[Octagon]

octagon--

I think that one of the things you're overlooking in drifting is that the DRIVER as a personality is something that plays a big role. Although, yes, there are points to look at and podiums to stand on, Forsberg is a POPULAR driver, so for sponsors like Sears or whoever else sponsors him to get the exposure that they're really looking for they don't necessarily need to get on the podium every time. You have to kind of look at it as the companies slapping a name on that car in an attempt to gain credibility, make them look cool or whatever. Look at the D1 guys who've got that popularity and character...I guarentee that if Nomuken got 10th every round in D1 he's still be a lot of people's favorite just because he's popular for being unique.

Try to look at drivers here in the USA the same way...

(I'm not saying that's how it works 100%, but you can't overlook that as a factor)

Hardly I've over looked it. Graham Rahal, Marco Andretti, Tomas Scheckter, Marino Franchitti, Bruno Senna, Nelson Piquet Jr, and the list goes on and on of drivers who've banked on name appeal to get their foot in the door in motorsport.

However, a name is just that; a foot in the door. Once you're there, you still have to meet expectations, regardless of who your sponsor or owner is. Tomas Scheckter, for instance, is the son of F1 great (and 1979 World Champion) Jody Scheckter, and through this he got European sponsorship money to come to America and race at Indy.

But, because of his tendency to tear up equipment and a lack of results, he's been bounced from team to team (currently, as I recall, at either Cheever or Vision, the *Censored**Censored**Censored*-end of the IRL).

On the other hand, you have Graham Rahal, the son of two-time Indy 500 winner (and Ohio native) Bobby Rahal. Graham's been managed by his father, but it wasn't until he started racing Atlantics and IPS cars that he ran his father's equipment, and now he's heading to Champ Car as a member of Newman-Haas. Why? Because his results, racecraft, and technical ability have shown up as spot-on. Bobby's even said the kid is better than he is.

In any professional motorsport, there's only so much that can be done with image and name before you have to put cold hard stats. Tanner Foust, great guy that he is, really doesn't have too much "image". He's the Formula Drift equivalent of Jimmie Johnson. Nice, polite, and inoffensive. But thanks to phenomeonal results, he's a package I'd like to present to sponsors.

Now, as far as how this relates to Forsberg, DA News has stated Chris is leaving the Falken organization, and in doing so left behind the Sears sponsorship as well, proving my speculation incorrect. Chris also had some good runs this year, and fought with a brand-new package. I do believe he'll have a ride and a sponsor for 2007, and I look forward to seeing him back again.

And, for the record, I want everyone to know that in Pro Motorsport, there's nothing negative about being fired from a ride. Paul Tracy was fired from Penske in the mid-90's for failing to perform with the team, and he's Champ Car's top scoring driver right now!

[olddrifter]

we are all hoping the FD TV deal is big, but we need more than one thirty minute show a month if big companies are going to invest the money teams need to keep going. Sears, Discount tire and other current sponsors are VERY much appreacited, but for the teams that have to spend 100 of thousands of $$$ to build cars and travel, the need more and bigger sponsors. Nascar, drag racing have set the standards of what sponsors need and we "all" need to step up espically the Media. Print media of a event is usually 1-2 pages and many time do not even cover who the top 16 were and they almost never say who the sponsors were......Personally I think Chris is a victim of changing budgets and time he is a VERY good driver which I think that his driving had noting to do with his leaving

[CrazyHawaiian]

Octagon, don't you think its kind of rude to make assumptions like that? The guy is breaking away from some of the current sponsors and you point the finger at his performance? It wasnt stated why this was happening so why make assumptions? If the guy wasn't as good as he used to be (seems to be what you are saying) he probably wouldnt have been in El Salvador this past weekend with JR performing a Demo in front of 5000 drifting fans.