Lisa Klassen signed by Kaaz for ‘08 Drifting Season

[MonkeySlide]

remember Lisa is not getting PaidKaaz cannot afford to go drifting this year, Plain and simple, if Lisa can bring sponsership then everyone wins, Kaaz goes drifting, picks up some new drivers, Lisa is bring lots of media attention to the sport, that in turn brings more sponsership to drifting for everyone and everyone wins
Leon

I know you're trying to be diplomatic but really.... don't waste too much effort here.

There are always going to be "purists" on this board that will spout off on what they think and nothing will change their minds.

Just do what you gotta do and hopefully it all works out for the best.

[Stannyboy]

Wait wait wait, who said barry is a girl?

scott did. haha..

brian was there after benson, scott then barry left.

[Al]

I suggest you guys buy Calvin Wan's book. Drifting Performance Handbook.

You can get it at Amazon, Motor Book Store or email Calvin at calvin.hotmail.com to cop one. Its a dope book to learn.

[Its_just_Yukio]

I suggest you guys buy Calvin Wan's book. Drifting Performance Handbook.

You can get it at Amazon, Motor Book Store or email Calvin at calvin.hotmail.com to cop one. Its a dope book to learn.

I second that. He showed it to me at SEMA and I was impressed. It was like looking through a very entertaining college text book.

[sidewaysrules]

we have Calvins book and yup its great
Leon

[captainNEO]

scott did. haha..

brian was there after benson, scott then barry left.

my bad, i confused the order in which brian and benson drove for kaaz...but i didnt call barry a girl!


so sidewaysrules, you're saying if lisa didnt drive for kaaz, they wouldnt have any drivers for the 08 season? what happened to hiromi?

[sidewaysrules]

no what I am saying is Kaaz does not have funding for this season, they are hoping that lisa will bring the sponsers allowing Hiromi and Yasu to keep driving
thanks
leon

[hachiroku-fc3s]

...if Lisa can bring sponsership then everyone wins, Kaaz goes drifting, picks up some new drivers, Lisa is bring lots of media attention to the sport, that in turn brings more sponsership to drifting for everyone and everyone wins
Leon

Yes and no. Maybe in the short term, but that doesn't mean it's the optimal decision in the long run. Again, I'm not knockin Lisa. She seems genuine, and I hope everything works out for your team and the sport.

Where does the money come from? Sponsors. Why do the throw money into this? Because they want attention and drifting is getting the attention. Therefore, what is the best for the sport? Sustained attention, and therefore money. But it all boils down to attention. The crowd, the observers, the fans. Those should be the focus.

D1, FD, etc. drivers are just like professional athletes/drivers in any other sport/motorsport, they have fans. Ppl like to get to know the driver and relate to them. They like the driver's style, or his/her story, etc. Lisa will be no exception and I'm sure she is already well accustomed to this.

To give an example of what I was trying to say in my earlier post. I saw this driver (that frequents this forum, but I'll try to keep it anonymous). He had an unusual choice of car that I could relate to. His driving caught my interest, his car caught my interest, so I looked him up a little more. This is what I found on his web site.

"With the amazing growth and popularity of drifting .... will continue to push the .... ....... project as hard as possible, competing almost exclusively in the Formula D series. Through that success, hopefully additional funding can be secured to get him back into a Stock Car or possible a professional Road Race oppurtunity."

I've been drifting since '01. I've had the opportunity to see a lot of great drivers in a lot of great cars and meet a lot of great ppl, but what is a kid who just discovered drifting and can relate exclusively to this driver supposed to think when he sees that.

Kids look to pros for inspiration. Is he supposed to be inspired by blatant disinterest in his own interests? He likes drifting, he likes the guys car, he feels that he can do it too, now, then discovers that his idol doesn't even care about the sport. "OK, well, that means it can still be done, but....if he's so good and so far along and doesn't even care, what does that mean for this sport, maybe I don't want to get involved."

Football players, drivers, golfers, etc. inspire by saying "I get to do what I love for a living" not "I hate it, but I do it anyway, because I get paid." That's why nobody wants to be a janitor, or work in a mill, or whatever.

You can disregard this as my being too sensitive, but I don't care. I personally think this speaks volumes for the driver, and the sport in general if this is the attitude of those involved. For those of us that drift recreationally, drifting isn't cheap. Entry fees, tires, replacement panels, mods, etc. add up. But we do it because we enjoy it. We pay out and enjoy it. This guy gets paid and doesn't. You can't relate, you can't respect, you won't participate. There goes the attention, there goes the money. There goes the sport.

We're witnessing this right now. DC and D.C are losing to local drifting websites. Grassroots drifters relate to each other, respect each other, participate with each other, and show attention to each other. If professional drifting follows a trend of disinterested pros, then it will drive the sincere drifters underground where there is interest. There goes the attention, there goes the money.

Like I said, I don't hold this opinion of Lisa, but I didn't want the "any press is good press" idea being spread. And again, I'm all for drivers doing whatever they want. Rhys wants to flip a truck. Flip a truck by all means. Ken wants to Rally. Rally by all means. Lisa wants to drift. Drift by all means. But in a game (marketing) that is about interest. The leaders need to be interested too.

[kaazlsd]

Official Information from Kaaz USA

Hello Drifting.com members,

First and foremost we would like to thank all members in view of this thread and would like to take the time to shine in on this topic directly.

For this year (2008 season) Kaaz USA Will participate in Drifting regardless of sponsor support or no support at all. We will be campaigning at least a minimal of 2 vehicles with elected drivers both from USA and Japan.

Presently these are our official drivers:
-Barry Wong
-Hiromi Kajikuma
-Yasuomi Kondo.
-Lisa Klassen (She will officially compete for Kaaz USA when we determine she is ready).
-Brian Norris (Time attack driver only)

Any other official information will be posted on our website at:
www.kaazusa.com


Thanks Drifting.com!


-Kaaz USA

[akuma S14]

Leon, I am sorry you are correct... Lisa was in Amanda Lam's old car... I had her confused with a different girl. Very Sorry 'bout that. I definately remember now. She was not afraid of that wall at all.... Good luck to her.

[Octagon]

Why is the desire to move up to more lucrative oppurtunities somehow abandoning the sport in which you're participating?

Perfect example is a certain lad from Enumclaw, WA by the name of Kasey Kahne (you might remember him from a one-time ride in Hubinette's Viper).

Kasey's open wheel, born and bred. He spent his whole youth in midgets, sprints, and Silver Crown cars, eventually getting to the point where he was touring all over the country driving winged and non-winged sprints on the professional level, plus getting test sessions in various Champ Cars.

For an open wheel driver, this was heaven incarnate. But he left it when Ray Evernham and DaimlerChrysler showed him a big check and a big oppurtunity to drive stock cars.

And what's he done with the money from driving those overweight taxicabs? He's started his own open wheel team with cars in most every division, giving rides to other young drivers (and showing up as often as he can to drive the cars himself).

On top of that, Kasey's success and notoriety has meant that people are paying attention to where he came from.

Like it or not, that drifter wanting to move up into stocks or sports cars could mean more exposure for OUR sport than we could ever generate from the sport ourselves. I actually found it rather sad that no Formula Drift driver has been entered into the Daytona 24 Hours this year, as that race has gained a ton of publicity as an annual "Meeting of the Stars of Motorsport".

I mean, Hampton's been there before in a rotary powered Kudzu prototype. Is it too far of a stretch to picture Gitten, Faust, Millen, Forsberg, or Gushi in a Riley?

[soultron]

I say good luck to Kaaz and Lisa.
This whole "more deserving drivers" just sounds like my dad and his friends blah,blah,blahing about what sports player is paid too much this week.
Sounds like she's gonna do the work. whatever.

Why is the desire to move up to more lucrative oppurtunities somehow abandoning the sport in which you're participating?.......

I mean, Hampton's been there before in a rotary powered Kudzu prototype. Is it too far of a stretch to picture Gitten, Faust, Millen, Forsberg, or Gushi in a Riley?

Next you'll be telling Travis Pastrana should try drifting so we'll get the X games crowd too.


Wait...

That might actually work...

dammit.

[Tracy]

Next you'll be telling Travis Pastrana should try drifting so we'll get the X games crowd too.


Wait...

That might actually work...

dammit.

Pastrana owns a monster truck and a chick drives it Ironic? I say not!

[kidynomite]

I mean, Hampton's been there before in a rotary powered Kudzu prototype. Is it too far of a stretch to picture Gitten, Faust, Millen, Forsberg, or Gushi in a Riley?

Hampton has been driving in so many different things due to his racing experience, not so much his drifting...

[Bebop]

Hampton has been driving in so many different things due to his racing experience, not so much his drifting...

Word...

And pastrana... he drove tanners Z in 06 at a practice day and was pretty damn good for noob

this chick put her car into the wall at the orange show

its like comparing fine wine to malt liquor... not saying malt liquor is bad, still gets you drunk right?