Meet Awano Kisaragi, a motorsports model who became a professional drifter who launched a campaign to help crowdfund her race entries, maintenance for her car and travel expenses.
Kisaragi entered the motorsports and automotive accessories promotion industries after her high school graduation, according to SoraNews24.
A few years later, she decided to take up the sport after spending a day watching the racers slide and smoke their tires at a drift competition at Tsukuba Circuit.
Determined to pursue her dream, Kisaragi purchased a Toyota Cresta and turned it into a drifting car. After that, she applied and got her racing license.
Despite being a professional drifter, Kisaragi continues to work as a spokesmodel. However, she is not always at racing events promoting accessories.
Kisaragi made her debut in the drifting scene in 2014 and began competing in the Ladies League division of D1 in 2015. She then moved up to the mixed-gender D1 Lights division in 2018 after placing eighth in 2016. She plans to compete again in the 2019 season in May.
Despite having all of her plans laid out, racing can be demanding, especially given that Kisaragi competes not only domestically, but also overseas in the United States, Thailand and Taiwan.
She is currently running a crowdfunding campaign via Campfire to raise 1.5 million yen ($13,500) to help her with maintenance, entry fees and travel expenses when competing in other countries. The campaign will reportedly run until the end of the week.
Those who support the campaign can expect rewards such as autographs, Kisaragi merchandise towels and tote bags, and an invitation to thank-you meet-and-greet events.
The campaign has raised more than 755,000 yen ($6,782.92) so far.
Featured Image via Instagram / kisa_awn
