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The Driver.


Lisa at the beach. Name: Lisa Klassen
Age: 22
Home base: Southern California

Lisa grew up in Southern California, where she spent her time playing her French horn in nearly every local musical organization she could find, performing with the dance and music troupe Everything Celtic, surfing and mountain biking with her dad and brother, a downhill mountain bike champion; and designing clothing with her mom. She spent four years at UCLA, graduating in 2005 with a bachelor of arts degree in American Literature and Culture and a minor in Music History, reflecting her lifelong love of music and writing. She simultaneously completed a Recording and Audio Engineering certification shortly before her graduation. When she wasn't studying, Lisa held in intership with Gaylord Films on the Warner Bros. lot and engineered the album The Horror of Beauty for the band My Ruin. She is now studying to become a costume designer and hopes to someday work in television or film.


Lisa driving an Evo. Lisa's brother Mike introduced her to the world of rallying, getting her hooked on watching WRC races on the Speed channel on Sunday nights. The stories Mike brought back from his trips to the Rim of The World Rally and the information he shared from his automotive technician classes further increased her interest in the sport. She convinced her brother to compete with her in several TSD rallies (time-speed-distance events where drivers in street cars follow directions on predetermined courses and try to exactly match the master time clock) as well as several Monte Carlo-style rallies (where drivers must determine how to reach the check in point at a given time, with only a single map and no directions.) Excited by the proximity of the WRC's Corona Rally Mexico to her home, Lisa took Mike to the event and it was there that she fully realized her desire to drive a rally car. The drivers and friends Lisa met in Mexico suggested volunteering at rallies in order to get closer to the action and to meet potential mentors. When she returned from Mexico, Lisa volunteered for the Rim of the World Rally and it was there that she was able to ride in several Group N and open class cars, furthering her desire to drive. It was there that she also met her mentor and open class winner for the event, Leon Styles. A few weeks after the event, Leon convinced Lisa to participate in the Tombstone Rally Cross 2. Despite her lack of experience and her unprepared street car, Lisa defeated five other drivers in her class. She knew then without a doubt that she wanted to drive and Leon immediately began teaching her. Shortly after her training began, Leon helped Lisa to find a rally car, a 1976 Toyota Corolla in which she practiced nearly every day. In 2005, following the death of her first car, Lisa bought a 1983 Corolla. It was in this car that she won the 2005 Western States Rally Championship for Group 5, proving that she is one of the top drivers in the the country. She also won third place in the California Rally Series' Rally and Rally Cross competitions in the Open 2WD class. This year she will compete in her Corolla and in a 1999 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 6, in hopes of gaining experience in an AWD car. Lisa greatly enjoys rallying for its excitement, but also for its ability to build self confidence and charater and looks foward to completing and competing in many rallies to come.

Notable Results
  • Fourth place in Pikes Peak Open and fastest female in the 2008 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.
  • Driver in the "Green Prix View" exhibition race at the Long Beach Grand Prix in an electric 1965 Daytona replica for HST Automotive/SSI Racing.
  • 1st place overall and 1st place Open 4WD in the USRC's Rim of the World Rally, 1st in Open 4WD on Saturday and Sunday of the California Rally Series' regional rallies and 1st place overall on Saturday's regional rally. Lisa is the first woman to win this rally and the first woman to win any national event since the sport began in the U.S. in 1972.
  • First Open 4WD at the 2007 Desert Storm Rally.
  • 2nd overall and 2nd Open 4WD in the 2007 Seed 9 Rally.
  • Two fastest stage times at the 2006 Treeline Rally.
  • 3rd place overall and 3rd in Open 4WD in the 2006 Gorman Ridge Rally.
  • 4th place overall in Open 4WD in the 2006 California Rally Series.
  • 1st place in Open 2WD at the 2006 Desert Storm Rally.
  • 1st place in Open 2WD at the 2005 Gorman Ridge Rally.
  • Winner of the 2005 Western States Rally Championship in Open 2WD (first woman and youngest person to do so).
  • 3rd place in Open 2WD in the California Rally Series in 2005.
  • 4th place in the United States Rally Championship for 2005.
  • 1st place in the Rally Sprint championship for Open 4WD in the California Rally Series' 2004 season.
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