How Gabe from T3 Screwed over his own Sponsered Driver

[matt mead]

This is a one sided account from Al who was the T3 sponserd driver of the orange trueno coupe in formula D..

Quote:First of all, before you read this, I am simply telling my side of story and everyone is inquiring… I’ve written about this for months now but I never really publish it but when I was at D1GP last December I got asked by atleast 50+ people of what’s going on with my car and Techno Toy Tuning and don’t even start with the emails. I had to keep revising my story just a bit that I don’t sound like an angry midget beause originally, I had tons of “FUCK SHIT FUCK” all over my post. So fuck it , here’s the story.

Techno Toy Tuning was my main sponsor in 2005 and 2006 that makes crappy parts for corolla and bootlegs everyone’s parts out there.

Throughout the year I have work with Gabe, I have always tried to work the situation. Instead of having so much animosity around the team, I try to be the better man and work with Gabe. When I give feedback about the car he always, I mean always think it’s the wrong way.

Why would you be braking? You shouldn’t be braking! - Gabe

That’s what the genius part maker would say to me if I need to make some adjustment.

It’s hard to give feedback to someone that builds showcars. I’ve done my fair share to plug his company every chance I get. Magazine, Websites, Socializing with other car enthusiast and so on.
Make the story short, Gabe simply choose to fuck me over just days before the PROAM National. Continue reading below…

October 30th 2006 - I spoke to Gabe about running in Pro-Am National but he wasn’t going to support me at this event. I was simply fine with this, I was going to freshen up the car and get it ready since it was already up here at my place.

“It’s so shitty that they had to let ZERO points driver to drive since they don’t have enough drivers. After Drift Battle incident, I don’t want to support Naoki or any of his events.” - Gabe

Naoki from Drift Day help us ran an event at Altamont for the PROAM series. Basically Gabe thought he could run a better event than Mr. Drift Day President himself…

I disagreed and instead of waiting for Formula D if they can issue me a license for 2007, I plan to head out to the National to compete for the license. Sounds like a great idea to me…

November 1st 2006 - I spoke to Gabe that morning to make sure that he has sent me the tires. Turned out that he hasn’t sent the tires. This is how Gabe works, when we have 2-3 weeks off during a race he does not touch the car at all. He waits during the event, that morning to fix the car and he wonders why I am always driving like shit when the car hardly functions. What a great Manager huh?

So we talked about the orange coupe of what we’re going to be doing within next year. He wanted the coupe back after national to freshen up the car for the Touge Battle in December. He also asked if he can keep (own) the car and I would still able to drive the car for local drift events and time trial. The trade off for my car was for him to provide new suspension parts on my new Project Coupe. I really insisted of doing this new project on my own, knowing most of the stuff he had done on my Orange Coupe was simply for car show bullshit. Gabe is more about Fashion over Function. Great deal for him right?
November 2nd 2006 - I spoke to Gabe and he started hollering that I can not drive the car anymore. At this moment, I was confused of what he’s talking about. He said that he is done and will not support me again. That was fine until he said that he also pick up my car at EIP Racing. Actually stole my car at EIP without telling me and he was saying that it was his car. lol

Now, Im really confused. I tried talking to him in calmly manner and noted to him of the deal we had. He said it wasn’t his problem and after speaking to him for an hour, he just wouldn’t want to work out the situation. I forgot that this guy does so much drugs nothing gets through his head.

All of a sudden he forgot our deal? When did I try to fuck you over? When did I milk you for money? When you said you would cover all the cost when I travel, do I ask for any of the expense back? NO.
He’s willing to destroy our friendship over an event and a goddamn car. Such a great guy.

I asked him to simply give me my car back and he can have it after the event but I forgot that sponsor nowadays asked for their parts back after sponsoring a driver. Our agreement was for me to keep all the parts in the car btw. I spent countless hours and money into this car also. I wasn’t willing to give-in of him taking my car so I made sure to let him know that I want my car back!

Let’s go back to the beginning. When I crashed my first orange coupe (TruenoCoupe I) at Irwindale, I told him that I was going to build a new car with my shell thats was sitting at my house. If you guys remember, they freshen up that TC I and I was just embarrased with the situation of me crashing so I wanted to build the car on my own. He kept insisting that I should take my car to his shop and he’ll help me out with the build up and provides me with suspension parts. Use my car as a dummy for his new parts and whatever he installs on the car, it’s mine. We pretty much transferred all the parts on the new car, motor, ecu, seats, suspension and other parts. I had TRD suspension on my car and other several Battleversion suspension but since he was against about me using Battleversion other than his parts, he sold most of the stuff. Gabe doesn’t actually lives close either but I drove 5+ hours every other weekend just to help with the car and I even got friends to help with the build. Don’t let car show builder build you a race car, every single event we had car problems. Tranny, Clutch, Motor, Tuning and other countless of shit.

I actually made the worst decision in my drifting career by working with Gabe (Techno Toy Tuning).

When he picked up the car at EIP Racing WITHOUT telling me, I am just beyond pissed. If he spoke to me about it first that he has problem of me driving the car at PROAM, I would understand and would willing to work things out with him and always have. Since he was simply being a hardass, then fuck it.

He gave me an option but it was already too late. Once he pick up the car at EIP he already fuck me over cause if he was to give the car back, I have to hassle my ass off by picking up the car again at his place…

Unnecessary stuff.

Who in there right mind that speaks about a “deal” then pull this kind of shit behind my back?

I disagreed to his option because PROAM is just days away, I don’t have time to play with this BS game. I simply did not want him to keep my car. I much rather cut or burn the car than him owning it.

I’ve asked Gabe several times to talk to some people to try to find sponsor money but he said he can afford it. He couldn’t even pay Tim and Brian taking a few days off work. (Tim and Bri was my pit crew) When Tim got kicked out of his place, Gabe simply told him to fuck off and avoided him. How about Brian wanting a few parts from Gabe, he charges him! What a douchebag after what these two had done for him, working days and night preparing the race car. I simply thanks these two for the wonderful help they have done during 2005 and 2006.

When the team couldn’t make it for an event I simply took my car and go out there by myself. I put my fair share to make sure we get to the events and help out as much as I can.

During the final round of Formula D 2006 in Irwindale, Gabe didn’t want to support me at this event. I took the car back, traveled to a tons places on my own to practice and spent my own money. The car needed so much work I spent 72 hours no sleep just to make it for the final round. I even towed the car by myself to Irwindale, and he tells me that I’m not dedicated? Note that I have done 100’s of events before I came on board with T3. I even had my own events at Buttonwillow raceway. Don’t forget, I have put my own fair share into this shit.
If Gabe talked to me first regarding the situation and not go around my back stealing my shit, then maybe things would of been different. Like I said, in any situation that we have I was always willing to work things out and get things done the right way.

Let see, when he wasn’t willing pay for my flight for Formula D events, I went to look for a sponsors that was willing to give me cash. Thanks to Blacktrax Performance.
When he wasn’t willing to pay for my hotel room, I shared a room with someone else hotel just to save money. Thanks to Lance Kirianoff, my FD 2006 roomie.

In order to get a license in Formula D you have to attend one of their qualifiers. But since I have such great friends, I made a few phone calls to friends and I got one without having to attend the qualifiers. He said, I don’t contribute…
He even thought that driving in a DEMO is a bad idea. This guy does not know what marketing is. It’s a free event, free marketing for his company and definitely a great marketing for the team what we can get bigger sponsorship in the future.

Let me just say that Gabe choose a fuck up situation for himself. I’m actually very glad that I don’t have to work with Gabe Techno Toy Tuning again, during all the year I was with T3 they made tons of poor choices than positive. I’ve represent his company to it’s fullest but he rather made the poor choice on his own.

Ultimately, in motorsports, there’s an old adage; You’re only as good as your last race. I think that’s what he saw at the end of 2006. He simply do not remember at all the things I have done in the past, for him and for the team.

I wish him goodluck on his business but I will not associate anything with Techno Toy Tuning ever again.



This basically how the car was when we pick it up on Nov. 8th 2006.