LATEST NEWS

All the details of the latest FALKEN activities, when and where – from races and tyre tests to trade shows – can be found in this overview of events. Or take advantage of our Information Service and sign up for the NEWSLETTER to ensure you’re always up-to-date.

07/2010 “MONSTER” TAJIMA STILL KING OF THE MOUNTAIN, TAKES PIKES PEAK CHAMPIONSHIP FOR FIFTH STRAIGHT TIME

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO (June 29, 2010) – For the fifth consecutive time, Nobuhiro “Monster” Tajima combined experience, skill and Falken to claim overall victory in the 88th running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Although he did not set a new record with his latest win, achieved one day before his 60th birthday, Tajima continues to hold the current overall record for reaching the peak, beating hill climb veterans Paul Dallenbach and Rhys Millen in the Unlimited Class. He drove his new car, the 910-hp Monster Sport SX4 Hill Climb Special on Falken WildPeak A/T tires, the powerful new line of all-terrain, all-season tires Falken launched this past April, and finished with the time of 10:11.49, a few seconds faster than his winning time last year. Though Tajima set a record of his own by winning for the fifth consecutive time, he expressed disappointment at not beating his own record of 10:01.41 set in 2007.  “It was a very good run,” said Tajima.  “The car and everything worked well.” Following exhaustive tests in a Japanese wind tunnel facility, Monster’s 2010 race car underwent extensive aerodynamic changes to better adapt to the modified road surface on the race to the clouds, which assumed a smoother tarmac and less gravel than last year.  Thinning air ascending the mountain robs most motors of their power by 30 or more percent, but the increase in horsepower over last year’s race car helped push the driver forward. With the WildPeak A/T, Falken brought its extensive technological advantage to the established light truck/SUV tire market,” said Andrew Hoit, Falken Director of Marketing.  “And regardless of the track conditions, we were confident that ‘Monster’s’ talent and determination and our WildPeak A/T tires would be enough to take on both the mountain and tough competition and come away victorious,” added Hoit.  “We are delighted to celebrate with ‘Monster’ and add his victory to our growing list of trophies from Falken’s extensive North American motorsports efforts.”   Proving that Pikes Peak continues in popularity, thousands of fans gathered in downtown Colorado Springs on Friday night prior to qualifying for Fan Fest and Monster, who has been competing at this international event since 1989 and first won overall in 1995, was present to take photos and sign autographs for fans. Log onto www.wegetyougoing.com soon for event photos, wallpapers and “on-car” hill climb videos. Press release images courtesy of Yujiro Otsuki / Monster-Sport Falken Tire Corporation, based in Fontana, California, was introduced to the North American market in 1985.  Falken focuses on UHP (Ultra High Performance) products and primarily utilizes Pikes Peak, pro drifting and American LeMans race programs to further develop, improve and market passenger vehicle products for worldwide distribution.  For more information, visit Falken Tire’s updated website at www.falkentire.com and its new enthusiast website at www.wegetyougoing.com The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is the second oldest motor sports race in America (second only to the Indianapolis 500) and a long-standing tradition in Colorado Springs.  The race is run on a 12.42-mile course with 156 hairpin turns that begins at 9,390 feet and finishes at the 14,110-foot summit of “America's Mountain.” As the drivers climb toward the summit, the thin air has been known to slow reflexes and diminish muscle strength. The thin air also robs engines of 40% of their power at the summit. Competitors and vehicles must be in top shape simply to finish.  This year, the race features a variety of automotive, semi-truck, exhibition, open wheel, super stock car, pro truck and motorcycle classes with a field of nearly 200 competitors. >> more pictures

06/2010 „REIFEN 2010“ – Big presentation of FALKEN Tire Europe GmbH

FALKEN demonstrates power at the „REIFEN 2010 – Europe’s biggest fair which takes place in Essen every two years.  The new futuristic booth is a signal for the tire trade that FALKEN will  develop it’s influence on the tire market. Management, marketing, sales staff and the representatives for Austria, U.K. and Benelux are available on all four days .

05/2010 Steaming and smoking like a volcano!

Well, what do you know. Despite the rain and cold, the grandstands and fences were packed with spectators for the first two drift events – and most didn't even have an umbrella, or were considerate enough to keep it shut to avoid blocking the view of those behind them.   But what about the drifters themselves? Well, they always have a good time, rain or no rain – except that braking distances get longer and parallel drifting can involve many an unintentional contact with their skidding partner vehicles. But it's all part of the show, and the British drifters Paul Cheshire, 25, Matt Carter, 24, and Alan Green, 26, have everything under control. The leader of the pack is definitely Dutch driver Lennard Wanders, 24; taking part for the third time, he drives the most powerful vehicle, a Nissan 200 SX with 2.5-litre 6-cylinder 500 PS Turbo from the Skyline range. His burnouts are the highlight of the show, drying out the asphalt in minutes and producing so much smoke that the air traffic control team at the nearby airport were about to close the airspace in fear of a second volcanic eruption – FALKEN's way of saying hello to Eyjafjallajökull!

05/2010 FALKEN DRIFT SHOW at the TUNING WORLD 2010

This year was the first time, honestly the first time in the last three years that the sun refused to shine for the opening of TUNING WORLD in Friedrichshafen! A grey, lowering sky, light westerly wind and repeated heavy showers at a temperature of 9° – so much for the merry month of May… But there was no way the weather was going to put our drifters off. After all, most of them come from England, the attractive trucker Name? was from as far afield as Ireland – so rain is all in a day's work! Thursday morning, 9:15 The drift powerhouses roar into life. These turbo-charged 4 and 6-cylinder engines need high-octane 100/100 fuel to prevent them from exploding in a hail of cylinder heads. And the drivers? These tough techies are in fine form – they're superb at wielding screwdrivers, all assemble their own drift cars themselves and live for their wild performances. Incidentally, the healthy spare parts market and wide selection of turbo engines at reasonable prices is the reason why many top drift teams specialize in Japanese vehicle brands. Which happens to fit nicely with the main sponsor of the drift show, FALKEN Tyre Europe GmbH – which has gained a firm status on the international drift scene in the last few years. The company's wide tyres that feature on the 450-HP Nissan 200 SX are the product of two-and-a-half years of development. Each tyre takes around one hour to produce, and has a lifespan of up to 30,000 kilometres for normal drivers, depending on driving style. But here at TUNING WORLD the drift team needs no more than sixty or seventy spins and around five minutes to shred the stylish tread of an FK 452 tyre to ribbons. And yet the event does more to raise the profile of the FALKEN brand than many a series of print ads! Sport is the key – even when it's as crazy as drifting!

04/2010 Same procedure as last year?

Same procedure as every year! 2010 will be the eleventh time that FALKEN lines up for the start at the 24-Hour Race. After the company's 1999 decision to use the race as a platform for the brand's first major appearance in Germany and Europe, the mint-blue team is now an essential ingredient at the 24-Hour Race - as competitors, but above all as one of the six main sponsors. Dumbreck, Schoysman, Tanaka and Hoshino are a practised quartet, and the team of FALKEN engineers supported by NISSAN makes use of the ultra-tough long-distance endurance test as the perfect testing-ground for its latest tyre developments. Incidentally, fans will rejoice that FALKEN is entering two cars in this year's race. The trusty NISSAN Z33 will be joined by the MITSUBISHI Lancer Evo 10 of transmission manufacturer GETRAG, equipped with FALKEN racing tyres. The new partnership will also be underlined visually, with the original FALKEN colours on the vehicle's sides, combined with silver roof and bonnet. GETRAG drivers Patrick Bernhardt and Karsten Quadder were full of praise for the performance of the FALKEN tyres: "The tyres are the perfect complement to our car", enthused Quadder. No surprise to FALKEN's engineers in far-off Japan: the new FALKEN racing tyres are the result of ten years of race-track experience on Nürburgring's North Loop. Falken Nissan Z33 Getrag Falken Mitsubishi

04/2010 GETRAG in pole position with FALKEN!

Fans will be seeing double - for the first time for almost a decade, FALKEN is sending two cars into the battle for the ADAC 24 Hour Race. In addition to the Japan-based tyre company's tried-and-tested NISSAN Z33, FALKEN is also kitting out the MITSUBISHI Lancer Evo 10 of Swabian transmission manufacturer GETRAG with FALKEN racing tyres.  The new partnership will be advertised by the original FALKEN design on the sides of the GETRAG vehicle, combined with silver roof and bonnet. The first race, at the German Long-Distance Cup on the last weekend in March, primarily served to check through and optimize  details of the vehicle's setup and its new tyres - a process in which the chassis partner KW was also closely involved. The two drivers,  Patrick Bernhardt and Karsten Quadder, were full of praise over the superb grip of their FALKEN racing tyres: "These FALKEN tyres are perfect for our car!" Which is exactly what FALKEN's engineers from far-off Japan had expected to hear. After all, their new racing tyre is based on ten years of experience on the Nordschleife track. Link to TIC Racing Falken-Getrag Mitsubishi Falken-Getrag Mitsubishi

03/2010 TEAM FALKEN TIRE PREPARES FOR DEBUT

TEAM FALKEN TIRE PREPARES FOR DEBUT ASSAULT WITH NEW PORSCHE AND TEAM DRIVER FOR SEBRING IN GT2 CLASS FONTANA, CA (Mar. 3, 2010) – Porsche Works Driver’s Wolf Henzler, Patrick Pilet and returning driver Bryan Sellers will lead the Team Falken Tire’s expanded race program, debuting the tire company’s brand new 2010 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR in the American Le Mans Series GT2 class at Sebring. This will be the third year for Team Falken in ALMS, and its most aggressive program to date.  “We’re using the ALMS to compete against our competitors as well as utilize the highly organized race program as a formal testing ground for continued tire development,” said Mark Richter, Falken Senior Manager of Dealer Marketing.  “As we compete throughout the season, we will build upon race and test data learned from our efforts with last year’s Porsche.” “As we plan for Sebring, it’s great to have Wolf on our team, as well as have Bryan return, along with Rod Everett, our veteran team manager, who has overseen the development of Falken’s new race car, the only Porsche 911 GT3 RSR earmarked for racing delivered to North America this season,” said Falken’s Director of Marketing Andrew Hoit.  “We remain convinced that ALMS is the perfect venue to profile Falken’s brand and demonstrate the company’s capabilities to our customers, retailers and media, and that’s why we have made the significant commitment to motorsports.” The new GT3 RSR was hand-built in Porsche’s Weissach, Germany, Motorsports facility, and then air- freighted on a 747 cargo plane to LAX, close to Falken’s Corporate offices in Fontana.  The car is the latest generation water-cooled 4.0-Liter Porsche Flat six boxer engine. Henzler, a veteran of many ALMS races, and one of only eight Porsche factory drivers, along with Sellers, who drove Falken’s entry in 2009, have tested the new car prior to its debut next week at Sebring.   “We showed steady improvement throughout last year, and anticipate even stronger results in 2010,” Richter added.  “I’m confident Falken, our drivers and our car are ready for the challenge.” Porsche GT3 RSR Porsche GT3 RSR Porsche GT3 RSR Porsche GT3 RSR

03/2010 Falken Tyre Europe now on Facebook

Falken Tyre Europe is now online with its own fan site on the social networking platform Facebook. (click here) The Japanese tyre manufacturer, active on many race tracks around the world, provides their fans the latest news and information about Falken. Photos, from Tuning World Bodensee, 24h-Race at the Nürburgring and spectacular drift scenes, can be seen or uploaded by fans. You can also find the Falken Tyre Europe channel on YouTube. (click here) We are looking forward to your comments, photos and videos. Falken on Facebook Falken on YouTube

02/2010 TEAM FALKEN TIRE NAMES DRIVERS TO LEAD COMPANY’S RACE EFFORT IN 2010 ALMS GT2 CLASS

Porsche Works Driver Wolf Henzler and returning Team Falken Driver Bryan Sellers will lead the tire company’s expanded race program, driving a brand new 2010 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR in the full nine-event American Le Mans Series GT2 class. This will be the third year for Team Falken, and its most aggressive to date.  “We’re using the ALMS to compete against our competitors as well as utilize the highly organized race program as a formal testing ground for continued tire development,” said Mark Richter, Falken Senior Manager of Dealer Marketing.  “As we compete throughout the season, we will build upon race and test data learned from our efforts with last year’s Porsche.” “We are delighted to welcome Wolf Henzler to our team, as well as have Bryan Sellers return, along with Rod Everett, our veteran team manager, who will oversee the development of our brand new Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, the only Porsche 911 GT3 RSR  race car delivered to North America this season,” said Falken’s Director of Marketing Andrew Hoit.  “We remain convinced that ALMS is the perfect venue to profile Falken’s brand and demonstrate the company’s capabilities to our customers, retailers and media, and that’s why we have made the significant commitment to motorsports.” The new GT3 RSR was hand-built in Porsche’s Weissach, Germany, Motorsports facility, and then air- freighted on a 747 cargo plane to LAX, close to Falken’s Corporate offices in Fontana.  The car is the latest generation water-cooled 4.0-Liter Porsche Flat six boxer engine. Henzler, a veteran of many ALMS races, and one of only 8 Porsche factory drivers, along with Sellers, who drove Falken’s entry in 2009, will begin testing as soon as the car is finished its final conversions according to the ALMS rulebook.   “We showed steady improvement throughout last year, and anticipate even stronger results in 2010,” Richter added.  “The competition will be tough, but Falken is ready for the challenge.” Wolf Henzler Bryan Sellers & Wolf Henzler

09/2009 "Big Remmo" scoops the title

6 September 2009 – Speculation was rife over the battle between Holland and England in the final round of British drift championships JDM allstars, in which FALKEN's Dutch driver Remmo Niezen was pitting his skills against the British favourite Dan Chapman – almost his equal on points. The fourth and last round of the JDM allstars promised to be an exciting weekend of motor sports.   Before the race Remmo Niezen, known to his fans as "Big Remmo", was already in the Number 1 spot of the championship, with Dan Chapman trailing him by 20 points. This battle for the winning position overshadowed the race itself.  Paul Vlasblom (NL) won the 4th round of the JDM allstars at Silverstone, beating Phil Morrison (UK). In this round Remmo Niezen made fourth place behind his old buddy Olaf Commijs – also a former driver on the FALKEN team. However, when Dan Chapman dropped out this fourth place was enough to scoop the overall victory for FALKEN and enabled "Big Remmo" to win his laurels for his consistent performance throughout the British championships. "I'm absolutely delighted about this win! The standard here in England is far higher than in Holland or Germany. Tracks are tougher, the drivers are better and the cars are more powerful. I really hope the drift scene in other European countries continues to develop so positively!" enthused Remmo after the fourth round of the JDM allstars at Silverstone. FALKEN Europe congratulates Remmo warmly on his victory and is already looking forward to the 2010 season!