The 12 Hours of Sebring is an annual motorsport endurance race held at Sebring International Raceway, a former Army Air Force base in Sebring, Florida.
This year, Falken Tire returns with the 2010 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR and a new team for the American Le Mans Series. Walker Racing is a racing team founded by Derrick Walker in 1991 racing originally in the CART Championship Car series.
With Walker's direction, and the driving abilities of Bryan Sellers, Wolf Henzler and Martin Ragginger, Falken hopes to build on the results of their 2010 season at the first race of the 2011 American Le Mans Series.
Climb - Pikes Peak Hill Climb with a Monster
Ride on the bumper of a screaming 910hp, Twin-turbo, All-wheel Drive, 150 mph Suzuki SX4 as it races up one of the world's most dangerous hills. An attempt by the "Monster" to break his own record of 10:01:41...
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO (June 29, 2010) -- For the fifth consecutive time, Nobuhiro "Monster" Tajima combined experience, skill and Falken Tires to claim overall victory in the 88th running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.
Although he did not set a new Pikes Peak record, 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 910-hp Monster Sport Suzuki 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.
Following Exhaustive tests in a Japanese wind tunnel facility, Monster's 2010 Pikes Peak 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.
2011 Falken Formula Drift Test
Coming off a dominating 2010 season in which Team Falken driver Vaughn Gittin, Jr.¸ competing in the Monster Energy/Falken Tire 2011 Ford Mustang, became the Formula Drift Champion, the high performance tire manufacturer will be gunning for a repeat performance of last year. Falken's ultimate goal is to have one of its five factory drivers again claiming the top rung of the Formula D ladder, and each team member will have the horsepower to do it. All drivers plan on fielding a new or improved vehicle with more power, which the sport has demanded. The cars will be unveiled this weekend on the streets of Long Beach for the opening event of the 2011 Formula Drift season.
Gittin, Jr., will be aboard a Ford Mustang 5.4-liter, its motor built by Ford Racing and Huffaker Engineering, while Daijiro ("Dai") Yoshihara, who placed fourth in the standings last year, returns in his re-engineered Nissan 240SX (Silvia S13). Finishing fifth in 2010, Darren McNamara also returns this year, running a new Saturn Sky built by Autosport Dynamics in Charlotte, NC, losing the convertible for a hardtop which adds an aggressive stance to the car.
Tyler McQuarrie also recognized the value of a fully enclosed coupe, choosing a new hardtop Nissan 350Z, which allows for a significant change in weight distribution, making the Z a far more competitive vehicle. Finally, Justin Pawlak, returning for his second year with Falken, will again field a Ford Mustang, with an engine built by Ford Racing/Roush-Yates of NASCAR fame.
"Our team has worked hard to develop their new cars and we're pumped and ready," declared Jonathan Bradford, Team Falken's Formula Drift manager.
All members of Team Falken will be using the company's Azenis RT615K, which is DOT-approved and designed with the track competitor in mind. The RT615K is a tire with maximum grip and concentrated contact patch, which increases the driver's ability to fully exploit the capabilities of the engine, brakes and suspension, precisely what each drift competitor needs. Naturally, the RT615K performs equally well on the street during everyday driving.
"Each year, Formula Drift gets bigger, with more participants and more companies who want to be a part of this vital motorsports effort," stated Nick Fousekis, Director of Motorsports and Consumer Marketing for Falken. "We know what it takes to be competitive in this race series and we realize all the other teams will be aiming for us, but we have every intention of repeating our dominance, and continue running at the top. It's great to be back!"
To kick off Falken's comprehensive Formula Drift marketing program, special prizes will be given away at the team's display and activation area inside the paddock. Additional promotional items will be handed out by Falken's new group of Spokesmodels who will be in attendance throughout the two-day event. Guests of Falken will also enjoy the company's highly anticipated hospitality area.
The full complement of Team Falken, including its five factory drivers, along with Falken's display, hospitality rig and the company's factory support, will travel to all seven rounds of the 2010 Formula D Pro Championship.
Falken's First 2011 ALMS Porsche Win
Team Falken Tire survived the storm that hit Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course 30 minutes before the finish and took top honors in GT class for the first time in the performance tire manufacturer's three-year ALMS career.
Derrick Walker, Falken's ALMS Team Manager, made the comment after previously expressing confidence in Falken's capability at Mid-Ohio, a track he knows very well from years of competing as a manager and owner of IndyCar teams.
Credit also went to Falken's two team drivers, Porsche works driver Wolf Henzler, and his partner, Bryan Sellers, who persevered through the race on a track notoriously tough on tires. Sellers qualified 9th and expressed disappointment with the position, considering Falken has finished in fifth place the last two races. However, Sellers started the race and started moving forward until he was hit from behind by the #04 Ford GT, which dropped the Porsche to 12th. The veteran driver fought hard and turned the car over to his teammate in 10th. Henzler entered the race and gradually moved to 7th place in GT, remaining there for a good portion of the race.
2011 Falken Porsche GT3 RSR Testing - Sebring, FL
Falken Tire tests their 2010 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR at the 2011 American Le Mans Series Winter Test in Sebring, FL at the historic Sebring Raceway. In a few short weeks this course will host the season opener of the 2011 American Le Mans Series with a grueling 12 hour endurance race.
Team Falken Tire, along with team manager Derrick Walker and drivers Bryan Sellers and Wolf Henzler hope to improve on their performance from last year with new slick compounds and a newly managed team.
Derrick Walker's background includes open-wheel racing such as Formula One and Indy Car.
Falken takes on the 2011 Long Beach Grand Prix
Finishing just one place out of a podium spot in the hotly contested GT Class, Team Falken's Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, piloted by Porsche Works and team driver Wolf Henzler, and his partner, team driver Bryan Sellers, ran strong all afternoon on the challenging streets of Long Beach, and ended up 4th out of 14 GT entrants during the annual visit by the American LeMans Series to the Long Beach Grand Prix, one of the most prestigious street races in the world, now in its 37th year.
Inside Falken's ALMS Porsche 911 GT3 RSR Racecar
Visit http://www.octanereport.com for more.
We visit Falken Tire's racing team HQ and check out their new 450hp Porsche 911 GT3 RSR. Raced in the GT2 class of the ALMS race series with Falken slick tires. Driven by factory driver Wolf Henzler and Bryan Sellers.
Falken opens the ALMS season with 2012 Porsche RSR
In its quest to extend the momentum generated in the 2011 American Le Mans Series, Team Falken Tire has taken delivery of a brand new 2012 Porsche GT3 RSR chassis.
ALMS Sebring 12 Hour Highlights - #30 NGT Porsche + Helicopter!
The NGT Motorsport team entered it's first professional race at the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring, which is part of the American Le Mans Series championship. Their regular drivers Henrique Cisneros and Carlos Kauffmann were coming off the back of winning the Patron GT3 challenge in 2010. They enlisted Pro driver Sean Edwards to accompany them during the long distance races.
They were consistently fastest throughout the winter test day and most of Sebring week, but two crashed at T17 were to push the team beyond their normal call of duty. They were unable to qualify, but the team pulled an all nighter and had the car ready for the morning warm up, where the car was quickest once again!
The race got underway, with NGT climbing all the way to the lead by hour 1 and holding onto it for most of the next 6 hours. Only for a mistaken wave by and the subsequent penalty which lost them 3 laps, they would have been fighting for the victory. Nevertheless they fought all the way back to 3rd place and never gave up, which was an amazing feat in their first Pro race! They also set the fastest lap of the race on a 2.07.7.
www.ngtmotorsport.com
www.seanedwards.eu
www.americanlemans.com
1965 Sebring 12 Hour Grand Prix of Endurance - "The 12 Hour Grind" - Part 2 of 5
This is the second part of "The 12 Hour Grind" which deals with the legendary 1965 Sebring 12 Hour Grand Prix. This is the race where Jim Hall and his Chaparral went on to victory despite the notoriously rough Sebring course and the deluge of five inches of rain that struck half way through the race. For the first time in many years American drivers driving an American car had won the race. The race video will be shown in five parts.
Final Fight at 2010 Formula Drift Irwindale
FONTANA, CA -- After finishing second in the "Title Fight" at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale, CA, Formula Drift's final event of the year, Team Falken's Vaughn Gittin Jr., driver of the Monster Energy/Falken Tire 2011 Ford Mustang, became the Formula D Champion of the 2010 season.
It was the 11th podium finish for Team Falken in seven Formula D races, a season in which the tire company's factory-supported teams dominated all year long. Falken placed first in five of the seven events.
Three Team Falken drivers were in the top five in the final standings. Total points between the top five drivers were close, but Gittin Jr. was clearly the favorite after taking two wins in the six races leading up to the Title Fight. He finished the season with 632 points. Irwindale winner Tanner Foust eventually finished second in the standings at 568.5, and Team Falken Driver Daijiro Yoshihara ended up fourth overall, just one point behind third place Ryan Tuerck. Team Falken Driver Darren McNamara took fifth.
"This was Jr.'s year plain and simple, said Jonathan Bradford, Falken's Drift Team Supervisor. "There is a lot to be said about finishing on the podium six out of seven events this year. It was a pleasure to be involved with a team that left everything on the track and drove with an all-in attitude. We have successfully rewritten the record books and I would like to personally thank the fans that rooted for Falken throughout this unbelievable season."
"Our team's success would not be possible without the support, hard work and dedication of our two fabrication/engineering facilities, Autosport Dynamics (ASD) in Charlotte, NC and SPD Metalworks in Anaheim, CA," added Nick Fousekis, Senior Manager, Consumer Marketing. "I'd also like to thank all of the sponsors, including our newest, Monster Energy, for their faith in Falken's program. Last but certainly not least, we thank the fans of drifting. Without you, the sport would not have grown into that it is today."
The Irwindale event started off well, as Falken's Darren McNamara qualified first, followed by Yoshihara in third. Gittin Jr. was sixth. Both McNamara and Gittin Jr. made it to the Top 4, but McNamara lost a chance to take a podium when he spun out in the battle for third place.
"On behalf of everyone at Falken Tire, we wish to express our best wishes to Vaughn," said Andrew Hoit, Falken Director of Marketing. "This was a great season for Falken, and we entertained close to 500 guests over the weekend at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale. I'd also like to salute the efforts of our other team members: Dai Yoshihara; Darren McNamara; Tyler McQuarrie [who finished 8th in the standings]; and Justin Pawlak [who finished 11th]; as well as our privateers, all of whom, like the factory teams, competed on Falken Azenis RT-615K tires: Fredric Aasbo [13th]; Ross Petty [19th]; "Mad" Mike Whiddett [21st]; James Deane [24th]; and Dean Kearney, who came from Ireland. Their participation successfully enhanced our overall effort, and we'll all join the celebration."
Drifting takes competitive motorsports to the extreme, and has successfully attracted strong crowds, loyal fans and car enthusiasts from all walks of life. Falken quickly realized how popular and demanding this format would become, and since 2003, has been a solid fixture within the sport. The focus is on skill and precision driving, as competitors in specially prepared, high-powered vehicles intentionally execute controlled sideways slides at high speeds through a marked course.
2007 12 Hours of Sebring
A great race and a fantastic finish with Porsche and Ferrari battling it out in the last lap.
2011 Formula Drift Round 1 - JTP Dominates Long Beach
Team Falken started the 2011 Formula Drift season the way it finished last year, with one of its factory drivers on top of the podium. Justin Pawlak, in just his second year with the tire manufacturer, took his inaugural first place at the Long Beach opening round, with Team Falken teammate Daijiro ("Dai") Yoshihara in third. Before a capacity crowd, Pawlak took the victory on board his 2011 Ford Mustang with a new engine built by Ford Racing and Roush-Yates and ran on Falken's Azenis RT615K, as did all other Falken team members. Pawlak qualified 11th, while Yoshihara was second among the top 32, alerting the other competitors he was the driver to beat on the streets of Long Beach. While Defending Formula D Champion Vaughn Gittin, Jr., struggled in qualifying, he was an important part of the weekend, meeting and greeting his fans as well as supporting the rest of the Falken team in the main event. Among the Falken "inter-team competition," Pawlak beat Darren McNamara in the top 16 round, and Justin went on to best Dai in the Top 4, completing a "One More Time." Justin beat Matt Powers in the final, while Dai defeated 2009 Formula D Champion Chris Forsberg to earn third.
"Justin earned this win through timing and endurance," declared Jonathan Bradford, Team Falken's Formula Drift manager. "He has grown rapidly over the past 12 months, and it is fitting that he would take his first podium as a Falken team member at one of our home tracks." Falken continues to excel in activating its marketing efforts in association with Formula Drift and the strong crowds of drift fans in Southern California. With a new team of Falken Spokesmodels in the paddock next to the company's multiple support trailers, Falken hosted 350 representatives and guests from both Monster Energy Drink and Ford Racing in their hospitality region.
"This is an important victory for us because the race is in our backyard and we had a lot of fans, customers and Falken Tire enthusiasts in the stands and the paddock," said Nick Fousekis, Falken's Director of Motorsports Marketing and Events. "We've proven all the work the team and each individual driver have done during the off-season successfully moved Falken up another level, and we'll keep climbing all season long. We also appreciate the tremendous support from car builders Autosport Dynamics and SPD." After the first round, Pawlak is at the top of the Championship standings, Yoshihara third, while McNamara is in 10th. Final Falken teammate Tyler McQuarrie finished in 11th. Ross Petty, a long-time independent competitor running Falkens, placed 14th. Round two will be held May 6-7, at Road Atlanta, Braselton, GA.
2011 IZOD INDYCAR Series Toyota Grand Prix Of Long Beach (Full Race)
Full Coverage of the 2011 IZOD INDYCAR Series at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach at Long Beach California. NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED. Credit to INDYCARS.
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