FONTANA, CA - Round 5 of the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patron at Lime Rock Park saw Team Falken qualify second on Friday, July 24, by Falken team driver Wolf Henzler during heavy rain, which was the third time this year the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR has been in such a strong starting position. The car was set up for rain which intermittently plagued the track and all teams as they searched for the proper tire and chassis combination.
"We shrugged off our wounds and kept going," declared Rod Everett, Falken team manager. "This is still an encouraging sign for us, what with qualifying so well, and being as competitive as we were despite the wet. Both Wolf and Bryan have good experience driving in the rain; perhaps a change in tire compound might have been in order. Still, coming from the near meltdown of the rear of the car due to our fire at Miller Motorsports Park just two weeks ago, I'm pleased with our collective efforts."
"From here on out, we have to have everything dialed in correctly," stated Mark Richter, Senior Manager, Dealer Marketing. "We have three races in the next five weeks, and this will require quick, coordinated responses from all of our team members and drivers, as we move from track to track."
Everett agreed. "With four races to go - Mid-Ohio, Road America, Mosport and finally, Petit Le Mans - our focus is intense, and we want to earn podiums, points and increased performance out of our equipment and our team."
"Team Falken made its ALMS debut in 2008 at Lime Rock through its association with the Ford GTR team, and we've made tremendous strides since then," said Andrew Hoit, Falken Director of Marketing. "We know this is the series to be in because of the strength of the field, the fact we compete against other tire manufacturers, and the tremendous marketing opportunities afforded Falken Tire. These are important factors that determined we would compete the full season in 2010, and we continue to be gratified by that decision. The learning curve is steep, but we are focused on going flat out with our efforts, particularly now that the season is compacting. I'm confident we'll keep moving forward in the field."
Round 6 is set for August 5-7 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, OH.
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 utilizes 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 revised website at www.falkentire.com, as well as its new enthusiast site at www.wegetyougoing.com.
