TEAM FALKEN TIRE MAKES VALIANT FIRST EFFORT AT GRUELING KING OF THE HAMMERS’ OFF-ROAD EVENT

FONTANA, CA –

Falken Tire, a popular high performance choice for driving enthusiasts on pavement and off-road, debuted its new, custom-built Ultra4 buggy at the sixth running of the Griffin King of the Hammers event outside Twenty Nine Palms, CA, and while competitive for much of the grueling race, suffered a transmission failure and was forced to retire.  The Team Falken entry, piloted by Falken Vice President of Marketing Andrew Hoit and co-driver Ryan Hagel, of RCH Designs, started in 78th position out of 140 entries for the 165-mile race, run this past weekend, and ran strong for the first two-thirds of the course.  Only 49 teams finished in the allotted 14-hour deadline.  Race winner Eric Miller completed the event in six hours, three minutes.

I’m very proud of the first class effort Team Falken delivered to our first King of the Hammers event,” stated Hoit.  “Our guys and gals worked their tails off for 10 days straight in the desert.  This was a great event, and I wish we could have finished, but this was our first effort, and I know we’ll return next year even stronger.

Hoit and Hagel were on a pace to finish within 10 hours, but heavy traffic in several of the spectator-friendly obstacles kept them at bay.  Overcoming one obstruction known as Chocolate Thunder, Falken’s #4497 racecar then made it through Resolution and Backdoor before pitting in the main area.  Assisted by Justin Pawlak, one of Team Falken’s factory drift drivers, the pit crew performed an impromptu brake bleeding session, changed the front driveshaft and topped off fuel in approximately five minutes, getting #4497 back underway.

Unfortunately, complications began shortly thereafter as the team lost communications entering Spooners and Outerlimits, two of the more difficult trails, as well as being forced to overcome many of the “Hammers’ casualties” along the route.  Falken’s remote pit crew, led by Crew Chief Dave Chappelle, again got the team back on track, but equipment fatigue and the grueling course ultimately doomed the team.  At the 140-mile mark, Hoit and Hagel lost reverse and could not continue.

“What makes King of the Hammers a unique event is the use of off-the-shelf DOT-compound tires, and Falken’s WildPeak All-Terrain performed flawlessly,” said Nestor Cabrera, Falken’s off-road supervisor.  “This sends a strong message about the durability of our tires.  The team had to stop on race mile 32 to change a rim and tire after hitting a sizable rock in a high-speed section.  Our pit reported back to the team that they had actually cracked the rim, but the tire was still in perfect condition.   This is one of the most grueling one-day races in the world, over some of the toughest terrain on earth, and despite the outcome, I am very excited about what the future holds for Falken’s off-road program.”
 
Added Co-driver Hagel:  "Although our ultimate goal was to finish this demanding 165-mile race, I can't tell you how incredible this team is.  From the time we rolled into Hammertown until we called the race on mile 140 coming down into Jackhammer, our entire support staff and crew worked their tails off getting the #4497 to the finish line.  Andrew drove an amazing race with a vehicle that had less than 125 miles on it after our pre-run efforts. As rookies to this race, I am so proud of what we accomplished."
 
"I would like to thank all of the people who helped out with the race car over the past three weeks,” said Crew Chief Chappelle, “as well as all of the individuals at Falken Tire who gave me this opportunity to jump into the racing program head first. I can't explain how much fun it was, the friendships established, and allies made. Based on what we did at KOH, I am confident we can keep up the race pace for the rest of the off-road season."
 
This year, the crowd far exceeded expectations, according to KOH personnel.  Significant additions were made to the makeshift village which became Hammertown, including a new short course and hot pit area.  In an effort to increase safety and expand the race-day experience for spectators, the promoters built a cutting-edge camera system across the vast course to bring true live coverage to fans in the camp via jumbotron monitors, and featured a nine-and-a-half-hour webcast to fans across the country and globe.

Taking advantage of the crowds, Falken set up a display area showcasing its line of Truck and SUV tires which the company currently offers, including WildPeak A/T, WildPeak H/T and STZ04.  In addition to its race support and competition equipment, Falken also had on display a WildPeak-equipped Toyota FJ Cruiser, Jeep Wrangler and Toyota Land Cruiser, while Falken personnel passed out a variety of Falken gear, and answered questions regarding the company’s products and race efforts.

It was a strong weekend in the off-road racing industry, as AMA Monster Energy Supercross Defending Champion Ryan Villopoto took his third win of the season in San Diego, CA during Round 6 of the race series.  He currently leads by six points with 11 events remaining.  RV, as he is known to fans and friends, is supported by Falken Tire, which is also the Official Truck Tire of the Supercross series.

The previous weekend, Falken claimed its first off-road victory in the KOH companion event, the Smittybilt Every Man Challenge.  Partnered with Savvy Off Road’s John Currie and Gerald Lee, the team took first place in the Stock Class running a virtually stock engine and transmission, and competing on much of the same desert terrain as the KOH event

“We continue to showcase Falken Tire throughout the off-road community, as we believe Falken makes a superior product this audience demands,” stated Nick Fousekis, Falken’s Director of Motorsports Marketing and Events.  “It’s important to be out among these enthusiasts and race fans to clearly demonstrate that Falken is not only a strong competitor and manufacturer but a company that wants to build long-term relationships with its customers.”

The KOH event has evolved from 12 teams to more than 140 competitors determined to become the ultimate winner.