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.”