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Falken Tires Delivers Winning Performance at Watkins Glen with Podiums and Record Setting Pace

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CA – Falken Tires continued its successful 2026 motorsports campaign with another standout weekend at Watkins Glen International, as Falken supported drivers Eric Kutil and Kal Fortner delivered multiple podium finishes, a class track record, and showcased the exceptional consistency of the Falken Azenis RT660+ on one of North America’s most demanding road courses.

Making its first appearance at Watkins Glen with Falken, the team quickly adapted to the historic circuit’s high grip surface and fast, flowing layout. Throughout the weekend, the RT660+ once again demonstrated the durability, consistency, and confidence drivers have come to expect, maintaining competitive pace through repeated heat cycles while continuing to deliver race winning performance on fresh tires.

In Gridlife Touring Cup (GLTC), Eric Kutil overcame a challenging setup and the disadvantage of carrying 138 pounds of rewards weight to secure an impressive overall second place weekend. Kutil earned finishes of fourth, third, third, and second across four races while battling through the field against more powerful competitors.

Despite Watkins Glen favoring higher horsepower cars, Kutil and the Falken RT660+ package remained consistently competitive. The team relied on the tire’s predictable performance throughout multiple setup changes as they chased improved balance and reduced drag over the course of the event. Even during testing, a used set of RT660+ tires with eight to ten heat cycles continued producing personal best lap times, reinforcing the tire’s remarkable consistency and longevity.

Time Attack competition. Returning to Watkins Glen, where he previously topped the charts in 2023, Fortner immediately established himself as one of the fastest competitors of the weekend.

After resolving an early mechanical issue, Fortner climbed to the top of the leaderboard before resetting the StreetMod RWD track record twice on Saturday, ultimately lowering the benchmark to an impressive 1:58.8. Even after multiple heat cycles and in some of the hottest track conditions of the weekend, the Falken RT660+ continued delivering record setting grip and consistency.

Fortner capped off the weekend by earning another podium finish during Sunday’s Podium Sprint, extending his remarkable streak to a podium at every event this season while competing against all wheel drive rivals in difficult changing conditions.

“Watkins Glen presented two very different challenges for our drivers, but the results reinforced exactly what the RT660+ was designed to do,” said Gerald Alvarado, Supervisor, Motorsports, Falken Tires. “Eric demonstrated the tire’s consistency throughout multiple races and extensive heat cycles while battling for the championship, and Kal proved its outright speed by setting a new track record and continuing his podium streak. Whether it’s endurance over an entire race weekend or delivering maximum grip when it matters most, the RT660+ continues to perform at the highest level.”