Falken Tire
|
We Get You Going! | |
| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Automotive |
| Founded | 1983 |
| Headquarters |
Kobe, Japan (global headquarters) Rancho Cucamonga, United States (North American headquarters) |
| Products | Tires |
| Parent | Sumitomo Rubber Industries |
| Website | www.falkentire.com |
Falken Tire, a Sumitomo Rubber Industries (SRI) brand, is a maker of automotive tires. The company was launched in its native country of Japan in 1983 and was introduced to the North American market two years later. Falken has now become a stand-alone brand that focuses on UHP (Ultra High Performance) products while utilizing professional motorsports to further develop and improve products for worldwide distribution.
Falken Tire Corporation, based in Rancho Cucamonga CA, is the corporate headquarters and West Coast distribution center for North American operations. Additional Falken Tire distribution locations include warehouses in Tennessee, Florida, New Jersey, and Texas. Falken Tire Corporation also owns the Ohtsu brand of tires, which is targeted at value-minded customers.
History
Timeline
- 1983: The Falken brand is born
- 1983: The first Falken tire
- 1984: The introduction of a winning brand
- 1985: Started Falken Motorsports & U.S. Distribution
- 1988: Team Falken wins the Mirage Cup International series
- 1988: Falken introduces the Sincera Tire
- 1990: The N1 6hour Endurance Sugu 400 km GT-R R32 class winner
- 1991: Falken supports the BNR32 that dominated the Super N1 Taikyu Series in Japan
- 1991: Falken enters the Rallye de Portugal
- 1991: Team Falken participated in the Kenya Endurance rally
- 1991: Opened U.S. Headquarters in Rancho Cucamonga, U.S.
- 1993: Sponsors teams for the Paris to Dakar Rally Championships
- 1996: The first Ziex branded tire is launched: Ziex ZE502
- 1998: Began a successful campaign with Mine's Falken BNR33 which won the 98'-00' Class 1 Series Championship
- 1999: Team Falken began competing in the ADAC 24th Rennen Nurburgring
- 2000: Falken Tire participates in Rally Australia 2000
- 2001: AZENIS Tire line is launched with AZENIS ST115 and AZENIS RT215
- 2001: Team Falken wins Super Endurance Class 1 Series Championship
- 2001: Falken sponsors the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb
- 2003: Falken supports the first U.S. Drift Showoff in Irwindale, Ca
- 2003: Falken sponsors the drivers at the first D1 Grand Prix Pro Drift Competition in the U.S.
- 2005: Falken team driver Calvin Wan takes 1st place in an Infinity G35 at the Formula Drift sanctioned event.
- 2006: A Consumer Reports Top Pick: Falken ZE912
- 2007: Falken moves into corporate office in Fontana, CA
- 2010: Falken wins first Formula Drift Championship, Vaughn Gittin, Jr.
- 2010: Falken introduces the Wildpeak A/T Tire to reinvigorate the all-performance SUV and Light Truck segments.
- 2011: Falken wins another back-to-back Formula Drift Championship with Daijiro Yoshihara.[1]
- 2011: 2 ALMS GT Class wins at Mid-Ohio & Baltimore [2]
- 2012: Team Falken takes another ALMS win at Baltimore Grand Prix[3]
- 2012: New Falken Tire headquarters located in Rancho Cucamonga, CA.
- 2012: Falken / Savvy Off Road wins the King of the Hammers Every Man Challenge.
- 2013: Falken wins again at the King of the Hammers Every Man Challenge
- 2013: Team Falken takes first place in GT at ALMS Petit Le Mans[4][5]
Motorsports
Falken Tire Corporation participates in many motorsport activities which include the Tudor United Sports Car Championship IMSA, the former American Le Mans Series ALMS, British Drift Championship, Irish Drift Championship, Drift Allstars European Series, with driver James Deane. Formula Drift Series Formula D, ADAC 24 Hours of Nürburgring and International Drift Series. Current drivers for the IMSA GT Class are Wolf Henzler and Bryan Sellers, in which they co-pilot a Porsche 911 991 RSR. Current drivers for Formula Drift competition are Daijiro Yoshihara, Justin Pawlak, and Darren McNamara. Current drivers for British Drift Championship competition are Matt Carter, Paul Cheshire and Alan Green. Current 2010 drivers for International Drift Series are Remmo Niezen, Lars Verbraeken and Lennard Wanders.[6]
Falken sponsors racing series such as ALMS and domestic championships like Super Taikyu series, 24 Hours Nürburgring and drifting series such as Formula D and D1 Grand Prix. Falken was previously the title sponsor of the British Drift Championship until 2010 when Maxxis Tyres became the title sponsor.
References
- ↑ http://www.superstreetonline.com/features/news/modp-1005-team-falken-winning-streak/ Team Falken Winning Streak
- ↑ http://www.superstreetonline.com/features/news/eurp-1109-team-falken-wins-gt-class-baltimore-alms/ eam Falken Wins GT Class in Baltimore ALMS
- ↑ http://www.motorsport.com/alms/news/falken-porsche-win-makes-it-two-years-in-a-row-at-baltimore/ Falken Porsche win makes it two years in a row at Baltimore
- ↑ http://press.porsche.com/motorsport/news/release.php?id=72 Team Falken Tire Porsche 911 GT3 RSR Scores GT Win
- ↑ Falken History
- ↑ http://speedhunters.com/archive/2010/03/22/-international-drift-series-preview-2010-.aspx
External links
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