Falken Tire

Falken Tire
Subsidiary
Industry Automotive
Founded 1983
Headquarters Kobe, Japan
(global headquarters)
Offenbach am Main, Germany
(European headquarters)
Rancho Cucamonga, United States
(North American headquarters)
Products Tires
Parent Sumitomo Rubber Industries
Website www.falkentire.com

Falken Tire is a brand of passenger car, light truck, and medium truck tires owned by the Japanese company Sumitomo Rubber Industries (SRI). It was launched in its native country of Japan in 1983, and was introduced to the North American market two years later and in Europe in 1988. 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.

Sumitomo Rubber North America, Inc., formerly known as Falken Tire Corporation, is the corporate headquarters in Rancho Cucamonga, California, with a West Coast distribution center in Ontario, California. Additional Falken Tire distribution locations include warehouses in Illinois, Florida, New Jersey, and Texas.

In June 2015, Sumitomo and Goodyear announced that they would dissolve their worldwide partnership. As part of the deal, Sumitomo bought Goodyear Dunlop Tires North America, which included a manufacturing plant in Tonawanda, near Buffalo, New York. The plant, rebranded as Sumitomo Rubber USA, began to produce Falken Tire-branded tires in January 2016.

History

Timeline

Motorsports

Falken Tire Corporation has participated in many motorsport activities, including 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. Drivers for the IMSA GT Class were Wolf Henzler and Bryan Sellers, in which they co-piloted a Porsche 911 RSR. Current sponsored drivers for Formula Drift competition are Daijiro Yoshihara, Justin Pawlak, and Aurimas "Odi" Bakchis. 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 has sponsored 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

  1. ↑ "Team Falken Winning Streak - Formula Drift - Modified Magazine". 10 May 2010. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  2. ↑ "Team Falken Wins GT Class in Baltimore ALMS - GT Standings - Eurotuner Magazine". 6 September 2011. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  3. ↑ "Falken Porsche win makes it two years in a row at Baltimore". Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  4. ↑ Inc., The Gary Stock Company + Porsche Cars North America,. "Motorsport News". press.porsche.com. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  5. ↑ "History of Falken Tire". Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  6. ↑ http://speedhunters.com/archive/2010/03/22/-international-drift-series-preview-2010-.aspx%5B%5D
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