Falken Tires
Encyclopedia
Falken Tire Corporation is a Japanese
manufacturer of automobile tires. Originally created in 1983 as a brand for Ohtsu Tire and Rubber to sell their lineup of performance tires under, Falken became part of Sumitomo Rubber Industries
(SRI) when they acquired Ohtsu in 2003. Currently, Falken is paired with fellow SRI brand Dunlop Tyres
to form Dunlop Falken Tires, Ltd., the parent group of Falken Tire Corporation.
Falken launched in its native country of Japan
in 1983 and was introduced to the North American market two years later. At its inception, Falken was created as the flagship high performance radial brand under Ohtsu Tire and Rubber.
Falken Tire Corporation, based in Fontana, California
, is the corporate headquarters and West Coast distribution center for North American operations. Additional Falken Tire distribution locations include warehouses in Tennessee, New Jersey and Texas.
Falken has been chosen as original equipment supply for vehicle brands such as Subaru, Suzuki and Daihatsu.
, British Drift Championship, Formula Drift Series Formula D
and International Drift Series. Current 2010 drivers for the ALMS GT2 Class are Dominic Cicero and Bryan Sellers, in which they co-pilot a Porsche GT3 RSR. Current 2010 drivers for Formula Drift competition are Vaughn Gittin Jr., Daijiro Yoshihara, Tyler McQuarrie, Justin Pawlak, and Darren McNamara. Current 2010 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 .
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.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
manufacturer of automobile tires. Originally created in 1983 as a brand for Ohtsu Tire and Rubber to sell their lineup of performance tires under, Falken became part of Sumitomo Rubber Industries
Sumitomo Rubber Industries
is a tire and rubber company based in Japan. It is part of the Sumitomo Group.The company traces its origins to 1909, when the Sumitomo Group made an investment in Dunlop Japan, the newly formed Japanese subsidiary of the British company Dunlop Rubber...
(SRI) when they acquired Ohtsu in 2003. Currently, Falken is paired with fellow SRI brand Dunlop Tyres
Dunlop Tyres
Dunlop Tyres is a British company owned 75% by Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company and 25% by Sumitomo Rubber Industries, which bought the right to sell Dunlop-branded road tyres....
to form Dunlop Falken Tires, Ltd., the parent group of Falken Tire Corporation.
Falken launched in its native country of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in 1983 and was introduced to the North American market two years later. At its inception, Falken was created as the flagship high performance radial brand under Ohtsu Tire and Rubber.
Falken Tire Corporation, based in Fontana, California
Fontana, California
Fontana is a city of 196,069 residents in San Bernardino County, California. Founded in 1913, it remained essentially rural until World War II, when entrepreneur Henry J. Kaiser built a large steel mill in the area...
, is the corporate headquarters and West Coast distribution center for North American operations. Additional Falken Tire distribution locations include warehouses in Tennessee, New Jersey and Texas.
Falken has been chosen as original equipment supply for vehicle brands such as Subaru, Suzuki and Daihatsu.
Competition
In the United States, Falken Tire Corporation participates in The American Le Mans Series ALMSAlms
Alms or almsgiving is a religious rite which, in general, involves giving materially to another as an act of religious virtue.It exists in a number of religions. In Philippine Regions, alms are given as charity to benefit the poor. In Buddhism, alms are given by lay people to monks and nuns to...
, British Drift Championship, Formula Drift Series Formula D
Formula D
Formula DRIFT or Formula D is the premier United States drifting series. Formula Drift, Inc. was co-founded by Jim Liaw and Ryan Sage in 2003 as a sister company to Slipstream Global Marketing, the same partnership that brought D1 Grand Prix to the United States. The new entity would solely own,...
and International Drift Series. Current 2010 drivers for the ALMS GT2 Class are Dominic Cicero and Bryan Sellers, in which they co-pilot a Porsche GT3 RSR. Current 2010 drivers for Formula Drift competition are Vaughn Gittin Jr., Daijiro Yoshihara, Tyler McQuarrie, Justin Pawlak, and Darren McNamara. Current 2010 drivers for British Drift Championship competition are Matt Carter, Paul Cheshire and Alan Green. Current 2010 drivers for International Drift Series are Remmo Niezen
Remmo Niezen
Remmo Niezen is a professional drift driver from the Netherlands, competing in the Dutch Open Drift Championship, German IDS series and British JDM Allstars series...
, Lars Verbraeken and Lennard Wanders .
Sponsorship
Falken sponsors racing series such as ALMSAlms
Alms or almsgiving is a religious rite which, in general, involves giving materially to another as an act of religious virtue.It exists in a number of religions. In Philippine Regions, alms are given as charity to benefit the poor. In Buddhism, alms are given by lay people to monks and nuns to...
and domestic championships like Super Taikyu series, 24 Hours Nürburgring
24 Hours Nürburgring
The 24 Hours Nürburgring is a touring car and GT endurance racing event on the Nürburgring Nordschleife . With a lap length of over , it allows the participation of more than 200 cars, and over 700 drivers.-Overview:...
and drifting series such as Formula D
Formula D
Formula DRIFT or Formula D is the premier United States drifting series. Formula Drift, Inc. was co-founded by Jim Liaw and Ryan Sage in 2003 as a sister company to Slipstream Global Marketing, the same partnership that brought D1 Grand Prix to the United States. The new entity would solely own,...
and D1 Grand Prix
D1 Grand Prix
The , abbreviated as D1GP and subtitled Professional Drift, is a production car drifting series from Japan. After several years of hosting amateur drifting contests, Option magazine & Tokyo Auto Salon founder Daijiro Inada, and drifting legend Keiichi Tsuchiya hosted a professional level drifting...
. Falken was previously the title sponsor of the British Drift Championship until 2010 when Maxxis Tyres became the title sponsor.