Falken Motorsports, Henzler and Sellers staying with Porsche in 2013

The first of the Porsche teams to announce they will continue to contend for the GT title in the American Le Mans Series next year is Falken Motorsports. The news from Porsche that the teams will not have the new 911 GT3 RSR next year has not caused Falken Tire or team manager Derrick Walker from sticking with the program.

Bryan Sellers and Porsche factory driver Wolf Henzler will be back in the cockpit for the challenge. Both drivers enjoy the time they spend at the circuits chatting with the fans. Sellers ended the 2012 season with the Most Popular Driver award as voted by the ALMS fans.

Nick Fousekis, Falken’s Director of Motorsports Marketing and Events knew the company had choices with their massive motorsport program with Formula Drift and Supercross also high on their list. Knowing that all Porsche ALMS teams will not have the new 911 until 2014, Fousekis did not hesitate in renewing with Walker and the drivers for 2013.

“Racing in all its forms is the ultimate proving ground for research and development and the perfect environment to authenticate Falken’s product,” said Fousekis. Their team in the ALMS has proven over the past years that the tires are a viable street tire in any given situation. Testing any product in a motor sports arena allows the engineers to pass what they have discovered on to the consumer. In 2011 and 2012, the team has notched three GT wins and no one can forget their dramatic victory on a flooding track at Mid-Ohio!

Per Walker, the engineers from Falken Tire and the team will have an “intense testing schedule in 2013.” That comment is focused on the ALMS schedule of events. The learning curve is mainly on track with conditions that one cannot control; especially on street circuits.

Falken Tires and their ALMS team are, of course, eyeing the future with the merger of the Grand-Am and the ALMS in 2014 which is the year the new 911s will be available to the North America teams.

“We are very happy to see the Falken Tire program continuing with the same elements for 2013,” added Jens Walther, President and CEO of Porsche Motorsports, North America. “Wolf has been an integral part of the program for three years and with his professional, competitive and team spirit he is the perfect complement to Falken’s very professional program. We are proud that Team Falken Tires has requested his services again in 2013 for their Porsche 911 GT3 RSR.”