FALKEN to Compete in the “Nürburgring 24h-Race”
May. 24. 2024
The Sumitomo Rubber Group is pleased to announce that our European tire sales subsidiary, FALKEN Tyre Europe GmbH, will be competing as “Team FALKEN Motorsports” in one of the world’s premier touring car races: the Nürburgring 24h Race (Official Name: ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring), which will be held this coming May 30 through June 2 in Nürburg, Germany. Team FALKEN Motorsports will be gunning for the title with two Porsche 911 GT3R racecars as we did last year. At the same time, as an Official Sponsor of the Nürburgring 24h Race through our FALKEN Brand, the Sumitomo Rubber Group is also proud to once again play a part in bringing so much excitement to so many racing fans throughout the world.
In addition, Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. is also pleased to announce that we will be supplying our high-performance FALKEN Tires to SUBARU TECNICA INTERNATIONAL, who will be competing in the SP4T Class with their “SUBARU WRX NBR CHALLENGE 2024” racecar. Through such high-profile exposure at this year’s Nürburgring 24h Race, we hope to further enhance the value of our FALKEN Brand, which has already garnered widespread popularity throughout Europe and North America.
Through Team FALKEN Motorsports, the Sumitomo Rubber Group has competed in the Nürburgring 24h Race since 1999, in what is widely considered to be the world’s toughest endurance race. At last year’s race, the merciless racecourse and fierce competition once again combined to make it an intense battle for survival, which ultimately forced 16 of the 32 vehicles competing in the class to retire before reaching the finish line. In spite of these challenging conditions, FALKEN tires delivered outstanding all-around performance, helping us finishing in 10th place overall, marking the tenth consecutive year in which Team FALKEN Motorsports has finished in the Top 10 at this world-class touring race.
This year, FALKEN Motorsports has picked up three wins and four podium finishes out of the four races across the Nürburgring Qualifiers (Official Name: ADAC 24H Nürburgring Qualifiers) and the Nürburgring Endurance Series (Official Name: Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie), which took place in the run-up to the Nürburgring 24h Race.*1, 2
In addition, SUBARU TECNICA INTERNATIONAL will be competing in the SP4T Class in a racecar based on the WRX: “SUBARU WRX NBR CHALLENGE 2024.” We are proud to offer improved reliability, durability, and driving performance compared to last year’s tires as the racers aim to win the Class title and secure a top overall place. Leading the team as the Team General Manager will be Hideharu Tatsumi. Tatsumi has been participating in the Nürburgring 24h-race since 2008 and will be taking on his last challenge in this race. SUBARU TECNICA INTERNATIONAL will once again have the full support of an elite team of eight mechanics handpicked from SUBARU dealerships throughout Japan. The Sumitomo Rubber Group, meanwhile, will be supplying FALKEN Tires to SUBARU TECNICA INTERNATIONAL, providing outstanding all-around performance in terms of wet and dry grip, durability and more in order to support the team right where the racecar meets the road.
We are also actively boosting FALKEN brand’s presence by extending our support to more teams. As with last year, we are supplying tires to Max Kruse Racing, the eponymous team of former footballer who played for Team Germany, as they compete in the AT3 class. Additionally, this year we will also be supporting Team BILSTEIN by BLACK FALCON, who will be competing in the SP8T class with the BMW M4 GT4. Run by BLACK FALCON, one of the prestigious teams in the sport, the BMW will have three high-profile YouTube influencers teaming up with Manuel Metzger, who is one of the drivers that took the 2016 victory, making it a car to watch for in this year’s race. These exciting new partnerships are a product of recognition FALKEN tires have earned for their exceptional performance and reliability.
*1 FALKEN Announces Driver Line-up for Nürburgring 24h-Race and Wins Overall Victory in Nürburgring Endurance Series (News Release Issued on April 12, 2024)
*2 FALKEN Wins Overall Victory for Two Consecutive Days in “QF Race,” a Run-Up to “Nürburgring 24h-Race” (News Release Issued on April 18, 2024)
■Nürburgring 24h-Race Plan
* Team assignments are subject to change.
Teams supported by FALKEN
■Nürburgring 24h-Race
Taking place at the Nürburgring, which is also famously used as an R&D test track for automobile and tire manufacturers, this 24-hour endurance race is considered by many to be the world's toughest race. At around 25km per lap, the race makes use of the Nürburgring's full course, combining the Nordschleife (North Loop), which features an elevation difference of 300m between its highest and lowest points and some 170 corners (including blind corners), and the more modern Grand Prix Circuit, which was also used for F1 racing.
In addition, Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. is also pleased to announce that we will be supplying our high-performance FALKEN Tires to SUBARU TECNICA INTERNATIONAL, who will be competing in the SP4T Class with their “SUBARU WRX NBR CHALLENGE 2024” racecar. Through such high-profile exposure at this year’s Nürburgring 24h Race, we hope to further enhance the value of our FALKEN Brand, which has already garnered widespread popularity throughout Europe and North America.
 |
 |
| FALKEN Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3R | SUBARU WRX NBR CHALLENGE 2024 |
Through Team FALKEN Motorsports, the Sumitomo Rubber Group has competed in the Nürburgring 24h Race since 1999, in what is widely considered to be the world’s toughest endurance race. At last year’s race, the merciless racecourse and fierce competition once again combined to make it an intense battle for survival, which ultimately forced 16 of the 32 vehicles competing in the class to retire before reaching the finish line. In spite of these challenging conditions, FALKEN tires delivered outstanding all-around performance, helping us finishing in 10th place overall, marking the tenth consecutive year in which Team FALKEN Motorsports has finished in the Top 10 at this world-class touring race.
This year, FALKEN Motorsports has picked up three wins and four podium finishes out of the four races across the Nürburgring Qualifiers (Official Name: ADAC 24H Nürburgring Qualifiers) and the Nürburgring Endurance Series (Official Name: Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie), which took place in the run-up to the Nürburgring 24h Race.*1, 2
In addition, SUBARU TECNICA INTERNATIONAL will be competing in the SP4T Class in a racecar based on the WRX: “SUBARU WRX NBR CHALLENGE 2024.” We are proud to offer improved reliability, durability, and driving performance compared to last year’s tires as the racers aim to win the Class title and secure a top overall place. Leading the team as the Team General Manager will be Hideharu Tatsumi. Tatsumi has been participating in the Nürburgring 24h-race since 2008 and will be taking on his last challenge in this race. SUBARU TECNICA INTERNATIONAL will once again have the full support of an elite team of eight mechanics handpicked from SUBARU dealerships throughout Japan. The Sumitomo Rubber Group, meanwhile, will be supplying FALKEN Tires to SUBARU TECNICA INTERNATIONAL, providing outstanding all-around performance in terms of wet and dry grip, durability and more in order to support the team right where the racecar meets the road.
We are also actively boosting FALKEN brand’s presence by extending our support to more teams. As with last year, we are supplying tires to Max Kruse Racing, the eponymous team of former footballer who played for Team Germany, as they compete in the AT3 class. Additionally, this year we will also be supporting Team BILSTEIN by BLACK FALCON, who will be competing in the SP8T class with the BMW M4 GT4. Run by BLACK FALCON, one of the prestigious teams in the sport, the BMW will have three high-profile YouTube influencers teaming up with Manuel Metzger, who is one of the drivers that took the 2016 victory, making it a car to watch for in this year’s race. These exciting new partnerships are a product of recognition FALKEN tires have earned for their exceptional performance and reliability.
*1 FALKEN Announces Driver Line-up for Nürburgring 24h-Race and Wins Overall Victory in Nürburgring Endurance Series (News Release Issued on April 12, 2024)
*2 FALKEN Wins Overall Victory for Two Consecutive Days in “QF Race,” a Run-Up to “Nürburgring 24h-Race” (News Release Issued on April 18, 2024)
■Nürburgring 24h-Race Plan
| Class | Team | Vehicle | Drivers |
|
SP9
(FIA-GT3)
|
FALKEN Motorsports |
Porsche 911 GT3R (Car No. 33) |
Julien Andlauer |
| Klaus Bachler | |||
| Sven Müller | |||
| Alessio Picariello | |||
| Porsche 911 GT3R (Car No. 44) |
Joel Eriksson | ||
| Tim Heinemann | |||
| Nico Menzel | |||
| Martin Ragginger |
Teams supported by FALKEN
| Class | Team | Vehicle |
| AT3 | Max Kruse Racing | VW Golf GTI |
| SP8T | Team BILSTEIN by BLACK FALCON | BMW M4 GT4 |
| VT2 | SRS Team Sorg Rennsport | BMW 330i |
 |
 |
| Max Kruse Racing | Team BILSTEIN by BLACK FALCON |
■Nürburgring 24h-Race
Taking place at the Nürburgring, which is also famously used as an R&D test track for automobile and tire manufacturers, this 24-hour endurance race is considered by many to be the world's toughest race. At around 25km per lap, the race makes use of the Nürburgring's full course, combining the Nordschleife (North Loop), which features an elevation difference of 300m between its highest and lowest points and some 170 corners (including blind corners), and the more modern Grand Prix Circuit, which was also used for F1 racing.