News

 
 　The Sumitomo Rubber Group is pleased to announce that our European tire sales subsidiary, FALKEN Tyre Europe GmbH, secured a win with the Porsche 911 GT3R (Car No. 3) in the premier SP9 PRO class of the 6-hour endurance race in Round 6 of the Nürburgring Endurance Series (official name: Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie), held in Germany on August 16. It was the third victory for Car No. 3, following wins in the opening and second rounds.

Scene of Car No. 3 (right) and Car No. 4 (left) at race	Drivers celebrating their one-two finish on the podium (From right: Winners Sven Müller / Klaus Bachler, Runners-up Dennis Marschall / Nico Menzel)

　Following a tragic double retirement in the 24-hour race in June, Team FALKEN Motorsports returned to the track for Round 6 with both Falken-liveried Porsches fully restored to peak condition. All team members focused firmly on the challenge ahead.
The sixth race, a one-day event, was met with deep fog from morning, resulting in significant delays to the overall schedule. The qualifying session was shortened, with wet patches remaining on the track in certain areas. Driver Nico Menzel in Car No. 4 fully leveraged the performance of the wide-range slick tires developed specifically for the Nürburgring, clinching pole position with a masterful drive. His teammate in Car No. 3 qualified 5th.
The final race in the afternoon was shortened from six to four and a half hours due to the fog. Both Team FALKEN Motorsports cars got off to a good start. Starting driver Sven Müller in Car No. 3 made a strong start, overtaking two cars on the Grand Prix circuit during the opening lap to move up to third place. He then continued to push forward, quickly establishing a one-two lead in the early stages. A fierce yet clean battle for the lead unfolded between the two FALKEN Porsches, thrilling the spectators.
Despite Cars No. 3 and No. 4 swapping positions during pit stops, the two FALKEN Porsche cars dominated the race from start to finish. Car No. 3 secured the team’s third victory of the season, completing a one-two finish with Car No. 4. The winning car finished with an impressive 4.5-minute lead over the third-place car, once again demonstrating the high performance and reliability of FALKEN tires.

　We proactively leverage motorsports activities as a platform for research and development. Working with Team FALKEN Motorsports, we are currently conducting proof-of-concept testing of SENSING CORE, our proprietary sensor-less technology developed based on vehicle wheel speed analysis, at the Nürburgring Endurance Series. We are now working on developing a system to detect tire issues such as slow air leaks at an early stage during races.

　■ Outline of Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS)
Endurance race series made up of a total of eight races held in Nürburg, Germany. Unlike the 24-hour endurance race that is held only once a year, each race ranges in length from 4 to 6 hours. Vehicle manufacturers and tire manufacturers, use the Nürburgring Endurance Series as a test field to aim for the win in the 24-hour race, and many leading teams compete in the races. A circuit of the course used for the races is about 25 kilometers, which is almost the same as that used for the 24-hour race. It is an extremely tough circuit, with around 170 corners, an elevation difference of approximately 300 meters, narrow course widths, and wavy and slippery road surfaces.