News

 The Sumitomo Rubber Group is pleased to announce that our European tire sales subsidiary, FALKEN Tyre Europe GmbH, has celebrated a double victory in the final race of this year’s Nürburgring Endurance Series (Official name: Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie, NLS). In the four-hour race that took place in Germany on October 11, the team’s two Porsche 911 GT3 Rs, No. 4 and No. 3, finished first and second, respectively, in the top-tier SP9 Pro class of the series, claiming its fifth overall win of the season while also securing its title in the NLS Speed-Trophy.

Car No. 4 in the race	Drivers celebrating on the podium after taking first and second place (From right: Winners Dorian Boccolacci and Nico Menzel, and runner-up Joel Sturm)

In the qualifying session for the 10th and final round of the NLS, the two Falken Motorsports cars aimed for pole position, but heavy traffic and multiple yellow flags phases prohibiting overtaking prevented them from setting their best laps. As a result, the No. 3 car started from fifth on the grid, and the No. 4 car from seventh.
 

As soon as the race began in the afternoon, however, both Falken Motorsports Porsches delivered a stunning start, rapidly climbing through the field to join the leading pack.

Although the No. 4 car temporarily fell behind in the standings as it was forced to pit for a front bumper replacement after contact with another vehicle, the No. 3 car showcased exceptional grip on slick tires despite the slippery wet conditions, engaging in an intense battle at the front.
 

As the race progressed, fog descended on the circuit and made for challenging conditions, prompting switches to rain tires. All three drivers maintained steady, error-free stints throughout, and with the No. 4 car making a remarkable comeback, the two Falken Porsches commanded a double lead by the halfway point of the race. From there, they maintained firm control the race, ultimately winning the team its fifth victory of the season with a spectacular one-two finish and a commanding 5-minute 50-second margin over the third-place car.

On top of that, Nico Menzel, who drove both No. 3 and No. 4 cars in a double entry, was clowned “Driver of the Race” for his outstanding performance.

Over the course of the 2025 season, the team achieved five wins (four of which were four one-two finishes), twelve podiums, and two pole positions, earning the NLS Speed Trophy title for the second consecutive year.

The result was a powerful reaffirmation of the outstanding performance and durability, as well as unwavering reliability that define 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.

 

 

* FALKEN Claims NLS Speed Trophy Victory (in the Nürburgring Endurance Series)

(News Release issued on November 27, 2024): https://www.srigroup.co.jp/english/newsrelease/2024/sri/2024_082.html

 

■Outline of the Nürburgring Endurance Series

The Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS) is an endurance racing series held at Nürburgring in Germany. Unlike the 24-hour endurance race that takes place only once a year, the NLS races range in duration from 4 to 6 hours. Many top-tier teams compete in the NLS as vehicle manufacturers as well as tire manufacturers use the endurance races as testing grounds for their pursuit of victory in the 24-hour race. The racecourse is nearly identical in length to that of the 24-hour endurance race, with a single lap spanning approximately 25 km. Featuring around 170 corners, an elevation difference of approximately 300 meters, narrow track widths, and undulating, slippery road surfaces, the circuit is among the most arduous racetracks in the world.