\n
\n
![\"Falken](\"http:\/\/www.tyretrade.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Falken-sports.jpg\")
Wolf Henzler, Peter Dumbreck, Martin Ragginger and Alexandre Imperatori will battle it out for Falken, aiming for top three places in the VLN Championship as well as the N\u00fcrburgring\u2019s 24h-Race.<\/p>\nFalken Motorsports is taking to the track in a Porsche 911 GT3R (991), fielding a strong and proven line-up for its team of drivers.
\n
\nWolf Henzler, Peter Dumbreck, Martin Ragginger and Alexandre Imperatori will battle it out for Falken, aiming for top three places in the VLN Championship as well as the N\u00fcrburgring\u2019s 24h-Race.<\/p>\n
The Falken Porsche 911 GT3R (991) is powered by a water-cooled six-cylinder engine and has a total weight of approximately 1,220 kg \u2013 around 60 kg lighter than its predecessor. The new racer\u2019s wheelbase is 8.3 cm longer, and its centre of gravity has been optimised by using advanced lightweight techniques in building the bodywork, chassis and add-ons, aimed at maximising the vehicle\u2019s performance.<\/p>\n
After initial testing in December, a further round of tests was held in mid-February in Portimao, Portugal, where the second-generation Falken tyres were put through their paces on the new Porsche. In the first round of tests, tyres from the preceding 997 model were fitted to the new 500hp racer for comparison. The results of these tests were then used by the Falken Motorsports engineers in Japan to design a new generation of advanced motorsport tyres tailored to the Porsche.<\/p>\n
The team of drivers is delighted with the new tyres and the Falken Porsche. \u201cA lighter car with longer wheelbase and a few extra horsepower already sounds pretty good to me,\u201d enthused Peter Dumbreck about the Porsche 991. \u201cIt\u2019s not only the tyres that have been advanced since the first round of tests; the new car itself has undergone a whole host of improvements. It\u2019s now easier to drive, the brakes are firmer and the aerodynamics whilst cornering are improved.\u201d Dumbreck is equally optimistic about the team\u2019s prospects of gaining a place on the podium: \u201cWhen we fight for a top three place this season, we\u2019ll be fighting for victory. It certainly won\u2019t be easy. The competition is getting tougher from year to year as more and more factory teams and drivers enter the race and the cars get faster and faster.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Martin Ragginger, it was love at first sight: \u201cRight from the start, the car impressed me. The new aerodynamics improve cornering speeds, the engine packs a great punch and the brakes are stronger. Falken provided us with such a huge range of tyres to test that we\u2019ll be able to put together the perfect package of tyres and car,\u201d he says. Ragginger is convinced that the team\u2019s chances of winning a podium place will be high this season too: \u201cIt\u2019s not just that we drivers have grown together into a close-knit team; it\u2019s the whole team behind Falken Motorsports that does a great job.\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe tested the car over 2,300km under conditions that matched what we can expect from the N\u00fcrburgring in spring,\u201d says Wolf Henzler. \u201cThis Porsche is streets ahead of its predecessor and Falken\u2019s new-generation tyres will enable us to take a further leap towards victory. The car is rock-solid and I\u2019m confident we have what it takes to climb the podium. The 24h-Race is a long, long event where a lot can happen \u2013 so we\u2019ll just do what we did last year: drive, drive, drive!\u201d<\/p>\n
Since selling the 997 Porsche, Falken\u2019s fans have been waiting for the confirmation that the tyre manufacturer would move to a 991. \u201cThe Falken Motorsports fan community was buzzing with speculation about the new race car, so we decided to fuel that excitement,\u201d says Stephan Cimbal, Head of Marketing at Falken Tyre Europe. \u201cWe launched the campaign by featuring the sale of our old Porsche and then added information bit by bit to whip up the tension. It worked really well! Of course we knew some fans had already guessed the new car would be a Porsche \u2013 and now their suspicions are confirmed. Personally, I\u2019m delighted that we\u2019re continuing our partnership with Porsche and building on our many successes at N\u00fcrburgring with this model\u2019s predecessor.\u201d<\/p>\n
To view these interviews with the drivers<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Falken Motorsports is taking to the track in a Porsche 911 GT3R (991), fielding a strong and proven line-up for its team of drivers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":13890,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[649,59,653,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13889","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-brands","category-falken","category-motorsport","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n