# Falken Tire > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Falken_Tire > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Falken_Tire.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falken_Tire > Source revision: 1349124503 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Japanese tire brand Falken Product type Tires Owner Sumitomo Rubber Industries (since 2003) Produced by Sumitomo Rubber Industries Country Japan Introduced 1983; 43 years ago (1983) Related brands Dunlop Markets Worldwide Previous owners Ohtsu Rubber & Tire (1983–2003) Tagline "On the pulse." Website www.falken.tires **Falken** is a brand of passenger car, light truck, and medium truck [tires](/source/Tire) owned by the Japanese company [Sumitomo Rubber Industries](/source/Sumitomo_Rubber_Industries) (SRI). It was launched in its native country of Japan in 1983, and was introduced to the North American market two years later and in Europe in 1988. Falken has now become a stand-alone brand that focuses on UHP (ultra high performance) products while utilizing professional [motorsports](/source/Motorsport) to further develop and improve products for worldwide distribution. Dunlop Tires North America, formerly known as Sumitomo Rubber North America, Inc. and Falken Tire Corporation, has its corporate headquarters in [Rancho Cucamonga, California](/source/Rancho_Cucamonga%2C_California), with a West Coast distribution center in [Ontario, California](/source/Ontario%2C_California). Additional Falken Tire distribution locations include warehouses in [Illinois](/source/Illinois), [Florida](/source/Florida), [New Jersey](/source/New_Jersey), and [Texas](/source/Texas). In June 2015, Sumitomo and [Goodyear](/source/Goodyear_Tire_and_Rubber_Company) announced that they would dissolve their worldwide partnership. As part of the deal, Sumitomo bought Goodyear’s [Dunlop](/source/Dunlop_Tyres) Tires North America, which included a manufacturing plant in [Tonawanda](/source/Tonawanda_(town)%2C_New_York), near [Buffalo, New York](/source/Buffalo%2C_New_York). The plant, rebranded as Sumitomo Rubber USA, began to produce Falken-branded tires in January 2016. As of 2025, that Buffalo, New York manufacturing plant has closed. [1] ## History ### Timeline - 1983: The Falken brand is created as a high performance brand of Ohtsu Rubber & Tire in Japan.[2] - 1985: Started Falken Motorsports & U.S. Distribution. - 1988: Team Falken wins the Mirage Cup International series. - 1988: Falken introduces the Sincera Tire. - 1988: Falken Tyre Europe GmbH is founded in Offenbach am Main, Germany. - 1990: The N1 6hour Endurance Sugu 400 km GT-R R32 class winner. - 1991: Falken supports the BNR32 that dominated the [Super N1 Taikyu Series](/source/Super_Taikyu_Series) in Japan. - 1991: Team Falken participated in the Kenya Endurance rally. - 1991: Opened U.S. headquarters in [Rancho Cucamonga](/source/Rancho_Cucamonga%2C_California), U.S. - 1993: Sponsors teams for the [Paris](/source/Paris) to [Dakar Rally](/source/Dakar_Rally) championships. - 1996: The first Ziex branded tire is launched: Ziex ZE502. - 1998: Began a successful campaign with Mine's Falken BNR33 which won the '98-'00 Class 1 Series Championship. - 1999: Team Falken began competing in the [Nürburgring 24 Hours](/source/N%C3%BCrburgring_24_Hours) race. - 2000: Falken Tire participates in [Rally Australia](/source/2000_Rally_Australia). - 2001: AZENIS Tire line is launched with AZENIS ST115 and AZENIS RT215. - 2001: Team Falken wins Super Endurance Class 1 Series Championship. - 2001: Falken sponsors the [Pikes Peak International Hill Climb](/source/Pikes_Peak_International_Hill_Climb). - 2003: Sumitomo Rubber Industries acquires and absorbs Ohtsu Tire & Rubber, turning Ohtsu and Falken to SRI brands. - 2003: Falken supports the first U.S. Drift Showoff in [Irwindale, California](/source/Irwindale%2C_California). - 2003: Falken sponsors the drivers at the first [D1 Grand Prix](/source/D1_Grand_Prix) Pro Drift Competition in the U.S. - 2005: Falken team driver Calvin Wan takes 1st place in an Infiniti G35 at the [Formula D](/source/Formula_D)-sanctioned event. - 2006: A Consumer Reports Top Pick: Falken ZE912. - 2007: Falken moves into corporate office in [Fontana, California](/source/Fontana%2C_California). - 2010: Falken wins first [Formula Drift Championship](/source/Formula_D), [Vaughn Gittin Jr.](/source/Vaughn_Gittin_Jr.) - 2010: Falken introduces the Wildpeak A/T Tire to reinvigorate the all-performance SUV and Light Truck segments. - 2011: Falken wins another back-to-back [Formula Drift Championship](/source/Formula_D) with [Daijiro Yoshihara](/source/Daijiro_Yoshihara).[3] - 2011: Two [ALMS](/source/2011_American_Le_Mans_Series) GT Class wins at [Mid-Ohio](/source/Mid-Ohio_Sports_Car_Course) and [Baltimore](/source/Baltimore).[4] - 2012: Team Falken takes another [ALMS](/source/2012_American_Le_Mans_Series) win at Baltimore Grand Prix.[5] - 2012: New Falken Tire headquarters located in [Rancho Cucamonga](/source/Rancho_Cucamonga%2C_California), CA. - 2012: Falken / Savvy Off Road wins the King of the Hammers Every Man Challenge. - 2012: Falken drift team driver [Lars Verbraeken](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lars_Verbraeken&action=edit&redlink=1) became a [Guinness World Record](/source/Guinness_World_Record) holder after achieving a new speed record for drifting.[6] - 2013: Falken wins again at the King of the Hammers Every Man Challenge. - 2013: Team Falken takes first place in GT at ALMS [Petit Le Mans](/source/2013_Petit_Le_Mans).[7] - 2015: Falken becomes the official tire of [Major League Baseball](/source/Major_League_Baseball).[8] - 2016: The Sumitomo Rubber USA factory in [Tonawanda](/source/Tonawanda) began to produce Falken-branded tires. - 2016: Falken partners with the [Qantas Wallabies](/source/Australia_national_rugby_union_team) as a sponsor.[9] - 2017: Falken became a sponsor of the [English Premier League](/source/Premier_League) team [Liverpool F.C.](/source/Liverpool_F.C.) - 2018: Falken became a sponsor of German Basketball League team [EWE Baskets](/source/EWE_Baskets). - 2018: Falken Azenis FK510 wins the Wheels Magazine Tyre Test in Australia.[10] ## Motorsports Falken Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R and BMW M6 GT3 in one of the 2018 [Nürburgring VLN](/source/Veranstaltergemeinschaft_Langstreckenpokal_N%C3%BCrburgring) races. Falken has participated in many motorsport activities, including the [Tudor United SportsCar Championship](/source/Tudor_United_SportsCar_Championship) sanctioned by [IMSA](/source/International_Motor_Sports_Association), the former [American Le Mans Series](/source/American_Le_Mans_Series), [British Drift Championship](/source/British_Drift_Championship), [Irish Drift Championship](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Irish_Drift_Championship&action=edit&redlink=1), [Drift Allstars European Series](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Drift_Allstars_European_Series&action=edit&redlink=1) with driver [James Deane](/source/James_Deane_(drift_driver)), [Formula D](/source/Formula_D), [Nürburgring 24 Hours](/source/N%C3%BCrburgring_24_Hours), and [International Drift Series](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=International_Drift_Series&action=edit&redlink=1). Drivers for the IMSA GT Class were [Wolf Henzler](/source/Wolf_Henzler) and [Bryan Sellers](/source/Bryan_Sellers), in which they co-piloted a Porsche 911 RSR. Sponsored drivers for the [Formula Drift](/source/Formula_Drift) competition were [Daijiro Yoshihara](/source/Daijiro_Yoshihara), [Justin Pawlak](/source/Justin_Pawlak), [James Deane](/source/James_Deane_(drift_driver)), [Piotr Wiecek](/source/Piotr_Wiecek), [Matt Field](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Matt_Field_(drift_driver)&action=edit&redlink=1), and [Aurimas "Odi" Bakchis](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Aurimas_Bakchis&action=edit&redlink=1). Current drivers in the British Drift Championship competition are [Matt Carter](/source/Matt_Carter_(racing_driver)), Paul Cheshire and Alan Green. Drivers sponsored in 2010 International Drift Series were Remmo Niezen, Lars Verbraeken and Lennard Wanders.[11] Falken has sponsored racing series such as ALMS and domestic championships like [Super Taikyu](/source/Super_Taikyu_Series), [Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie](/source/N%C3%BCrburgring_Langstrecken-Serie) as well as the [Nürburgring 24 Hours](/source/N%C3%BCrburgring_24_Hours) and drifting series such as [Formula D](/source/Formula_D) and [D1 Grand Prix](/source/D1_Grand_Prix). Falken was previously the title sponsor of the [British Drift Championship](/source/British_Drift_Championship) until 2010 when [Maxxis](/source/Maxxis) became the title sponsor. Since at least 2009, Falken Tire have also a team of spokesmodels that attend to all of the American Le Mans Series and Formula Drift motorsport events.[12][13] ### Motorsport Results This section needs expansion. You can help by adding missing information. (July 2025) ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Sumitomo Rubber USA - Tonawanda Plant Closure Update"](https://srusa-tonawanda-update.com/). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Ohtsu Tires"](https://web.archive.org/web/20181110000835/https://ohtsu-tires.com/). Ohtsu-Tires.com. Archived from [the original](https://ohtsu-tires.com/) on 10 November 2018. Retrieved 9 November 2018. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Team Falken Winning Streak – Formula Drift – Modified Magazine"](http://www.superstreetonline.com/features/news/modp-1005-team-falken-winning-streak/). *SuperStreetOnline*. 10 May 2010. Retrieved 16 June 2017. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Team Falken Wins GT Class in Baltimore ALMS – GT Standings – Eurotuner Magazine"](https://web.archive.org/web/20161221005849/http://www.superstreetonline.com/features/news/eurp-1109-team-falken-wins-gt-class-baltimore-alms/). *SuperStreetOnline*. 6 September 2011. Archived from [the original](http://www.superstreetonline.com/features/news/eurp-1109-team-falken-wins-gt-class-baltimore-alms/) on 21 December 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2017. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Falken Porsche win makes it two years in a row at Baltimore"](https://web.archive.org/web/20161220075946/http://www.motorsport.com/alms/news/falken-porsche-win-makes-it-two-years-in-a-row-at-baltimore/). Archived from [the original](http://www.motorsport.com/alms/news/falken-porsche-win-makes-it-two-years-in-a-row-at-baltimore/) on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2017. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Butters, Jordan (2 October 2012). ["NEWS: Falken Drift Team Sets World Record"](https://www.drifted.com/news-falken-drift-team-sets-world-record/). Drifted. Retrieved 2 October 2012. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Motorsport News"](https://web.archive.org/web/20161220122151/http://press.porsche.com/motorsport/news/release.php?id=72). *press.porsche.com*. The Gary Stock Company + Porsche Cars North America. Archived from [the original](http://press.porsche.com/motorsport/news/release.php?id=72) on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2017. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["History of Falken Tire"](http://falkentire.com/about-us/history-falken-tire). Retrieved 16 June 2017. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["The Qantas Wallabies Partner with Falken"](https://www.falken.com.au/the-qantas-wallabies-partner-with-falken). 16 March 2016. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["Falken Wins Wheels Tyre Test"](https://www.falken.com.au/falken-wins-wheels-tyre-test/). 8 August 2018. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["PREVIEW>> 2010 INTERNATIONAL DRIFT SERIES – Speedhunters"](https://web.archive.org/web/20100325174339/http://speedhunters.com/archive/2010/03/22/-international-drift-series-preview-2010-.aspx). Archived from [the original](http://speedhunters.com/archive/2010/03/22/-international-drift-series-preview-2010-.aspx) on 25 March 2010. Retrieved 29 June 2010. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** *[Falken Tire Models Take Motorsports By Storm](http://www.sub5zero.com/falken-tire-models-motorsports-alms-formula-drift/)*, by AC at sub5zero.com, May 22, 2009 1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** [Models](https://www.falkentire.com/community/motorsports/models) at Falken Tire ## External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Falken Tires](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Falken_Tires). - [Official website](https://www.falken.tires) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Falken Tire](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falken_Tire) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falken_Tire?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.