Location: Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
Founded: 1983
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The brand started across the Pacific Ocean in 1983 as Ohtsu Tire & Rubber and specialized in high-performance tires. At this point in history, Japan was fully recovered from the war and producing some of the best consumer technology in the world. Auto manufacturers like Honda and Toyota were making their claim in North America and the rest of the world, and OHTSU built on the Japanese auto industry’s success.
As Falken Tires expands into North America and Europe it enters the competitive motorsports landscape and earns its first win at the Mirage International Cup series in 1988. It’s immediately apparent it’s a serious player in the game and a brand that’s here to stay.
In 1991, after opening its U.S headquarters in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, Falken enters the Dakar Rally Championships. It’s considered one of the most brutal and enduring off-road/rally series in the game and requires a new kind of tire to get the job done. That same innovation inspired today’s grippy tires like the top-rated Falken Wildpeak, which powers trucks and SUVs through America’s mud, rock, and trails.
At this point in 2001, Falken is establishing itself as a brand to watch in every major racing series around the world and that especially includes Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. The metaphor of Falken moving up in the world is not lost in this race.
Between 2003 and 2008, Falken sponsored the drivers at the first D1 Grand Prix Pro Drift Competition in the US and team driver Calvin Wan takes 1st place in an Infiniti G35 at the Formula Drift sanctioned event.
From 2009 to 2014, Falken introduces the Wildpeak A/T Tire to reinvigorate the all-performance SUV and Light Truck segments making Falken quite a very known brand to this day. In iRacing, Falken may not be seen on any racing vehicle but places like the Mount Panorama Circuit have shown its sponsorship dedication to this very day.
Falken Tire Corporation has participated in many motorsport activities, including the Tudor United Sports Car Championship IMSA, the former American Le Mans Series ALMS, British Drift Championship, Irish Drift Championship, Drift Allstars European Series with driver James Deane, Formula Drift Series Formula D, ADAC 24 Hours of Nürburgring and International Drift Series. Drivers for the IMSA GT Class were Wolf Henzler and Bryan Sellers, in which they co-piloted a Porsche 911 RSR. Sponsored drivers for the Formula Drift competition were Daijiro Yoshihara, Justin Pawlak, James Deane, Piotr Wiecek, Matt Field, and Aurimas "Odi" Bakchis. Current drivers in the British Drift Championship competition are Matt Carter, Paul Cheshire and Alan Green. Drivers sponsored in 2010 International Drift Series were Remmo Niezen, Lars Verbraeken and Lennard Wanders.
Falken has sponsored racing series such as ALMS and domestic championships like Super Taikyu series, 24 Hours Nürburgring and drifting series such as Formula D and D1 Grand Prix. Falken was previously the title sponsor of the British Drift Championship until 2010 when Maxxis Tyres 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.