Bryan Sellers will return to Team Falken Tire as a factory driver in 2012 marking his fourth consecutive year with the operation. The Braselton, Ga.-resident re-signed with the Japanese tire manufacturer after a record-setting season which saw Sellers and Team Falken Tire take their first career Grand Touring (GT) class victories (Mid-Ohio and Baltimore) in the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón. Sellers, who has played a significant role in the development of the Falken AZENIS racing tire, will be reunited with teammate Wolf Henzler (Germany) and team manager Derrick Walker (Indianapolis) in the No. 17 Team Falken Tire Porsche 911 GT3 RSR.
Sellers hopes to use the continuity in the program as well as a brand-new 2012 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR to spur a charge for the ALMS GT Driver, Team and Manufacturer championships. Opening the season with the 60th anniversary running of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring (Fla.) on March 17, the new 911 GT3 RSR will put the team on a more even footing with factory programs from BMW, Corvette and Ferrari. Visually, the new 997-based car has extensive development to the bodywork including wider dimensions, flared rear wheel arches and front wheel arches which allow for wider diameter front tires. The massaged aerodynamics also allows for better airflow to the four-liter, boxer six-cylinder engine that generates 460 BHP. The car will retain its steering wheel-mounted paddle shift – a feature adopted for the blue and teal No. 17 at the midpoint of the 2011 season. Team Falken Tire will take delivery of its new Porsche in January at Walker’s Indianapolis headquarters followed by an extensive pre-season testing schedule with Sellers and Henzler.
Further development of the Falken AZENIS race tire has been underway since last season. Two successful trips to Japan as well as multiple test sessions in the United States helped tune the 2011 rubber as well as direct compound and construction techniques for 2012. On-track testing for the 2012 tire is already underway. Using the 2011 Porsche, Sellers joined Henzler for a successful multi-day test at Sebring the week of December 5.
After the season-opening round at Sebring in March, North America’s premier sports car series returns to Long Beach, Calif. on April 14, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca (Monterey, Calif.) May 12, Lime Rock (Conn.) Park on July 7 and July 21 at Mosport International Raceway (Bowmanville, Ont. Canada). Sellers and Henzler will defend their Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course victory at Lexington, Ohio on August 4 followed by Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin’s Road America race on August 18. The Baltimore street course, site of the Team Falken Tire’s second ALMS victory in 2011, is on the calendar for Sept. 1 while a yet to be announced race will fall between Baltimore and the season-ending 15th Annual Petit Le Mans on Oct. 20.
Bryan Sellers:
About returning to Team Falken Tire: “I am extremely excited and proud to return for another year with Team Falken Tire. Continuity is such a huge part of a successful program so it is great to be returning to a team that has worked well and has been successful together. It’s also a huge benefit to have Wolf returning to the program. He is a great friend and teammate. He offers a lot of knowledge and brings something to a program that is not easily recreated. Along those same lines, the team is returning with Derrick Walker as our team manager. Derrick was able to bring so much to the program last year in his first season in the ALMS. I can’t wait to see what he is able to now with a little time under his belt.”
About 2012: “I believe 2012 will be a another building block in our development program. Team Falken Tire will certainly be a better program but so will everyone else. That’s one of the things that makes competing in the ALMS special; no one sits back and thinks they have done enough. I think it will be a very difficult uphill climb for everyone but I think we will be well equipped to take it to the next level and challenge for more race wins.”
About the off-season Falken tire development program: “Our tire testing program will be the most important and beneficial part of our program. There is nothing that will have more focus than improving the Falken AZENIS tire. The success in 2011 has increased everyone’s determination. Winning is a great feeling and once you get a taste of it, it becomes the only thing that will satisfy your hunger.”
Kevin Jones, Falken Tire, Supervisor, ALMS Motorsports:
About Bryan Sellers’ impact on the Falken Tire program: “Bryan’s innate ability to provide feedback to both our tire and chassis engineers has been instrumental in the development of our program since Day One and his performance on track in a competitive environment speaks for itself. The genuine way he connects with the fans, from casual to hardcore, combined with his media savvy makes him a fantastic representative of Falken Tire and an example of what we desire from our motorsports athletes.”
“The pairing of Bryan with Porsche works driver Wolf Henzler grows stronger every race. Our success in 2011 would not have been possible without him and his contributions to our program since 2009. The GT class gets more competitive every year and shows no signs of slowing down but we expect continued improvement in 2012. Bryan will be a key factor driving us toward a championship performance.”
Source : Bryan Sellers