Falken Tire Partners with Walker Racing and ABC Will Broadcast Le Mans Series

The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón announced a ground-breaking, multi-year broadcast and digital agreement with ESPN that ALMS President/CEO Scott Atherton is calling “a game changer.” The innovative deal involves televising the world’s premier sports car series over several ESPN programming and media platforms, including ABC, ESPN2 and ESPN3.com. Intersport, an award-winning media and marketing agency, represented the Series in the new television and digital agreement with ESPN.

In a U.S. motorsports first, all ALMS races will be carried ‘live’ in their entirety and fully produced on ESPN3.com with ESPN2 and ABC providing televised coverage on a delayed basis. ESPN3.com – ESPN’s signature broadband sports network – will deliver nearly 60 hours of live coverage including 60-minute qualifying shows from each event along with pre- and post-race content.

Falken Tire's professional sports car racing program has grown substantially since their entry into the American Le Mans Series in 2008. Starting with the decision to purchase its own Porsche and manage its own team for the 2009 season, Falken has taken a non-conventional approach to its racing program. But that has come to an end in its quest to actually win races at the GT level.

"The ever increasing competition amongst the already fierce GT class in which Falken competes in has forced us to look in all directions, outward and inward, in pursuit of excellence. As a result, Falken Tire has reached an agreement with Derrick Walker and Walker Racing to conduct our race team operations for the 2011 season. Derrick Walker's motorsports career spans over 40 years including management positions within the Penske organization before beginning his own motorsports company in 1990. His experience in such series as Champ Car, Indy Car and Formula One combined with the involvement from manufacturers such as Porsche, McLaren and Cosworth, make us confident that Derrick will bring the highest level of professionalism and knowledge to our team for 2011,” said Andrew Hoit, Falken's director of marketing.

"I am proud to be involved with Falken Tire; they are clearly a company on the move both on and off the track. To be a part of their long-term goals and become involved in the American Le Mans Series is a great opportunity for us at Walker Racing," said Derrick Walker. Walker Racing's facility in Indianapolis becomes the epicenter of Falken's ALMS racing program.

To learn more about the 2011 Falken Tire American Le Mans Team visit www.wegetyougoing.com