Following Falken Motorsports’ dominant 1-2 finish in the sixth round of the 2018 VLN Championship, the team will race in VLN 7 this weekend with a 2019 Porsche 911 GT3 R in the SP-X class.
The team’s entry will not be the first run in VLN for the 2019 911 GT3 R, as Manthey Racing has competed in select rounds with one this year already. It will though, be the first time the car has run on Falken tyres and by Falken Motorsports.
Falken stalwart Martin Ragginger will share driving duties in the four-hour race with the Porsche works drivers Nick Tandy and Laurens Vanthoor. Because the car hasn’t been homologated yet, it will compete in the SP-X class, and as a result have to spend an additional 20 seconds in the pits at each stop.
The 2019 Porsche 911 GT3 R is based on the second generation of the 991 series. It’s powered by a four-litre six-cylinder boxer engine capable of reaching up to 550 hp. The car features improved aero, more of a focus on drivability, advanced optimisation to safety features and reductions in servicing and parts costs.
In addition to racing with the new Porsche, Falken will also run a special livery, which Falken say is a “reference to the stunning Erlkönig wrap design which featured on Manthey’s yellow Porsche.”
The team will also be racing with a BMW M6 GT3 in the race, for Scottish driver Peter Dumbreck and Stef Dusseldorp.
VLN 7, the 58th ADAC Reinoldus Endurance Race, will start at Nürburgring on 22 September 2018 at 12:00 local time in Germany.
