Bryan Sellers and Team Falken Tire Take Eighth in ALMS VIR Run
Falken Factory Driver Prepares to Return “Home” for ALMS Finale
ALTON, Vir., October 6, 2013 – Bryan Sellers arrived at Virginia International Raceway (VIR) knowing that it would be a challenging track for the “fusion” No. 17 Team Falken Tire Porsche 911 GT3 RSR he co-drives with Germany’s Wolf Henzler. Through pit strategy and aggressive driving, the team was able to move the Porsche up as high as second in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) presented by Tequila Patrón Oak Tree Grand Prix on Saturday. However, after multiple hard-fought battles to hold position by the Braselton, Ga.-resident and the team, the No. 17 would fall to eighth at the checkered flag.
After debuting the car which uses the team’s two-time-winning 2010 RSR with elements of the destroyed 2012 model at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) two weeks ago, Team Falken Tire made progress over the two days of testing and practice here in Alton, Vir. Despite qualifying tenth, that progress continued. An early-race “off” by Henzler necessitated a pit stop to clean the car’s radiator intakes of debris. Now on its own pit strategy, Falken was able to use the sequencing and expert drives by both Sellers and Henzler to claw their way to second place in the hotly contested ALMS GT class. They remained there for multiple laps until the strength of the factory program cars began to eat away at Sellers’ gap one-by-one. Eventually, the Ferrari factory-backed 458, the pair of factory Corvettes and the two factory BMWs overtook the No. 17. Sellers held on to a top-ten finish and a moral victory for the team.
Sellers will now travel home to Georgia where he will have the pleasure of sleeping in his own bed for the season and series finale at nearby Road Atlanta. The 16th Annual Petit Le Mans is scheduled for 1,000-miles or ten-hours on Saturday, October 19. The race will conclude not only the ten-race ALMS season but also mark the end of the 15 year-old series as well. In 2014, the ALMS will combine with the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series to create the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship. Sellers will be fighting to leave his mark on the final line of the ALMS record books by taking his fourth-career ALMS win. All of the victories have come at the wheel of the Team Falken Tire Porsche and all as a factory driver for the Japanese tire brand. It would be his first win in the cornerstone endurance event.
Quotes
Bryan Sellers:
On the VIR race: “First of all, I think it is very important to take a look at our team in this particular situation. Our Team Falken Tire guys were perfect all day. They were fast in the pits and were able to gain us spots on every single stop. They are so dependable and fast that I look forward to the time when a pit stop comes! We didn’t have all the speed needed to be successful at VIR so it was up to them to give us an opportunity, and they did.”
On the late race battles for position: “All the top GT cars were tough all day, not one anymore than the others. It was very difficult! We were kind of like a sitting duck. I defended to the inside of every corner but most of them were strong enough to go around the outside of us. There wasn’t anything I could do with them out there and still have been able to look at myself in the mirror the next morning. It was difficult to keep them behind for any extended amount of time.”
On closing the season at Road Atlanta: “I love being able to close our season at a home race. Everything we do in the second half of the season is geared towards Petit Le Mans. In the past, we have raced well in endurance races and this one will have to be no different!”
For more on Bryan Sellers, please visit him on the web at "> www.BryanSellersRacing.com . Follow Bryan on Twitter ("> www.Twitter.com/BryanSellers ) and LIKE him on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/BryanSellersRacing . Tune-in to Bryan’s YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/BryanSellersRacing .
Learn more about Fall-Line Racing, visit www.Fall-LineMotorsports.com .
For more on the Grand-Am Sports Car Challenge go to www.GRAND-AM.com .
Visit www.FalkenTire.com for more on Team Falken Tire. Learn more about the American Le Mans Series at www.ALMS.com .
Go R/C racing with Bryan at www.HPIRACING.com .
Stayed charged with Batter Tender at www.BatteryTender.com .
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