NEWS

FALKEN proud to sponsor pilot Yoshihide Muroya and “Team FALKEN” as he competes in the “Red Bull Air Race World Championship 2017”

Jan 26, 2017

Sumitomo Rubber Industries (CEO: Ikuji Ikeda) is pleased to announce that we will continue our sponsorship of Mr. Yoshihide Muroya, the only pilot from Asia to participate in the Master Class at the “Red Bull Air Race World Championship 2017.” This is our third consecutive year of supporting Mr. Muroya and “Team FALKEN” as they compete to win in the ultimate motorsport.

Yoshihide Muroya is an outstanding pilot whose hard-won flying skills have earned him widespread recognition on the global stage. Holding the distinction of being the only pilot from Asia to compete in the Master Class at this international air race competition, Muroya fulfilled a longstanding dream in last year’s Red Bull Air Race World Championship when he won his first ever Red Bull Air Race, ascending to the top of the podium at the third race of the series, which was held in the city of Chiba in his native Japan. He also went on to place sixth overall in the tournament.

Meanwhile, FALKEN is a brand that has established a strong global reputation for our high-performance OE and replacement tires, developed using the latest cutting-edge technologies, as well as our active participation in motorsports. Recognizing the strong compatibility between this remarkable pilot and FALKEN’s brand image, Sumitomo Rubber Industries is pleased to renew our sponsorship agreement with Mr. Muroya for the third consecutive year.

[Yoshihide Muroya pilot profile]
1973 Born on January 27 in Fukushima City (where he currently resides)
1998 Began participating in Air Shows in Japan
2002 Started his own Air Show Team
2009 Began competing in the Red Bull Air Race World Championship
2014 Placed 3rd at the second race of the tournament (Held in Croatia) – His first podium finish
2015 Placed 3rd in two races to finish 6th overall
2016 Won his first race in the tournament (held in Chiba) Finished 6th overall

[Red Bull Air Race World Championship]
The Red Bull Air Race World Championship is a tournament in which world-class race pilots fly specialized high-speed, highly maneuverable race planes at speeds of up to 370km/h through an aerial race course, competing in terms of both speed and precision flying. This air race tournament is officially recognized by Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI – the World Air Sports Federation)

[Red Bull Air Race World Championship 2017 Race Schedule]
February 10(Fri) / 11(Sat) : Abu Dhabi, UAE
April 15(Sat) / 16(Sun) : San Diego, USA
June 3(Sat) / 4(Sun) : Chiba, Japan
July 1(Sat) / 2(Sun) : Budapest, Hungary
July 22(Sat) / 23(Sun) : Kazan, Russia
August 12(Sat) / 13(Sun) : TBD
September 2(Sat) / 3(Sun) : TBD
October 14(Sat) / 15(Sun) : Indianapolis, USA