Premiere at the Nürburgring:
Hankook Team Farnbacher at the legendary 1000 kilometre race

• Hankook Team Farnbacher will be on the starting line for the first time at the 1000 kilometre race of the Le Mans Series at the Nürburgring
• Tyre tests completed with optimum resultsTeam aims to build upon its training success

Nürburgring, Germany, 18th August 2009 - The Hankook Team Farnbacher with drivers Pierre Kaffer, this year’s class winner at the Le Mans 24 Hours, and Allan Simonsen in the GT2 class will be on the starting line for the legendary 1000 kilometre race of the Le Mans Series on Sunday at the Nürburgring. The Team with the start number 89 will be driving a Ferrari F430 GT with Hankook Ventus racing tyres.

The first tests at the Nürburgring went well. The joint team of tyre manufacturer Hankook Tire and Farnbacher Racing is confident: "The tyres delivered a consistent performance over far greater distances", reports Young Su Kim, directing engineer of racing tyre development at Hankook Tire. "The direct competitive comparison in the race will provide us with further valuable data for development – both in the area of racing tyres and for the next generation of road tyres."

The Hankook Team Farnbacher made its debut at this year’s Le Mans Series and has already recorded successes. The first official test days on the Paul Ricard racetrack in southern France resulted in Pierre Kaffer finishing as the fastest driver in the GT2 class. In the first race, the 1000 Kilometres of Catalonia, Allan Simonsen and Christian Montanari drove themselves to a place on the winners' podium.

"We aim to continue these successes on Sunday." says Team driver Pierre Kaffer. "We have the right material, the tyres have performed well from the very beginning and have already undergone promising development during the season. The potential is there, and all we need now is that little bit of luck that is needed for a top position."

Depending on the weather and track conditions, the Hankook Team Farnbacher Ferrari F430 GT will be fitted with slicks of the type Ventus F200, Ventus Z207 rain tyres or tailor-made intermediates of sizes 280/650 R 18 on the front axle and 280/710 R18 on the rear axle. The tyres will be fitted to BBS rims of the size 11x18". The team has different tread compounds available to match the axle position and track conditions.

Hankook Ventus F 200 Slick

- Available tread compounds front axle: medium
- Available tread compounds, rear axle: medium

Hankook Ventus Intermed

- Available tread compounds for both axles: soft, medium

Hankook Ventus Z 207 Rain Tyres

- Available tread compounds for both axles: supersoft, soft, medium

Over 1,000 tyres will be used over the course of the whole season. Hankook Tire provides around 200 tyres in the drivers’ camp for the team at every race.

The next and last race of the European Le Mans Series for this season takes place on 13th September at Silverstone, Great Britain. The Hankook Team Farnbacher Ferrari will be prepared and shipped off to Japan immediately after the race for the 2 x 500 kilometre race of Okayana of the Asian Le Mans Series.

2009 Race Calendar Hankook Team Farnbacher

Le Mans Series

Catalonia (Spain) 3rd-5th April
Spa (Belgium) 8th-10th May
Algarve (Portugal) 31st July - 2nd August
Nuerburgring (Germany) 21st-23rd August
Silverstone (Great Britain) 11th -13th September

Asia Le Mans Series

Okayama (Japan) 30th October - 1st November

Le Mans 24 Hours

Le Mans (France) 12th-14th June

Hankook Tire in international motorsport

Hankook Tire has steadily increased its involvement in European racing over recent years. Last season, Hankook’s high-performance tyres were on the starting line in motorsports competitions in Germany, UK, the Netherlands, France, Italy and Spain. Hankook has previously gathered many years of experience in motorsports in Super GT races in Japan, Super races in Korea, championships in China’s CCC and CRC, and ALMS in America. Over the last two years, the company was able to show its racing tyre’s superior performance with Team Alzen Motorsport also in the German endurance championship, achieving the fastest laptimes ever on the famous Nuerburgring Nordschleife. From this year Hankook Tire with the Hankook Team Farnbacher will also be taking part in the European Le Mans Series and the Le Mans 24 Hours.

Hankook Tire Motorsport Participation

- Le Mans Series and 24 Hours of Le Mans 2009, sponsored team: Hankook Team Farnbacher, Ferrari F430 GT2
- Japan Super GT, sponsored team: Hankook Porsche Team – GT300
- German Endurance Championship Nuerburgring (VLN) and 24 Hour Race, sponsored team: Hankook-H&R Spezialfedern-Team Alzen Motorsport, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR
- American Le Mans Series (ALMS), sponsored team: Primetime Race Group Team
- China Circuit Championship (CCC), sponsored team: Hankook Tire Lufang Racing Team (2000cc)
- Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC), sponsored team: Opel Team MSD
- German Rallye Championship (DRM), sponsored team: Wallenwein Rallyesport
- Suzuki Rallye Cup 2009 (official tyre supplier)
- China Rally Championship (CRC), sponsored team: Wanyu Rally Team (2007 Series Champion)
- Participation in the French Rally Championship- Spain Rallye Championship, sponsored team: Pedro Burgo Rallye Team
- Suzuki Swift Tarmac Rallye Championship Spain (official tyre supplier)
- Volante RACC Tarmac Championship
- Formula D (Drift), sponsored team: Hankook JIC Motorsports Team
- IMSA Lites (official tyre supplier)
- Japanese Formula 3 Series (official tyre supplier)
- Korea DDGT Championship (title sponsor and official tyre supplier)
- CJ Super Race (Korea - official tyre supplier)
- Hankook R1 (Korea - title sponsor and official tyre supplier)
- Volkswagen Racing Cup (title sponsor and official tyre supplier)