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Team Falken Drivers Win Optima USCA Championships

LAS VEGAS, NV – Team Falken drivers Lane Farka and Bob Sobey had a successful weekend in Optima's Ultimate Street Car Association (USCA) series at the 2024 Las Vegas Motor Speedway Invitational. Lane Farka took home a Championship Title for the GTL class, and Bob Sobey defended his championship title with a three-peat win for the GTS class. For the event, Sobey finished 1st overall in his 2013 Nissan GTR, and Farka finished 3rd overall in his 2015 Porsche 911 GT3; both vehicles equipped with Falken Azenis RT660 tires.

The event in Las Vegas started with the Speedstop Challenge at SEMA's Bronze Lot, which challenges the vehicle's acceleration and braking abilities. Farka confidently drove the 911 GT3 throughout the challenge and impressed the SEMA attendees, instantly becoming a fan favorite. He finished 1st in his class and 3rd overall for the challenge. Sobey tactically started his runs clean without any mistakes and finished with the overall fastest time of the day to outperform the Teslas in his class.

Next, Lane and Bob competed in the autocross course race. Farka outperformed the overall competition during the autocross race by 3/10ths of a second; however, he accidentally hit a cone, which resulted in a penalty of him losing his fastest time. Despite the minor setback, Lane finished 1st in class and 3rd overall. On the other hand, Sobey struggled with the highly technical cone setup on the autocross course. On his final run for the race, Sobey unfortunately missed a gate, which led him to end the race with a 5th-place finish in his class.

Farka competed with a broken shock for the final race on the road course. He decided to push through, continued to race with the suspension problem, and finished in 7th place overall and 3rd in class. Farka's performance earned him a 1st place finish in his class for the event, securing himself a championship series win in the GTL class with 978 total points. Sobey also encountered a problem of his own coming into his road course run. The Nissan GTR was experiencing a fuel delivery issue that caused fuel starvation while cornering. Sobey addressed the issue before the race and finished 1st in class and 3rd overall. His performance earned him a third championship title, finishing with 985 points for the year.

"The 911 GT3 was awesome and hooked up where it needed to," Farka stated. "We already have our schedule locked in for the 2025 season, and it looks like it will be a great year. We are excited to be on Team Falken and look forward to bringing home another championship."

"The Falken Azenis RT660 tires were fantastic this weekend. We rely heavily on our tires throughout the weekend because we only get one set and drive the cars hard in every event. The durability of our tires is crucial," recalled Sobey. "I'm super happy with the tires and the car overall, and I am looking forward to the next race since big things are coming."

“Bob Sobey is a phenomenal driver who can go head-to-head with the best and come out on top, and Lane Farka showcased true skill, determination, and talent,” said Falken Motorsports & Events Supervisor Gerald Alvarado. “We proudly support and congratulate Bob for his incredible three-peat victory and Lane for winning his first season with a new car.”

The 2025 Optima Ultimate Street Car series will begin on February 21, 2025, at the Sebring International Speedway in Sebring, Florida.