Falken Tire Corp. has signed on to be the title sponsor for the 2002 Race to the Clouds.
The event will be called the Falken Tire Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. It is the 80th running of the auto and motorcycle race on the 14,110-foot peak in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Race week starts June 25.
The tire company joined the Hill Climb's roster of sponsors last year. "Because of the outstanding response we received from our dealers and motor sports enthusiasts, we are more than happy to enhance our relationship with the Hill Climb by assuming the title association," said Richard Smallwood, Falken's vice president of sales and marketing.
The 12.4-mile race is famous for its 156 gravel turns and shear 2,000-foot cliffs with no guardrails. It is the second oldest motor sports event after the Indianapolis 500.
Falken also will sponsor its own team and driver, Msayuki Akaba of Utsunomiya, Japan, in the race's High Performance Showroom Stock division.
