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Strong Motorsports Weekend Performance For Team Falken

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CA – Team Falken drivers Matan Rosenberg and James Houghton secured hard-fought podium finishes at the GRIDLIFE Mid-Ohio race in the GLTC and GLGT classes, respectively, while Bob Sobey and Brandon Hurst earned top spots at the OPTIMA USCA Road America race in the GTS class.

The Mid-Ohio track is Rosenberg’s home course, so he knew the race was going to be one of the toughest and closest competitions of the year. Houghton, on the other hand, entered the event excited to compete with a larger tire size – previously running 295/30R18 and upsizing to 315/30R18. With a stacked field of knowledgeable and fast competitors, Rosenberg clinched a 3rd place overall finish racing with his #484 Chevrolet Corvette, and Houghton earned a 1st place overall finish racing his Honda Civic TCR.

The event began on Friday with rain rolling through just before the start of the practice session, making the track conditions very slippery. Rosenberg and the team decided to opt for the Azenis FK510 tires for practice to navigate the wet track more effectively and refamiliarize himself with the track’s layout after being away for a year. Houghton utilized the practice time to ensure the Civic was running properly, particularly about the movement and fitment of the larger tires while driving with his newly installed fender flares.

Both Rosenberg and Houghton equipped their vehicles with Azenis RT660+ tires for the qualifying round to maximize grip and performance, aiming for fast lap times. Houghton’s qualifying run went smoothly, and he earned the fastest lap time for his class with a 1:32.00, beating Aaron Leichty and his Chevrolet C8 Corvette by a ninth of a second and securing a 1st place starting position for the first race. At the GLTC qualifying round, Rosenberg had a bit of a rough time due to heavy traffic. He struggled to find a clear path, and a slight mistake caused him to miss out on securing a fast lap time, resulting in a 14th-place starting position in qualifying.

Saturday marked the start of the first races, greeted by morning showers. By the first race, the track was damp but drying. To combat the slipperiness, Team Rosenberg softened the shocks and disconnected the rear sway bars, allowing the Azenis RT660+ tires to maximize grip. The change in setup worked well, and Rosenberg masterfully made several passes, going from 14th to 4th place in just two laps. Rosenberg made another pass and ended the first race in 3rd place. Houghton also had an eventful first race. At the start, Leichty passed Houghton on the straight before the first turn due to the difference in horsepower. By the first turn, however, Houghton battled Leichty throughout the whole race and finished in 2nd place by a mere third of a second.

The event’s second race kept Saturday eventful, as both Rosenberg and Houghton put on a show. Rosenberg was eager to be back at the front of the pack with a 3rd place start and compete. He initially lost a couple of spots at the beginning; however, his eagerness gave him the boost to make the passes and regain his original position while also engaging in excellent back-and-forth battles with Emile Tabb. Rosenberg successfully pushed for a last-lap pass and secured a 2nd-place finish for the race. Houghton, on the other hand, proceeded with a plan he had devised during the first race. At the start, Houghton decided to brake boost – the technique of holding the brakes and gas at the same time in a turbo-charged car to build full boost. As soon as the green flag came out to indicate the start, Houghton’s full boost pushed him to the front to pass Leichty. Houghton’s plan was effective since he stayed up front and earned his first win for the weekend.

The weather for the following day was drier, spelling out a more competitive race environment for the last two races. For the third race, Rosenberg and Houghton were determined to stay at the top. Rosenberg managed to pull away early during the start of the GLTC race and posted consistent laps throughout, earning the fifth overall race win of the season. Houghton and his team aimed to improve the car’s balance at high speed. For this race, Houghton decided to reduce the angle of the rear wing, which allowed him to be more confident in the corners. With a minor slip-up in timing the brake boost at the start, Houghton fell into 2nd place immediately. The change in the rear wing’s angle proved to be fruitful, as Houghton was able to put more pressure on the C8 Corvette and be side by side multiple times. Houghton would finish the race in 2nd place by only two-tenths of a second behind Leichty, and he also set the fastest lap time of the weekend with a 1:30.80.

The inverted grid on the final race always shakes the competition up in the GRIDLIFE series. The GLTC class was filled with competitors all within a tenth of a second of each other, so Rosenberg knew this race would be challenging. His intuition was correct, as he finished in 10th place after the race was cut short due to a full course caution. For the final GLGT race, Houghton redeemed himself by timing the start perfectly. He made it to 2nd place after the first corner and had a battle for first with a BMW M4 GT4. Houghton expertly made a pass for 1st place before the end of the first lap and kept the lead, ending the race in 1st place and securing the overall win for his class.

After this race, Matan Rosenberg passes Eric Kutil for 1st place overall in the GLTC class with 299 points.

“This course always has some of the toughest and closest racing of the year,” stated Matan Rosenberg. “The track is well known throughout the field; it has many passing opportunities and highlights the strengths and weaknesses of each car to make for some awesome racing. This weekend was no exception, and we battled it out every race for a hard-earned race win and 3rd place overall for the weekend.”

“We were very excited to bring a more competitive package to Mid-Ohio,” said James Houghton. “I felt like I performed well; the car worked flawlessly, and the new Azenis RT660+ never skipped a beat. We’re super excited for our next event at Lime Rock Park in August, as well as future events.”

At Road America, OPTIMA USCA drivers Bob Sobey, competing with his 2013 Nissan GT-R, and Brandon Hurst, competing with his 2022 Tesla Model S, displayed a strong showing, earning 1st and 2nd place overall finishes in the GTS class.

Sobey earned the fastest autocross lap on the karting track with a time of 23.66, and Hurst narrowly trailed behind with a 23.815. The technical autocross course was a challenge for everyone. However, Sobey earned a top spot time of 38.97, and Hurst again trailed right behind with a 39.88.

“The Falken Azenis RT660+ tires performed flawlessly,” stated Brandon Hurst. “It was also great to connect with the other drivers in this event, and we are looking forward to the next round.”

“Team Falken had an inspiring weekend in the Great Lakes region,” said Gerald Alvarado, Supervisor of Passenger Car Motorsports and Events at Falken Tires. “Our drivers showcased their incredible talent, and we continue to take immense pride in their achievements.”

The next GRIDLIFE event will be the Summer Apex Festival, held at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, from July 25th – July 27th, 2025. The next OPTIMA USCA event will take place at Summit Point Motorsports Park in Summit Point, West Virginia, from August 15th – August 17th, 2025.