John Falb entered his first Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Powered by Mazda season in 2014 brimming with confidence.
He was a veteran, race-winning driver in regional series on the West Coast and looked to extend that success quickly with ONE Motorsports in the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) Development Series.
But 10th- and 21st-place overall finishes in his first two races, in March at Sebring International Raceway, briefly dented his confidence. But Falb, from Las Vegas, recovered quickly and ended the season in October at Road Atlanta as the Lites 1 Masters Champion.
Falb, 43, won the Masters class in three races and finished on the Masters podium at six other rounds. He also finished third overall at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and Road Atlanta, ending up a strong fourth place overall in the final series standings.
“Going into the season last year, I had pretty high hopes and expectations after doing well in other series I had been in,” Falb said. “I think those expectations were quickly shifted after a pretty rough Sebring event where I basically crashed in both races and got 10th in one and DNF in the other.
“The competition in this series is great, so you can’t give up at any point. You’ve got to keep digging and digging. It was a growth year for me and for the team.”
Falb took advantage of the break between the season opener in March at Sebring and the next event, in June at Kansas Speedway, to dominate and win in four regional events in other series. That success snapped Falb into a groove that helped him earn his first career Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Powered by Mazda Masters podium at Kansas despite a furious thrash by the ONE Motorsports team to fix mechanical problems during the race weekend. The result became a launch pad for summer success.
That powerful drive to the championship hit top gear as Falb came to grips with the high downforce created by the Élan chassis of the Prototype Lites car. The G-forces placed on the very fit Falb by the car also forced him to intensify his fitness regimen.
“I think getting used to the physical nature of how these cars are driven,” Falb said. “You really have to muscle them around a lot more while still trying to be smooth. It just requires a lot more physical effort. And it’s important to be in the right shape so you don’t start to lose focus as the race goes on and keep focus on what you’re doing instead of getting tired.”
The first edge is track knowledge. Falb had competed in regional series primarily on the West Coast before coming to Prototype Lites, so learning the circuits was one of his first tasks at every event weekend in 2014.
But this year NOLA Motorsports Park – where Falb and many other series drivers participated in an official IMSA test this week – is the only new circuit in the championship in 2015. So that should give Falb an advantage.
“I live in Vegas, and most of the tracks (in Prototype Lites) are on the East Coast,” Falb said. “They’re not tracks I’ve been going to my whole life, and so there were a lot of tracks to learn.
“I feel a lot more confident showing up at a Watkins Glen and knowing some of the little intricacies of the circuits. I think it definitely helps you get up to speed and helps you to work on the other parts of the track that help you to go faster. It makes a big difference.”
Another difference in 2015 is a second consecutive year in the series with Las Vegas-based ONE Motorsports. Falb and Lites 2 standout Todd Slusher are returning to the team, which also welcomes Masters newcomers Gerhard Watzinger and Dave House this season.
“We’re coming out here to have fun and do well, and we’re all passionate about the sport,” Falb said. “Having the same guys around and having fun at the same time we’re working hard, it’s a great benefit. We’re happy we’ve got two new guys under the tent. It’s great to have the continuity. I know these guys well, and we have fun together.
“I know I’ve got a ton to learn and just to try to keep going faster. I’m going into this year eyes a little bit more wide open. We’ve done a little offseason testing, and I’m just going to keep my head down and keep trying to plug away. Certainly, I would like to finish the season better this year than I did last year.”
About Me: Adam has been a race fan since the first time he went through the tunnel under the Daytona International Speedway almost 30 years ago. He has had the privilege of travelling to races all across the state of Florida (as well as one race in Ohio), watching nearly everything with a motor compete for fame and glory, as well as participating in various racing schools to get the feel of what racecar drivers go through every week. Adam has spent the last three years covering motorsports for Examiner.com., where he had the opportunity to see the racing world from behind the scenes as well as the grandstands. He invites everyone to follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus, and looks forward to sharing his enthusiasm for all things racing with the readers of SpeedwayDigest.com.Be sure to tune in for his weekly sports talk program, Thursday Night Thunder, where he discusses the latest in motorsports news with drivers, crew members, and fans. The show takes place every Thursday at 8:00 pm EST on the Speedway Digest Radio Network.
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