The most persistent rumor last weekend at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca involved the Falken Tire-sponsored Walker Racing team, and the possible departure of the Japanese brand at the conclusion of the season.

Speaking with team owner Derrick Walker on Tuesday, the Scot says his Indianapolis-based program will continue to support the Porsche 911 RSR GT Le Mans program with its respected crew for as long as Falken wants to compete in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship.

“It’s no secret Falken at this time of the year looks at its many racing programs and considers the future for its cornerstone program, and we certainly hope they are going to stay,” said Walker.

“If Falken chooses not to stay for any reason, Walker Racing intends to stay in sports car racing and would seek new partners to do so, but we’ve been with Falken for five years now and are extremely proud of the relationship and the victories we’ve had in our partnership. They’ve been great partners and, if we have our wishes granted, the relationship will continue for many more years.”

The nature of motor racing partnerships and sponsorships has always been tenuous, and for a veteran like Walker, looking after the long-term needs within his business is part of the routine.

“We have an IndyCar engineer looking after the engineering on our Falken Porsche, and the rest of Walker Racing is made up of folks from extensive IndyCar and sports car background, so we’re quite proud of the talent we have to offer our clients,” he noted.

“We have a good all-round group, and thanks to Falken, we’ve added more to it and we’ve gotten better and better. We haven’t heard anything that says Falken isn’t coming back, and we know that our team delivers great value for whoever we represent.”