The driver line-up for the 47^th Annual Rolex 24 At Daytona, will include Tracy Krohn paired again with endurance sports car veteran Eric van de Poele in the No. 75 entry, along with Brit Oliver Gavin. The No. 76 car will re-join team regular Nic Jönsson with former Formula One star Ricardo Zonta and English sports car ace Darren Turner. The six drivers were paired identically in last year's Rolex 24 At Daytona.

Krohn Lolas to be Powered by Ford Engines in 2009

The Proto-Auto Lolas, which Krohn Racing debuted in March 2008 at the Miami Grand Prix at Miami-Homestead Speedway will be powered by Roush-Yates prepared Ford engines in 2009.

TRACY W. KROHN, Krohn Racing Team Owner/ No. 75 Driver:
"We are very pleased with the driver line-up we've assembled for 2009. Having the same six drivers back together for the Rolex 24 will add to the viability of a potential victory. I'm pleased to have Eric and Oliver teamed with me again. We started out the 2008 season with a seventh-place finish in the most difficult race of the year. The three of us worked together well and had good chemistry, which is important. The entire team has good chemistry and that is a major ingredient for success. Ricardo and Darren are paired again with Nic and I believe that is also a successful pairing. We've got a long race ahead of us with a lot of testing between now and then. We're optimistic about a positive outcome." 

"We are now running the Ford engines on our Proto-Auto Lolas. Unfortunately, Pontiac decided at the end of race year in 2008 that they will discontinue track support. With the continued testing and improvement we plan for the Proto-Auto chassis, it continues to be our focus. We want and need track support with our engine program and Pontiac, unfortunately, couldn't offer that any more. We believe Pontiac, along with CRD and Bob Cronin and his staff, did a superb job for us the past couple of years, and have always given us good and reliable engines. We had to make a decision which route we were going to go and Ford was the obvious choice for us. We worked with Ford in 2006 with John Maddox from Roush-Yates Engines. They did a great job for us back then with a very reliable product and we won the Driver's Championship that year. We already had a relationship with them and they offer a good track support program so that made that made it an easy decision to switch back to Ford engines."

DAVID BROWN, Krohn Racing Team Manager and Engineer:
"With regard to switching to Ford engines, we had become increasingly uneasy at the reduction in support offered by Pontiac to their engine program Having reviewed the options available in Grand-Am, we decided to renew our relationship with Ford and Roush-Yates Engines. This relationship had proved to be successful in 2006 when the team won the Driver's Championship. So far the relationship between Krohn Racing and Roush-Yates engines has been very good, and we have covered 1,700 miles in testing without issue on the engine side."

"2008 has been a challenging year in many areas. We have put enormous effort into developing the Proto-Auto Lola, and we still are, at every test. Our intention for 2009 is to consolidate those developments and improvements we made in 2008 and use the experience we have gained to have a good Daytona 24-hour race for both cars."

"We believe we have a very strong team of dedicated and talented people, all of whom share the same goals for 2009. The will to succeed is powerful throughout the team. We will keep the same core of personnel for 2009. Continuity and long-term commitment are strong incentives to retain our current group. We have secured the same six drivers for the Daytona 24-hour race, with Darren and Olly joining our regular drivers, Tracy, Nic, Eric and Ricardo. This gives us a strong line-up."

ERIC VAN DE POELE, Krohn Racing No. 75 Driver:
"I cannot wait to be back in the car. I was so happy last year to do a full championship with a top team. To get to come back is perfect. I really enjoy the Krohn Racing Team and if I had to learn a lot of things last year, this coming year will be hard for the competition. I am more motivated than ever and I know exactly what to expect for 2009."

"It's going to be a new experience for me to work with Roush, but not for the team. Pontiac did a good work last year, but I believe that if you want to win races, we need full support and progress. I cannot wait to try the new engine and I know the reputation of such a renown engineering company."

RICARDO ZONTA, Krohn Racing No. 76 Driver:
"So far it has been very positive with the Ford engine. We did a lot of laps at the recent test and didn't have any small issues. We worked on preparation for the 24 hours. Every point on performance and reliability has been very positive for us in our first test."

"I think Grand-Am is the one series where the championship is coming up and growing. There are many cars fighting in this Series and I like that in a championship. I don't need to talk about other series, but I think it's not fair for the drivers because there are not many cars competing. I don't like ovals, so I don't chose to go to open-wheel racing. I just see positive points in Grand-Am, especially for the future. In 2009, I will also drive a stock car in Brazil."

NIC JONSSON, Krohn Racing No. 76 Driver:
"Obviously we started out 2008 with a new car, the Proto-Auto Lola, which is a challenge for the whole team. We have been working very hard -- the engineers and the crew guys and doing a tremendous job to get the car quicker and quicker every race we've gone to this year. I think the highlight for the team was the two podiums we had at Mexico City and the Daytona sprint, and then of course the pole position we had at Miller in the last race. I think that proves we made headway with the car and progressed slowly but steadily. We have quite a few new things to try during winter testing. Hopefully we can come back and be very competitive in 2009."

"What I'm looking for in 2009 is obviously to go out and be very competitive from the get-go. We are focused very hard right now through specific testing with a look towards 24 Hours at Daytona. The goal is to win the 24 Hours of Daytona this year. Having both Ricardo Zonta and Darren Turner as my teammates, I definitely think we should have a very good chance of running out front. Obviously, as always with the 24 Hours of Daytona, it is going to be all about staying out of trouble, not having any mechanical mishaps with pit stops or on the track and just have a clean race. When you have a clean race and a somewhat competitive lap time, that's the recipe to win a 24-hour race. That's the goal."

DARREN TURNER, Krohn Racing No. 76 Driver:
"I absolutely loved my first experience of racing at Daytona at the beginning of this year - everything about it, even the rain and the small problems we en-counted.  The team did a fantastic job, and to finish fourth was a great result for Krohn Racing and a very positive start to their season. I can't wait to do it all again because it's a proper battle out there, wheel-to-wheel racing for the entire time on a track which, for me, is very unique and with a totally professional team.  All the right elements of a winning package are there."

"For the 2009 Rolex 24 we will obviously be planning to improve on last year's result and I'm sure that with a year's experience of the Proto-Auto Lola now under their belts, the team is in a really good position to achieve that."

OLIVER GAVIN, Krohn Racing No. 75 Driver:
"The 2008 Daytona race was, for the team, one of those races where I think everyone was unsure how it was going to go -- mainly because of the last minute chassis change to the Riley. Although Krohn had a lot of experience with it, the change put us on back foot in terms of preparation for that race.  However, it showed the strength of the team that they came through and were the only team to get both cars through to a top ten finish. It was a great achievement, and our car was able to run with lead cars for at least some of the time, so I came away very satisfied with the 7^th place result."

"My goal with the Krohn Racing team this year is to get at least as good a result as last year, and into the top five would be fantastic.  The team are very focussed on Daytona and there is a big push towards it from all quarters. There's lots of time to get ready, and a reasonable amount of testing planned, so we will all be aiming to hit the ground running.  Last year was quite challenging as it started raining heavily during the night and it was difficult to see with all the spray and dirt on the windshield. The Pirelli tires also took quite a while to heat up so it was often treacherous leaving the pit lane after a stop. There are new Pirelli tires for 2009, which will be a whole new learning experience."

Eric van de Poele brings over twenty years of endurance sports car racing to the team, competing in more than 55 different racing cars on nearly 85 racing circuits worldwide. The Belgian is a three-time class winner at Le Mans, a two-time 12 Hours of Sebring winner, has claimed five 24 Hour victories at Spa and a victory in the inaugural Petit Le Mans. After a brief start in single-seaters (Formula 3) in 1983, van de Poele made the move to Touring cars in 1985, then Formula 3000 and even competed in Formula One for two seasons (1991-92), all while honing his endurance racing skills. He has competed in a major endurance sports car race for each of the past 14 consecutive years.

Brazilian Ricardo Zonta has over ten years experience in Formula One competition, having worked with such teams as McLaren, Honda, Jordan and Toyota. Krohn Racing's Engineer and Team Manager David Brown knew Zonta from their days together at Jordan in 2001 and recommended him to fill-in for a suspended Colin Braun at the Sears Point race in August 2007. That progressed to a full-time ride in 2008. Like many race drivers, Ricardo got his start in go karting in his native Curitiba, Brazil for five years (from 1987-1992) before making the jump to the Formula Chevrolet Championship, then Formula 3, Formula 3000 and FIA GT before landing in F1. Zonta has another dimension to his biography by also competing in the Brazil Nextel Stock Car Championship.

Darren Turner began his racing career in single-seaters in 1993, and served two years as McLaren's Grand Prix two-seater program driver. He was a test driver for several Formula One teams for nine years between 1997-2005, but mostly with McLaren. His sports car experience includes the DTM Series and FIA GT Championship. He is a class winner at Le Mans, Sebring and Petit Le Mans, with one victory in each of the past three years. Turner previously competed with Krohn and Jönsson at the 2007 Petit Le Mans in the Risi-Krohn Ferrari and in 2008 at the Rolex 24 At Daytona.

Oliver Gavin is a three-time consecutive GT1 class champion and has four 24 Hours of Le Mans, four Petit Le Mans and four 12 Hours of Sebring class victories, all with Corvette Racing. The British native got his started in go karts, moved into single seaters and quickly claimed the British National Formula First Championship with 11 wins in 12 races in 1991. He was also named "McLaren Autosport Young Driver of the Year". He moved up to British Formula 3000, where he won the championship in 1995, then the FIA International Formula 3000 and Touring cars. He was a Formula One test driver for Benetton F1 and Renault from 1997 to 2002. Sports car racing has dominated his driving since 2000 with Grand-Am, ALMS ACO-Le Mans and the FIA GT.

Nic Jönsson, a native of Sweden who now resides in Georgia with his family, first paired with Krohn in 2004. Nic was a Touring Car and F3 champion before going sports car racing in 2001. He had two podium finishes with Zonta in 2008 and finished fourth at the Rolex 24 with Zonta and Turner.

Tracy Krohn, who only began racing six years ago at age 48, got his start in the Panoz Racing series. Tracy and Nic drove to an impressive second-place finish in the GT2 class at the 2007 running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans driving the Risi-Krohn Ferrari 430 GT, along with third driver Colin Braun. Krohn finished seventh in the 2008 Rolex 24 At Daytona with van de Poele and Gavin.

Krohn was the winner of the prestigious "Jim Trueman Award" for Sportsman drivers in 2007.

In 2006, Krohn Racing driver Jörg Bergmeister captured the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series Prototype Driver Championship. Krohn Racing was second in the Prototype Team Championship, a marked achievement for the new team. 

Mika Salo and Jaime Melo brought the #62 car home in a strong second place despite suffering from front suspension failure which severely compromised the handling of the car in the final hour.  It was a disappointing result considering that the Risi Ferrari had been able to take the GT2 class lead (after starting from 5^th place on the grid) through great track performance and good pit strategy.

Tracy Krohn and Nic Jönsson overcame rude and unwelcome contact from a prototype on lap 10 of the race which caused a left rear puncture and some bodywork damage.  Further contact from another prototype left the Texan owner of Krohn Racing in the gravel trap on lap 98 but he fought back with a string of consistently quick laps to make up lost ground and overtook the Ford GT two laps before the end to place in 12^th.

Giuseppe Risi summed up the day's events and the team's 2008 season.  "We would rather have won but you can't discredit second place, especially considering the problem we had with the front suspension.  It was very commendable of Jaime to have brought the car home only 4 second behind the winner - we certainly had the legs on it. 

"It was a little different from last season but this is motor racing.  We've won the two biggest races of the year this year and I think Le Mans basically counts for a whole Championship so we have to be somewhat content."

Jaime Melo:  "It's a little bit disappointing for me.  At the re-start from one of the yellows Dirk hit me up the back and after that the car was strange - it had a lot of oversteer and was really difficult to drive.  We then had another yellow and changed tires and the balance improved so I could push more.  But suddenly we had the suspension problem and it was difficult, actually really scary; especially on this track where if you go off line you could go off the track altogether.  We had a very good car but at the same time even with this problem we could keep a good pace.  I had some traffic towards the end otherwise I could perhaps have closed the gap even more."

Mika Salo:  "It was a weird race, and it always seems to be the same cars going off the track and causing safety cars.  It's such a competitive field here and I don't think we need those cars any more.  It looks bad on the TV and it's bad for the show.  Our car was really good all the time I was in it and we were easily the quickest GT2 car, pulling away from everyone, and I had no problems at all."

Nic Jönsson:  "The end result is nothing we can be proud of. I think we had a potential top six or seven car out there today. Tracy did a good job in the last stint. Unfortunately he got hit in his first stint and we went about 3 laps down. I was very pleased with my own stint. I was running right on pace with the top three or four cars. Again, the Risi Competizione/Krohn team did a great job at having good pit stops, preparing a good car for us. I think now that we are at the end of the year, it's not been too bad. We had a very good year this year with both the Ferrari and the DP so I'm very pleased and looking forward to 2009."

Tracy Krohn:  "We started off the race getting hit coming into Turn 11 by an LMP car. That messed up the rear end left wheel and that caused us to lose three laps in the pits. We got back out on the track and ran a few laps before getting hit going up to the Corkscrew; I don't know where he came from. I was doing about 120 (miles per hour) and all of a sudden I was going sideways. Nic got in the car then and ran a really good stint. Then I was able to get back in the car and the last 20 laps I ran the car was really, really good and perfect at the end; as good as it's been any time I've ever driven it. Congratulations to the team. They did a great job getting this car set-up. We'll examine why it was so darn good at the end because it was really perfect! I just kept grinding and kept grinding and we finally passed the 40 car at the end and gained one position."

 Laguna Seca has always been a happy hunting ground for Risi Competizione and all four drivers love racing at the track.  It is at this track that Risi has twice brought home the ALMS Teams Championship and where, in 2007, Salo and Melo clinched the GT2 Drivers' Championship - an honor that has gone this year to the team's much-respected rivals, Flying Lizard Motorsports.

Built on a former US Army base, the 2.238 mile Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is challenging for drivers and engineers alike, with its 11 turns and many ups and downs.  The famous Corkscrew turn, a steep drop away over a blind 90-degree left-hand bend that immediately sweeps away to the right, is one of the highlights here and is an awesome place to watch the drivers in action.  The track is also notoriously slippery due to the sand surrounding the asphalt, which is often either blown on or brought onto the track by another car.  A fast lap here takes every ounce of skill that a driver possesses.

Buoyed by a fine fourth place GT2 finish at Petit Le Mans, the Krohn green Ferrari 430 GT of Tracy W Krohn and Nic Jönsson will be looking for a strong finish with which to round off their season.  It will be the fourth time the pair has raced under the Risi Competizione banner this year, and Tracy Krohn can't wait to get to California.

Tracy Krohn:  "Who doesn't want to go to Laguna? What a great place to race! I need a little redemption there from last year. I got knocked around a couple of times by the Prototype cars and beat up a little bit so it's time for a little redemption.  While we are pleased with a 4^th place finish at Petit Le Mans, the goal always remains to be on the podium.  The team did a great job and Nic and Eric did their usual great job as well.  There was a lot of carnage and patience ruled the day for this race. I think the same strategy will apply for Laguna."

Nic Jönsson:  "The number one way to have a successful car is to last the whole race and have a pit crew that does not make mistakes. We have both of those every race with Risi Competizione. They are very meticulous in the preparation and the guys are fantastic and a first-class crew, along with first-class equipment. It's a pure team effort to be able to achieve the results we've had in such a tough environment.  As far as the car is concerned, I think the Ferrari has shown to be very good on braking and good to put power down, but Laguna Seca is a very low grip track. They actually resurfaced the track a few years ago and it's still very slippery because of the sand that blows across the track all the time. It's like polished asphalt. I think though it should be a very good track for the Ferrari because the geometry on the car helps it get good traction." 

For Finland's Mika Salo, one of the paddock's most experienced and charismatic characters, Laguna Seca is a particular favorite.  On his first visit to the track in 2006, he not only posted class pole but went on to take fastest lap of the race and victory with Stephane Ortelli in a Risi Competizione F430GT.  The result was repeated in 2007 with current team mate and 07 Drivers Co-Champion, Jaime Melo. 

Mika Salo:  "There are some tricky parts and some similar corners to some of the street circuits we've raced at this year. When you first race there it's more difficult maybe to memorize than most of them because of the elevation changes, and also the low grip is an issue there. It's a beautiful track and a nice place, the whole area. I really enjoyed it the last two years and we're just going to try to repeat the same thing this year."

Risi's Brazilian driver, Melo, who drove with such amazing metronomic precision and speed at Road Atlanta, is very aware that the GT2 battle will be as intensely competitive as ever - despite the championships having already been settled - and can't wait to enter the fray.

Jaime Melo:  "Winning at Petit Le Mans has given us even more confidence for this race, although we have always done well here.  Our #62 car was not passed on the track by any other GT2 car at Road Atlanta but I think it might be more difficult to repeat that at Laguna.  There will be a few people still racing for points in the championship, us included, so it will be important for us to have a good result."

In an excellent result for Ferrari, Nic Jönsson, Tracy Krohn and Eric van de Poele brought their #61 Krohn Racing Risi Ferrari home in 4^th place.  Four of the top five places in GT2 were filled by Ferraris.

Risi's Brilliant Brazilian was undoubtedly the star of this particular show.  Melo led the first hour of the race after starting from pole position, but an early mechanical problem necessitated two additional pit stops and caused the car to drop back to 12^th in the placings.  Despite losing two laps to the leaders, Melo set about carving his way through the field and back into contention.  After four and a half hours, the #62 was in 2^nd place and chasing the #45 Flying Lizard Porsche for the lead. 

He was of course backed up superbly by his teammate, Mika Salo, who not only maintained the position but also kept the opposition at bay despite being under intense pressure throughout.  The Flying Finn's reputation as the best closer in the business was fully justified today as he battled through accidents, darkness and the heat of competition to take the checkered flag.

Car #61 had a great run through to 4^th place, despite being forced to change a punctured tire in the pits while they were closed during the long 10^th Full Course Caution period.  A time/stop/go penalty was incurred but the Krohn Racing drivers' pace and performance ensured that they were still ahead of the 5^th placed Ferrari of JMB Racing.

Giuseppe Risi, Team Principal: 
"This is a very special moment for me here at Petit Le Mans.  We won the first Petit outright in a Ferrari 333 and ten years after we now win it again after having also captured the 24 Hours of Le Mans.  What also makes it special is that our other car is right up there in 4^th place and that there are four Ferraris in the top five.  It's a very special day for Ferrari and I want to thank everybody involved for making this possible."

Jaime Melo, Driver, No. 62 Risi Ferrari 430 GT: 
"I'm really happy to win this race especially.  When Mika got the problem we were right back and I thought that the only thing I could do was to push the maximum and don't make any mistakes and that's what I did.  The team, as always, did a really great job and the Michelin tires were very consistent so we had a car that was easy to drive, comfortable and always on the pace.  It's been a tough year; we won Le Mans and now Petit Le Mans so that's good for the team and for us all.  It gives us more confidence for the future."

Mika Salo, Driver, No. 62 Risi Ferrari 430 GT:  "I don't know why all the problems seem to happen to me!   I had two problems, which, at the time, we didn't know were connected.  The drinks bottle wasn't working and then the throttle stuck open.  We eventually found out that a really small piece from the drinks tube had broken off and got stuck between the floor and the throttle - it's about the size of a fingernail.  You can't believe the chances of something like that happening.  Anyway, it's nice to win but, for me, I'm really jealous of those guys [Wolf Henzler and Jorg Bergmeister] for winning the Championship!!"  

Nic Jönsson, Driver, No. 61 Risi-Krohn Ferrari 430 GT: 
"I'm very pleased about the 4^th place finish here. We qualified quite well with sixth. For us to have a good finish here we had to stay out of trouble. Both Eric and Tracy did an awesome job today, keeping it on the track, plugging away and letting everybody else make mistakes. I have to say thanks, of course, to Tracy again, to Risi Competizione and Krohn Racing for putting together a very good program. Hopefully we can do this again next year. We've had a lot of success in this car and hopefully we can continue on."

Tracy Krohn, driver/Krohn Racing team owner, No. 61 Risi-Krohn Ferrari 430 GT: 
"The cool part about it is that when you come to a race like this it's all about staying out of trouble and being very consistent. But it's also about having really quality team mates and that's a big part of it. My hat's off to the Risi guys. The preparation on the car is always superb; the car is always very drivable. (Race Engineer) Mark Schomann just did a great job. It was a great team effort. Eric did an awesome job in a very tight situation with an instantaneous reaction that probably saved our skins for the race because of the wreck that happened in front of him between one of the GT Porsches and one of the P1 cars. If Eric had not make the right decision the game would have been over for us tonight. But he did and that's just experience. There's no way you can coach or teach that, you just have to know how to do it and how to react. Nic also did an awesome job driving today. Both those guys were great. I've said it a thousand times. This business is just like any other business. When you surround yourself with talented people who work hard, you get good results. Same thing continues to happen."

Eric van de Poele, driver, No. 61 Risi-Krohn Ferrari 430 GT: 
"It was pretty good until the end. We had absolutely no problem at the beginning of the race. I think Nic had a very good pace. We were in a very good position. Unfortunately we lost a lap by no chance with the pace car but it happens.  Then Tracy went in the car. We made a couple of extra pit stops over the next few laps with the cautions. Then when I got back in I think we were in 7^th and I was a little demotivated but we came back and got better and better in our position. Of course we hoped to be on the podium but I think fourth place is fantastic for the team. We've had a good result two times this year with this car. Once more Giuseppe Risi won this race and I'm very happy for him. Ten years ago he won and this year he deserved it. Of course it could have been better to be on the podium with them but I'm very happy for him and for us."

Tracy W. Krohn, of Houston, Texas, entered into a relationship with Risi Competizione to run in the No. 61 Ferrari 430GT for three ALMS races (Sebring, Petit Le Mans, and Laguna Seca) and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2008. Krohn is also a team owner/driver of the two-car Krohn Racing Daytona Prototype team in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series.

For more information, please go to http://www.krohnracing.net/, http://www.risicompetizione.com/ or http://www.americanlemans.com/.

The team will be re-united with its fellow Houston-headquartered racing partner, Krohn Racing, for the last two rounds of the 2008 series, reprising a racing relationship which has yielded significant success over the last two seasons.  While highlights have been podium finishes at Le Mans in 2007 and Sebring in March of 2008, a strong finish at Petit Le Mans will be the prime goal in mind to add to their endurance roll of honor. 

Celebrating its 10^th anniversary, the blue ribbon Petit Le Mans race not only features an increased car count due to its prestige, but also offers a bumper crop of points to regular American Le Mans Series competitors.  While Risi Competizione is not challenging for any championship titles, it is currently lying third in the GT2 Teams' standings and success in Georgia would also have a huge impact for Ferrari on the coveted Manufacturers' Championship. 

Amongst the line up for the #61 Ferrari F430 GT, which will be racing in the familiar Krohn green colors, is Belgian Eric van de Poele - the winner of the inaugural Petit Le Mans in 1998, in a Doyle Risi Ferrari 333SP.  His experience will add to the already considerable bank of knowledge that his team mates, Tracy W Krohn and Nic Jönsson, have as their Krohn Racing Grand Am team operates from Road Atlanta premises and the track is well known to them.

"I'm very happy to be back with the same team and with a Ferrari after winning the first edition of the Petit Le Mans," says Eric van de Poele, a five-time winner of the 24 Hours of Spa.  "It is not the same category, of course, but to reach the end of such a hard race is always a fantastic performance for all of the team. If there is a victory at the end, you cannot believe how much joy a driver can feel on the podium. So, yes, I am looking forward and I will do the best possible to achieve a good result that Risi Competizione deserves so much. We will not be the lead car, but we will try to assist them the most and if a problem should come to them, we are going to be right there too."

Tracy W Krohn, of Houston, Texas, is team owner/driver of the two-car Krohn Racing Daytona Prototype team in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series which recently finished 8^th overall in the 2008 standings.  "We're getting ready for Petit again this year. We had a very good result at Sebring, although not so good at Le Mans. Nic and Eric are very familiar with the track, as am I, which makes a pretty good combination.  With also having our Krohn Racing team right at Road Atlanta, we've got a lot of laps around that track and the Ferrari is a wonderful car to drive. I really enjoy driving it."  

Swedish born Nic Jönsson, who is now based in Buford, Ga., is eager to be back behind the wheel at his home track.  "It is obviously exciting to be back in the Ferrari for Petit Le Mans with Risi Competizione and Krohn Racing and driving with Tracy and Eric. It's always one of the biggest sports car races in the county, and in the world as it has a pre-qualifying status to the big race at Le Mans. We had a pretty good car last year, but had some bad luck although we were pretty quick. I think it's going to be difficult to run at speed, but we have to be smart and make sure we stay out of trouble and be consistent. We're not going to be quite as quick as the regulars are in ALMS because they drive those cars all day long, so it's going to be very difficult. We know the track real well and we'll have a very well-prepared car.  I live 20 minutes from the track, as well as my business being close. I'll have a lot of people coming out to Petit - friends, family; it's going to be an exciting event."

A recent Michelotto-run test session gave Jaime Melo an opportunity to experience the 2.54 mile, 12-turn Road Atlanta track in its 2008 form, and unofficial times would seem to indicate that the repaving of last spring has now had time to age and that lap times will be faster than 12 months ago for the 1000 mile race.

Reigning GT2 Driver Champions and recent winners at Mosport in the #62 Rosso red Ferrari 430, Jaime Melo and Mika Salo, have elected to contest the nine hour plus race on their own rather than have a third driving partner join with them. 

Mika Salo explains why:  "We did it just the two of us last year, after Johnny [Mowlem] hurt his wrist in warm up. It's going to be a hard race for sure and, depending on the weather, could be a very hard race, but Jaime and I know each other so well and the car so it's risky to have another driver.  We trust one another 100 percent.  There will be long stints and it will be tiring for both of us but we can do it of course.  It's a nice track, I like it, but it will be really difficult with the prototypes as they run at such a high speed.  There will also be lots of drivers in the prototypes who don't' know what they are doing - ones that aren't as experienced in the American Le Mans Series as others." 

"It's a lovely track," adds Jaime Melo.  "And one I like as it's fast with different types of corners.  I tested there with Michelotto recently and the track seems to be a lot quicker than last year - we shall have to see what happens when we actually race there.  There are a lot of cars in the prototype classes, and GT2 will be competitive as always, so it will be more important than ever to stay out of trouble and be there at the finish.  We have had a fast car there in the last two years but not managed to win Petit Le Mans yet.  Like Le Mans in June, that is one of our main goals for the season."

The 4-litre, V8-engined Ferrari 430 GT, built by Michelotto on behalf of Ferrari and race-prepared by Risi Competizione in their Houston premises, will be taking to the track for official testing for Petit Le Mans on Wednesday, October 1, with night practice on Thursday, 2^nd and qualifying on Friday, 3^rd.

The tenth round of the American Le Mans Series will be Petit Le Mans on Saturday, October 4 at Road Atlanta, Georgia.  The ten hour or 1000 mile race (whichever comes first) will start at 11:15 a.m. ET with SPEED televising the race live from 11:00am ET, coverage from 11:00am - 3:30pm and 6:30pm - 10:00pm ET.  International : MotorsTV - Live on Saturday, 4th October from 4:00pm-2:30am (UK); 5:00pm-3:30am CET3:00p.m. Live radio coverage will be available from American Le Mans Radio at americanlemans.com, which also will feature IMSA's Live Timing & Scoring.

For more information, please go to http://www.risicompetizione.com/ or http://www.americanlemans.com/.

There was no pot of gold for the Krohn team, despite the rainbow over the track, when a belt that links the alternator and water pump broke on the No. 75 Krohn Racing Pontiac Lola. Eric van de Poele led two laps and kept the car at the top of the chart for much of his double stint. He then turned it over to team owner/driver Tracy W. Krohn, who had to drive most of his first stint in the rain. Third driver Boris Said took over the wheel from Krohn, until the belt issue sidelined the team for a 45 minute repair. Krohn returned to the cockpit and posted a 12^th place class finish.

The No. 6 Michael Shank Racing Ford Riley of Ian James, John Pew and Raphael Matos won the finale. Chip Ganassi Racing clinched their third Grand-Am Prototype Team Championship and drivers Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas clinched the Driver's Championship.

Tracy W. Krohn, team owner/driver, No. 75 Krohn Racing Pontiac Lola:
"Eric and Boris did a great job putting the car in the Top 10. Unfortunately we had an alternator belt that broke and it took about 45 minutes to repair. For the last stint I got back in the car and it was just fine. I was doing laps and having fun. The car behaved very well. I was real pleased with the way the car performed in my last stint. Gosh, I wish we could start over again.

My stint in the rain was really odd because going into Turn 5, I could see the rain coming and I let off the accelerator and tapped the brakes and I the car just went into this sideways spin. I saw the cars in front of me. I got off in the gravel and I just locked it up and put both feet in. I managed to get the car stopped and got it started again while rolling around on slicks in the rain. It was really raining pretty hard. Finally I figured out that I could get more grip running with two tires on the gravel, so I did that for awhile. I was surprised they didn't allow us to come to the pits immediately. I don't know what the delay was and why they decided to have us stay out another lap when the cars were spinning all over the place. We all had to go slow enough to keep the car on the track."

Eric van de Poele, driver, No. 75 Krohn Racing Pontiac Lola:
"I was lucky to have the car in good condition at the start. Our strategy played very well for us because fortunately we had a yellow, as we expected. So we stopped on the same lap just before the GT cars. It was perfect. The car was pretty good all the way through during all my stints. Everything was perfect so I could catch a few cars. It is always nice when you see your position go higher and higher. Then Tracy got in the car next and I think we were in a very good position, in fifth place. Unfortunately the rain came very hard. I think everybody did their best and then we had a problem with the belt. Unfortunately we didn't get any luck today. It was fantastic the team fixed the car in quite a short time and we could get back on the track. Tracy could finish the race and we finished 12^th. We prefer to give them a better finish but we'll look forward to next year.

I was quite happy to see the Lola become more competitive. The pole was fantastic for the team who has worked so hard this year. It was the highlight of the weekend."

Boris Said, driver, No. 75 Krohn Racing Pontiac Lola:
"It's not every day you get to drive with a five-tie Spa 24 Hour champion (Eric van de Poele). It was fun for me. I've known Eric forever and this was the first time we've ever driven together. Eric did just an unbelievable job for his first 2 hours and 45 minutes. I got in during the rain and was a little nervous. I've only driven this car for 7 or 8 laps the other day. In the rain it was great though. I was actually sorry to see it dry out. I think we would have had a decent finish today. I was being a little conservative when I was on slicks just because I didn't have the experience on it. But the speed started to come. It was unfortunately that a five dollar belt broke but that's motor racing. Eric was fast and Tracy did a good job keeping it on the track when the rain came down. There wasn't a car out there that could keep up with the pace car. It was pretty torrential rain there for a bit. Crazy weather here but it's a great track."

Nic Jönsson, driver, No. 76 Krohn Racing Pontiac Lola:
"I'm pretty pleased with my stint. Unfortunately the rain started coming down in the middle of my stint and it was very dangerous. Grand-Am, in my opinion made a call that was very dangerous. They left everybody out there an extra lap on slicks which I think was dangerous because people slid off left and right and couldn't come into the pits. I was going 20 miles per hour and was hydroplaning on slicks. But we got going again and I think we moved up from third to first and then we decided to stay out two laps too long on the rain tires and we lost positions there. We also had a clutch problem and we didn't have a clutch for two stops, which also delayed us a little bit in pit lane. I think the car had the performance today to put us on the podium and least but it didn't work out that way. We have to get home and try to work hard for next year and hopefully come back and run for the championship next year."

Ricardo Zonta, driver, No. 76 Krohn Racing Pontiac Lola:
"I am disappointed with our results. We started from the pole and finished fifth. It is frustrating we did not win or have a podium finish because we had a very good car. I got a penalty early on and then we were late on changing tires back to slicks. I worked very hard to get the car back from tenth to fifth. It's is a frustrating finish for us."

David Brown, Team Manager, Krohn Racing and Race Engineer on No. 76 Pontiac Riley:
"We started on pole position and led the race but unfortunately, due to contact in the early part of the race we incurred a drive-thru penalty which put us back. But then through a bit of stealth and a bit of good fortune, we managed to get back up to the front when we pitted just before it went yellow. We were encouraged by that and regained our position by doing that. We were on the same tire life as everybody else, as well as the same fuel timing. Then when it rained, we came in at the same time as everybody else and drove around in the rain like the others. When it came to dry, we were late putting the slicks on and that lost us an enormous amount of time and put us down into 10^th position. Finally when there was a yellow, which was right at the window for the last pit stop, we took it, along with everybody else and did a driver change. Ricardo pushed as hard as he could and gain as many positions as he could and went from tenth to fifth. We're disappointed not to have finished first, however having been down as far as 12^th we did actually gain something."

Jeff Braun, Race Engineer, No. 75 Krohn Racing Pontiac Riley:
"We lost the belt on the front of the engine that links the alternator and water pump. We lost electrical power first and then we had high temperatures and had to stop. In order to fix it we had to drop the under wing and move the engine back from the back of the car to get a new belt on it. We weren't sure if the engine was damaged but it was fine and we got back out there. We thought we were done but the guys looked at it said let's work on it and see how long it's going to take. They got it done and quickly - in about 45 minutes - and we were back on track. We got a 12^th place out of it. On top of that, Tracy did his fastest lap of the weekend and got another whole stint. It was a great way to end the season. The guys did a fantastic job leading the race. It was rewarding that the pit strategy worked for us and got us in the lead. Eric did a super job on his double stint and was on pace with the leaders. It was great to get to show it and a reward for the guys for all the hard work all year."

Most Grand-Am competitors immediately head to Las Vegas for the annual Grand-Am Banquet on Monday night, September 22^nd. The next race for the Krohn drivers will be the Petit Le Mans race in the American Le Mans Series on Saturday, October 4^th. Tracy Krohn, Nic Jönsson and Eric van de Poele will compete in the Risi-Krohn Ferrari 430 GT. For more information, please see http://www.americanlemans.com/, http://www.risicompetizione.com.

The pole was a first in the Grand-Am Rolex Series for Zonta, of Curitiba, Brazil, who joined the Krohn Racing team at the start of 2008, after seven years of competition in Formula One. It was also the first pole position for the new Proto-Auto Lola, which debuted in Grand-Am in March of 2008. Zonta and Jönsson have two podium finishes this season, both third-place, at Mexico City and the Daytona Brumos 250. Their previous highest qualifying position this season was third at Barber Motorsports Park in July.

Ricardo Zonta, qualifying driver, No. 76 Krohn Racing Pontiac Lola:
"I'm very happy to get the pole, especially because it's the last race of the year. With all the good results and bad situations of this whole season, I think this pole position is the result of all the hard work from the team. The beginning of qualifying was very slippery because of the rain, a little bit of rain. On a few corners I had to use very heavy braking. Every lap was getting better and better. My last lap was perfect with no mistakes and the car was very good. I think we had a perfect car for that moment."

"The other cars are going to be strong on the straights in the race. We will have to hold them on the straights. I'm quite confident the balance of the car will be very good. I think we can keep nearly the same balance we had in qualifying for the race. We should be very strong."

"When I think about the Krohn team I feel like a family. I feel very close with the engineers, David Brown, Tracy, everybody. It's a very nice relationship. To be on the pole - I look at it one way as being very positive for us. Everyone has worked so hard - the whole team and all season. People saw many problems we had during the season and at the last race but this pole give us a breath. What is most important is that it (the car) is good for tomorrow, not only for qualifying, and because we are more happy now than before."

Tracy W. Krohn, team owner/driver, No. 75 Krohn Racing Pontiac Lola:
It was really one for the good guys today. After all the aggravation we've had in the past couple of weeks for W&T Offshore / WTI (Tracy's oil and gas exploration and production company based in Houston, Texas), regarding hurricanes and what not. We had a couple of platforms topple over and had people scattered out for a few days. I was dubious about even being able to get here this week because of all the stuff surrounding the hurricanes. But, like they've done in the past, everybody gathered it up and we're back to work. We don't have all the production back on line yet but we're getting there. To come out here and have Ricardo put it on the pole is fantastic. We've been knocking on the pole for several races and it was about time. It was really gratifying. He did a superlative job. Unfortunately my car (No. 75) didn't qualify today. We had an oil leak around the crank shaft, so we decided we needed to change the motor. We've got the field boxed in from the front to the back for tomorrow's race. That's the way we're going to start."

David Brown, Team Manager, Krohn Racing:
"The car has been visibly quick on the tighter tracks all year. Krohn Racing has worked hard and long with Proto-Auto, Lola and Pontiac support and engineering. It's satisfying to demonstrate the potential of the car and the lap time is only made possible by the many, many people who provide their expertise."

Krohn Racing's last pole position was at the April 2007 VIR 400 race in Alton, Virginia, by Krohn driver Colin Braun. Braun was also awarded the pole at Mexico City in March of 2007.

The Sunrichgourmet.com 1000K race from Tooele, Utah will be televised live on Saturday, September 20th, at 1:00 p.m. ET on SPEED TV. For more information, please see http://www.grand-am.com/ and http://www.krohnracing.net/.

The Grand-Am finale driver line-up is expected to feature Krohn Racing team owner/driver Tracy W. Krohn paired with veteran sports car driver Eric van de Poele in the No. 75 Krohn Racing Pontiac Lola. Due to extensive hurricane damage in the Houston area and the Gulf, Boris Said has been enlisted as a standby driver for Tracy Krohn. Krohn, a Houston native, also operates a major business based in Houston. Said is a former Krohn Racing winner who paired with Jörg Bergmeister in 2006 to win the Six Hours of the Glen. He has also driven with Krohn Racing at Miller Motorsports Park, Daytona and Sonoma between 2006 and 2007. The No. 76 Krohn Racing Pontiac Lola features drivers Nic Jönsson and Ricardo Zonta.

The Krohn Racing team continues to seek their first victory of the season, as they develop the exciting new Proto-Auto Lola.

Tracy W. Krohn, team owner/driver, No. 75 Krohn Racing Pontiac Lola:
Tell us about the circuit at Miller and what you like about it.
"The Miller Motorsports facility is exceptionally versatile and well laid out.  With 24 turns every four miles it is not easy for a driver because there are so many turns per lap."

We're going into the finale of the 2008 season at Miller. Two years ago you celebrated the GA Team championship and last year you celebrated the Jim Trueman Award there. This year was a developmental season for Krohn Racing with the new Proto-Auto Lola. Tell us about the progress the team has made this year.
"This has definitely been a developmental season for us with the new Proto-Auto Lola. Although you always want to come out of the box and win races immediately, you also have to be practical that there is a lot of data to acquire and build upon, plenty of adjustments to make and steady progress achieved. It doesn't happen overnight. We are pleased with the continued progress the team has made. Every race the car has gotten better. That's what you want when you are developing a new car. Sure, we wish we could have a couple of victories under our belt now but we have had a couple of podium finishes. This weekend is another race and another opportunity to be on the podium."                                                                                                                                              

Eric van de Poele, driver, No. 75 Krohn Racing Pontiac Lola:
This will be your first time racing at Miller Motorsports Park. What have you heard about it or seen?
"It looks like a very difficult track to learn. So, the concentration during the first free practice will be learning the track and determining the competitiveness of my driving. I like long tracks in general. I am also looking forward to add this one on my list."

You have nearly completed your first full year with Krohn Racing in the Grand-Am Series. How has it been for you? What have you enjoyed most?
"Of course, I had to learn the Grand-Am championship and the new car. So if the results are a little bit disappointing, I am very happy to see that we have progressed a lot during the year. I am hoping that the team will collect the fruits of this hard work for 2009. Next to this, I am very lucky to have been part of a fantastic team, both technically and so friendly in general. Of course the results are very important, but I give a priority to the atmosphere and the capability of the team you are working for. I have to say that the Krohn Racing team is an example and I am just sad that we'll reach already the end of the season. So, I cannot wait to be at Miller with my second family!"

Nic Jönsson, driver, No. 76 Krohn Racing Pontiac Lola:
Tell us about the circuit at Miller and what you like about it.
"The Miller track is probably the longest road course in the country, has many challenging corners with both high speed and low speed, along with hard braking zones. The wind and dust is always a challenge because the sand is blowing onto the track and changing the grip level from one lap to another. What I like about the track is the more technical part of it, where you really need to hit your marks right." 

Now that we are about to end the 2008 GA season, what did you enjoy most about this year?
"I have really enjoyed being a part of the development of the new Proto-Auto Lola that we have been running at Krohn this year. It has been very fun and exciting to be driving and working with such a talented driver as Ricardo Zonta and working with the very talented Engineering staff and crew at Krohn. Of course I have been enjoying the podium finishes we have had but also a little bitter taste in my mouth because we haven't won a race, yet still been in contention and in position to do so but we have had silly things like punctures, head gaskets, etc. break on us. That has been a little frustrating."

Ricardo Zonta, driver, No. 76 Krohn Racing Pontiac Lola:
This will be your first time racing at Miller Motorsports Park. What have you heard about it?
"I have not raced at Miller before and have heard it is a very long circuit with many turns. Nic has driven it before and we will share information. Also I have seen video. It does not look difficult."

You have nearly completed your first full year with Krohn Racing in the Grand-Am Series. How has it been for you? What have you enjoyed most?
"I have enjoyed racing with the Krohn team and Nic this year. It has been very good. I like the (Grand-Am) championship because you can have competitive races with many drivers. That has been fun. Also we have been developing the new Lola car and it has been good to see the car get better every race."

David Brown, Team Manager, Krohn Racing:
We're going into the finale of the 2008 season at Miller. This year was a developmental season for Krohn Racing with the new Proto-Auto Lola. Tell us about the progress the team has made and goals achieved this year.
"We took on the challenge with our eyes open. We knew we would have to work hard to achieve success but to a certain extent we are disappointed not to have achieved better results. Several times this year we have been in a really strong position but we have not capitalized on it. We have been fast in the races but to no avail. We have developed the performance and the reliability of the car in many areas but there have been some basic issues which we have been unable to improve on. We still have one more event left this year and as with all the previous events we will do all we can to overcome all obstacles to gain the results the team has worked so hard for all year. Whatever happens, we will have done our best in all areas and we will be that much stronger, knowledgeable and more motivated for the future. We have been like the duck crossing the pond, making progress while paddling furiously below the surface."

The Krohn Racing team, now in its third year of Grand-Am competition, is currently tied for 6th (No. 76) and 15th (No. 75) in the Daytona Prototype points chase after 13 of 14 races this season. Jönsson and Zonta have two podium finishes, a third-place at Mexico City and Daytona 250, a fourth-place finish in the season opening Rolex 24 At Daytona and two fifth place finishes. Krohn and van de Poele have four Top 10 finishes so far this year, including a seventh-place finish at the Rolex 24, eighth at New Jersey and 10^th at Mexico City and Montreal.

In 2007, the Krohn Racing team collected six podium finishes, three 2nd-places and three 3rd-place finishes, as well as two pole positions by former Krohn driver Colin Braun. Between the two cars, they had nine Top 5 finishes and 14 Top 10's. Krohn cars finished fourth (No. 75) and 13^th (No. 76) in the Daytona Prototype series championship standings. Tracy Krohn was awarded the Jim Trueman Award for Sportsman drivers. Additionally, Krohn, Jönsson and Braun finished second in the GT2 class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The Sunrichgourmet.com 1000K race from Tooele, Utah will be televised live on Saturday, September 20th, at 1:00 p.m. ET on SPEED TV. For more information, please see http://www.grand-am.com/.