Krohn Racing will compete in the neighboring state of Alabama this weekend as the Georgia-based team heads to Birmingham for the Porsche 250 presented by Legacy Credit Union race, July 18-19, 2009. The 250-mile or two hour and 45 minute race is Round 8 of 12 of the Grand-Am Rolex Series races in 2009.

The pairing of Nic Jönsson and Ricardo Zonta in the No. 76 Krohn Racing Ford Lola will be the solo Krohn Racing entry this weekend. The previous race at Daytona on July 4^th brought out the second No. 75 Krohn Racing car of team owner/driver Tracy W. Krohn and Eric van de Poele. However this weekend Krohn is expected to attend the race but not drive.

QUOTES:
TRACY W. KROHN, Team Owner, Krohn Racing:
You drove at the last race in Daytona but will be sitting out the driving this weekend. Will that be difficult after a few successful events as a driver, including Le Mans, to be "just" the team owner and watch the race on TV instead of participating?
"I have always found it difficult to watch a race and not be participating.  Barber is a very fun track and a quirky patch of landscaping!  I hope to attend the race at Barber this weekend instead of just watching on TV!!"

Traditionally Barber is a good track for Krohn Racing (victory in 2006, 2^nd in 2007, Zonta led the race last year and had the fastest lap but suffered a blown tire and missed being on the podium). Why is the Barber circuit well-suited for Krohn Racing and its drivers?
"I believe we have a huge amount of talent in Nic Jönsson and Ricardo Zonta and I think we have a pretty good idea of what set up to use for this track.  We have tested here quite a bit in the past as it is not that far from our shop at Road Atlanta so I think we have a really good home court advantage here as well!"

What do you think will be the most challenging thing for the team at Barber?
"Probably the most challenging thing at Barber will be weather and more importantly, track temperatures.  We always seem to do a pretty good job of figuring out what we need to do to achieve balance in the car throughout. a stint!  Having said all that, I truly believe that we have an extremely talented driver lineup with Nic and Ricardo!!"

There is a smaller field of DP cars this weekend. How do you think that will affect the race?
"I am a bit surprised that we have a smaller field as usually this race is pretty well attended and the crowds continue to grow every year!  There will not be that much effect unless the GT car count is down significantly.  If that is the case then we will have a faster race with fewer yellows.  I expect the racing to be very close!"

NIC JONSSON, Driver, No. 76 Krohn Racing Ford Lola:
You and your regular teammate, Ricardo, are back together for Barber. Tell us about that.
"We mixed it up a little bit with Darren in the car with me at Daytona because Ricardo raced a stock car back in Brazil. Darren did a good job and is enjoyable and professional. It's always difficult for both him and the whole team to adapt at such a short event as Daytona. It will be easier to have Ricardo back in the car. Everything fits and we've been working together for the last two years so everyone is comfortable getting in and out of the car. From an overall picture, it will be second nature and you won't have to think so much about getting someone comfortable with the car. We can focus more on race set-up so I'm glad to have Ricardo back. We hope to have a little bit better run than last year with the puncture. We hope to have ‘Lady Luck' look over us a little bit more this year."

Traditionally Barber is a good track for Krohn Racing (victory in 2006, 2^nd in 2007, Zonta led the race last year and had the fastest lap but you suffered a blown tire and missed being on the podium). Why is the Barber circuit well-suited for Krohn Racing and its drivers?
"I'm not going to try to jinx anything here because we don't know with the new tires. We've seen tracks that we've been quick at before and we come back thinking we are going to be very good at and we were not that good at all.

The new tire we are running on this year has thrown us a curveball. I think otherwise, historically, Barber is a very technical track. We've always had technical drivers. The track requires some finesse and I think that's what we have in our driver like-up, along with a strong engineering department to get the car to suit that type of race track. When you come to these types of trace tracks, it's really about getting the handling on the car and make sure you maintain tires and brakes and stuff like that. I think Barber is pretty much just handling and that means having a car that keeps the tires underneath you the whole stint and not running out of brakes, and so forth."

Do you think the smaller DP field will affect the race at all?
"It's always nice to have a bigger car count but it's not going to change anything from the competition point of view. All the cars that are always at the races as contenders are going to be there this weekend. It will be as hard as always to finish. A few less DP cars might make the traffic a little lighter and easier with passing. Other than that, I don't think it will be any different than it has been all year. I don't think it matters if there are 25 cars or 8 cars on the grid. As a driver you look at the car ahead and the car behind and race based on that so it doesn't matter too much about the car count."

RICARDO ZONTA, Driver No. 76 Krohn Racing Ford Lola:
You missed the last race at Daytona because of the Brazilian stock car race. Tell us about the race and how your team finished.
"The race in Brazil was very complicated. We had a misfire all weekend, losing 13 km per hour on top speed. Because of that, I could not do much in the race so we did not have the results we wanted."

You had a good run at Barber last year...qualified on the second row and took the lead on the first lap...holding it through your entire stint. You also clocked the fastest lap of the race. Do you think you can repeat that performance this year?
"I'm very excited to race again with our Krohn team, especially at the Barber circuit. I like the track and I hope everything goes well for us there. We started out strong last year bur had a blown tire shortly after Nic got in the car. We had some damage inside the wheel well and lost three laps in the pits. We could never recover those positions."

What do you think will be the most challenging thing at Barber?
"The most difficult thing at Barber will be the front tire degradation. It is very hard on tires at Barber."

DAVID BROWN, Krohn Racing Team Manager and Engineer:
Traditionally Barber is a good track for Krohn Racing (victory in 2006, 2^nd in 2007, Zonta led the race last year and had the fastest lap but you suffered a blown tire and missed being on the podium). Why is the Barber circuit well-suited for Krohn Racing and its drivers? 
"The track layout puts the emphasis on downforce rather than drag and that helps us. We are familiar with the track and we have a pretty good idea of what it needs to make the car quick here. This has been true since the Riley days. The track rewards skillful, aggressive driving and we have, and have always had, very good drivers. Both Ricardo and Nic are familiar with the track so we should be able to get into fine tuning the car fairly early in the weekend."

What do you think will be the most challenging thing at Barber? 
"It's going to be hot! Daytona was just a warm-up. We have to keep the car, crew and drivers at optimum operating temperature. Each will require different countermeasures but all involve water. It's a short lap, with little chance for the crew or drivers to relax in the race. The car, while the loads are not all that high, experiences plenty of dynamic activity on the twisty and undulating track. It's a great place for a race."

Krohn Racing has been at the top of the Rolex Grand-Am charts recently and had some great success - a victory at New Jersey in May and a 2^nd place finish at Mid-Ohio in the last race. Has Krohn Racing turned the corner with the development of the new car? 
"We are developing and we still have areas of weakness in our package, which we are trying to improve. We have had some good races, but we've only won one. Our aim is to win races - all of them.  One of the delights of this series is the variety of challenges it throws at you. We have several areas of development and we must not forget that our competitors will be improving too. We just have to do it at a faster rate and more effectively."

There is a smaller field of DP cars this weekend. How do you think that will affect the race? 
"There may be less congestion and fewer yellow periods in the race, but overall we like to see a big healthy field in both DP and GT categories."   

Krohn Racing's success at the 2.3-mile, 16-turn Barber Motorsports Park has included a victory in 2006 with Jörg Bergmeister and Colin Braun; and a 2^nd place finish in 2007 with Braun and Jönsson. Additionally in 2007 Krohn and Max Papis finished in 9^th place. In 2008Zonta qualified third and took the lead on the first turn of the first lap and set the fastest lap of the race during his stint.

In 2009 so far, Krohn Racing has one victory (New Jersey), a 2^nd place finish at Mid-Ohio, a 9^th place finish at Watkins Glen and three DNF's in the No. 76 entry, along with one DNF in one race (Rolex 24) in the No. 75 Ford Lola. For the 2008 Grand-Am season, Krohn Racing recorded two podiums, six Top 5 and 13 Top 10 finishes. Additionally, Zonta claimed one pole position and one fastest lap record.

The Porsche 250 Grand-Am race will be televised live on Sunday, July 19^th at 3:00 p.m. ET on SPEED TV. For more information, please see http://www.grand-am.com.

Krohn Racing team owner/driver Tracy W. Krohn and teammate Eric van de Poele captured a Top 10 finish in their return to the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series on July 4^th at Daytona International Speedway. Krohn started from the 15^th position on the grid and got as high as seventh place before turning the car over to his Belgian teammate, van de Poele, who brought home the No. 75 Krohn Racing Ford Lola in the ninth position for the Brumos Porsche 250, a 70-lap, two hour and twenty minute race.

The No. 76 Krohn Racing Ford Lola of Nic Jönsson and substitute driver Darren Turner, who filled in for Ricardo Zonta, finished 16^th in class, 30^th overall. Zonta was competing this weekend in the Nextel Stock Car Championship series in his home country, Brazil. Turner qualified the car and started from the third row, in the sixth position. A footing error on Lap 6 sent Turner on an off-road excursion and caused damage to the Proto-Auto Lola, including replacement of the rear wing. After a lengthy pit stop for the No. 76 Krohn entry, Turner returned to the track five laps down. Jönsson got in on Lap 30 and drove until the last 10 minutes of the race. A heavy vibration caused the team to park the car just five laps from the checkered flag.

Hey Nic Jonsson here!

This was the first week in a long time I have not had a race on the schedule.  However, I did go to Kershaw in South Carolina to test a couple of days with some of our Kinetic Motorsports clients.  We were able to get valuable track time which gave us an opportunity to actually work on driver coaching.  We typically never have time to do this during a normal race weekend since there is no way the organizers could give each class the required track time for something like that.  It was not only a good coaching opportunity, it also turned out to be a very good cardio session with the heat we had during these 2 days.  The second day was up in the low 100’s and you could tell this was something our clients were not used to…at least not in Nomex under wear, fire suit and helmet!  It was rough however bottom line is that everyone had a good time and came away with a big smile on their faces.

Krohn Racing will return to Daytona International Speedway this week with a two-car team. Team owner/driver Tracy W. Krohn and teammate Eric van de Poele will again pair in the No. 75 Krohn Racing Ford Lola for in the Brumos Porsche 250 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series race.

The No. 76 Krohn Racing Ford Lola will feature team regular Nic Jönsson paired with Brit Darren Turner, who is subbing for Ricardo Zonta. Zonta will be racing in his homeland, Brazil, where he is in the championship hunt of the Nextel Stock Car Championship series. He is both a team owner and driver in the NASCAR-style series of V-8 stock cars. Turner has driven with the Krohn Racing team as the third driver, teamed with Jönsson and Zonta, in the Rolex 24 at Daytona the past two seasons. The popular Brumos Porsche 250 will be held on Saturday, July 4^th, at 2:00 p.m., just hours before the famous NASCAR 400-mile race, the Coke Zero 400 powered by Coca-Cola.

Hi, Nic Jonsson here again! Hope all of you have had a good week. I had a very interesting and busy week! After returning from Europe last week, I did all my "home duties"...mowing the lawn, watering the plants, do the laundry (not really)...I've been locked out of that room long time ago. Trying to catch up on things in the office and get all the Kinetic Motorsports BMW cars on the road for Mid-Ohio. All this went really smooth so now I just needed to get myself to Ohio for the race weekend. It was really hard to leave the family again after being gone for fifteen days straight and home for just one day but duty calls. Fortunately, I have a very supportive wife and son, not that he is old enough to understand yet, but I still have their support...I hope!

Arriving to a rainy Ohio with a weather forecast for more rain and thunderstorms was not what I had been hoping for. Not that I don't like driving in the rain but it makes it miserable for the fans and they really deserve good weather and close wheel-to-wheel racing. Fortunately, the weather improved and we just had some rain in the first practice and in warm up.

The No. 76 Krohn Racing Ford Lola of Nic Jönsson and Ricardo Zonta finished second in Saturday's EMCO Gears Classic race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. Krohn Racing's podium finish was their second in less than a week, after team owner/driver Tracy W. Krohn, Eric van de Poele and Jönsson captured a third place finish in the Risi-Krohn Ferrari 430 GT at last weekend's 24 Hours of Le Mans race in Le Mans, France.

Jönsson started the Proto-Auto Lola from the fifth position on the grid and climbed into the top three. He pitting on Lap 25 of the 111-lap race, to turn the wheel over to Zonta, who methodically worked his way up from the seventh position to give the team a second-place finish. Zonta gave eventual winner Scott Pruett a hard run for the final 40 laps. Pruett finished with just a 0.491 margin of victory over the former Formula One Brazilian hotshoe.

Nic Jönsson here again! After having been away in Europe for the past week on racing duties and competing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where we finished 3rd in the GT2 class, I'm very happy that my dad came to the race and hung out with me for the week. Unfortunately, he does not get to go to a lot of races every year since he and my mom still live in Sweden and work full time. In the past, when I was still racing in Europe, he never missed one of my races so it was great to have him around at Le Mans...especially with Father's Day coming up this weekend. Being a Father myself now, as much as I love my job and feel very fortunate to drive race cars for a living, I am very happy to be home with my family again, even if it's just for 32 hours. I am now off to the race in Mid-Ohio to race the Krohn Proto-Auto Lola and the Kinetic BMW GS cars again.

Coming off of an impressive podium finish in the GT-2 class at the historic 24 Hours of Le Mans race last weekend, their second in three years, the Krohn Racing team is excited to be headed back to the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series. This weekend's EMCO Gears Classic at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, on Saturday, June 20th, will be Round 6 of 11 and the fourth DP sprint race of the season.

The No. 76 Krohn Racing Ford Lola will again feature drivers Nic Jönsson and Ricardo Zonta in a single car effort by Krohn Racing this weekend. Team owner/driver Tracy W. Krohn and Eric van de Poele will return at Round 7 in Daytona for their second Grand-Am DP race of the 2009 season with the No. 75 Krohn Racing Ford Lola.

In today's 77^th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, won overall by Peugeot Sport, the Houston-based Risi Competizione team once again demonstrated its dominance in endurance GT racing by winning the GT2 class for the second year in succession with a two lap advantage over the second placed finisher, BMS Scuderia Italia.  This is the fourth endurance win for the team owned by privateer Giuseppe Risi, and comes after 2008 Le Mans, 2008 Petit Le Mans and 2009 Sebring 12 Hours.

The Ferrari 430 GT of Jaime Melo, Mika Salo and Pierre Kaffer was not only joined on the podium by its sister Ferrari which finished third - crewed by Krohn Racing's Tracy Krohn, Nic Jonsson and Eric van de Poele - but they led an astonishing Ferrari result which shows that nine of the ten Ferrari 430s entered in the race were classified in the top 11 places in class.  Only a Spyker intruded in an all-Ferrari top ten.

In today's 77^th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, won overall by Peugeot Sport, the Houston-based Risi Competizione team once again demonstrated their dominance in endurance GT racing by winning the GT2 class for the second year in succession.  This is the fourth endurance win for the team owned by privateer Giuseppe Risi, and comes after 2008 Le Mans, 2008 Petit Le Mans and 2009 Sebring 12 Hours.

The Ferrari 430 GT of Jaime Melo, Mika Salo and Pierre Kaffer was not only joined on the podium by its sister Ferrari which finished third - crewed by Krohn Racing's Tracy Krohn, Nic Jonsson and Eric van de Poele - but they led an astonishing Ferrari result which shows that nine of the ten Ferrari 430s entered in the race were classified in the top 11 places in class.  Only a Spyker intruded in an all-Ferrari top ten.

The #82 Ferrari of Melo, Salo and Kaffer had a faultless race, with no mechanical worries, and were able to profit from a well prepared car, consistent and reliable Michelin tires, a superb driver line up which had the experience and skill to outlast many of their competitors, and a team which didn't put a foot wrong throughout the entire 24 hours.

A full release and quotes will be issued later this evening from Le Mans.

Both Risi Competizione Ferrari F430 GT2 entries are running strongly at half distance, with the #82 continuing to hold a class lead claimed in the sixth hour of the race.

Jaime Melo, Pierre Kaffer and Mika Salo have all triple stinted, changing their Michelin tires at every second stop, and have run without any mechanical problems or worries.

Nic Jönsson and Eric van de Poele have completed triple stints and Tracy Krohn a double, and the drivers of the Krohn green car are all very happy with the progress of their race, lapping consistently and to their race pace, with only one unscheduled pit stop after a spin by the Belgian veteran.  

At quarter distance of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the #82 Risi Competizione Ferrari F430 GT of Jaime Melo, Mika Salo and Pierre Kaffer is holding a firm lead in the highly competitive GT2 class, while the Krohn Racing crewed #83 car has been running steadily within the top eight in class.

Neither of the Risi Competizione entries have experienced any mechanical problems, and all six drivers have cycled through the car.  They have only once been slightly delayed during a pit stop when both the cars in neighboring pits were also stopped and space was severely limited.

Winners of the GT2 category twelve months ago, Risi Competizione showed that they will  still be a force to be reckoned with in this weekend's 24 Hours of Le Mans with a perfect display of speed, reliability and consistency during today's qualifying session.

Jaime Melo set the fastest time of the ten Ferrari 430s which will be battling five Porsches, a Spyker and an Aston Martin for GT2 honors in the world's most famous endurance race.  His time of 4:04.056 was set under the hours of darkness in the third of the four hours of qualifying but was not enough to be able to match the Flying Lizard Motorsport Porsche of Jörg Bergmeister who claimed pole position.  Melo's Red number 82 will line up in third place in the category, while Nic Jönsson's time of 4:08.758 places him and his Krohn Racing colleagues in the distinctive Krohn Aviation-liveried number 83  on the sixth row of the GT2 grid.

Risi Competizione returns to France this week for its 2009 assault on the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans with just one simple, but momentous, challenge ahead; to repeat the dominant GT2 success achieved at La Sarthe twelve months ago.

The Houston, Texas-based team, linked again for Le Mans with its endurance partner, Krohn Racing, has retained many of the elements within the 2008 winning package including the race-proven and reliable Ferrari F430 GT Berlinetta, created by Ferrari SpA with final build by Michelotto. Add to that the extremely consistent and successful Michelin tire package, a largely-unchanged driver line-up, and a team which has now recorded GT2 class victories at the last three major endurance races - the 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans, 2008 Petit Le Mans and 2009 12 Hours of Sebring - and one would assume a quiet confidence in success.

Krohn Racing got a fast start to the Sahlen's Six Hours of the Glen weekend at Watkins Glen International, but the fifth event of the 2009 Rolex Sports Car Series season didn't deliver the results the team was hoping for after contact from a competitor derailed a likely top-five outing.

The weekend opened with promise, as the Ford-powered No. 76 Krohn Racing Proto-Auto Lola was quick on the opening practice day for round five of the season, setting the second fastest  time of the day. But as the conditions changed, the perfect set-up proved to be elusive as Ricardo Zonta qualified eighth for the endurance event.

Hi, Nic Jonsson here! I hope all of you have had a good week and enjoying nice weather. Here in Atlanta, we have had a beautiful summer weekend. There has not been any racing last week and that felt a little unusual. At Kinetic Motorsports, we have been getting geared up for the Watkins Glen, KONI Challenge race where we are running three -BMW E46's this weekend. We decided to get the E92 V8 BMW M3 sorted out before taking it to the Glen. It's always really hard when developing a new car during a race weekend and have very limited track time. It leaves you with no real time to adjust during the session. Since we have the E46's to run, we made the decision to focus on those cars for the next few events. In the meantime, we'll do testing away from a race weekend with the E92. The Kinetic team has been doing really well the last few race events and the entire team is excited about the Watkins Glen race.

The next round on the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series' schedule is the popular Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen race at Watkins Glen International raceway in historic Watkins Glen, New York on Saturday, June 6th.

The No. 76 Krohn Racing Ford Lola of Nic Jönsson and Ricardo Zonta are eager to capture another victory this season, as only one of three teams to notch a win in four races in 2009. Their victory at New Jersey Motorsports Park in May, coupled with a history of  two wins out of the last four (2005, 2006) Six Hours of The Glen races raised their hopes going into this weekend's event. The Krohn team is running a slightly revised livery this weekend, now sporting Krohn Aviation logos. Krohn Aviation is a subsidiary of Krohn Racing and is the management entity of a Falcon 2000 aircraft.

Hi Nic Jonsson here! 

This past week and weekend has been a nerve wracking one with a lot of racing going on but for me, it was just as a spectator in front of the TV.  This is the first time in many years I did not go to Lime Rock Park for the traditional Memorial Day weekend race there.  I've been participating there every year since 1999 in either the ALMS, SPEED World Challenge or KONI Challenge.  This year, I had to keep myself updated via internet and many phone calls to see how my Kinetic Motorsports team was doing in the GS race.  It's a real challenge being at home and not knowing first hand what's going on. After our 2^nd and 8^th place finishes in Laguna last weekend, our hopes were pretty high going into the Lime Rock event.  Everything started out really well for our team running in the top 3 during practice but unfortunately one of our drivers got sick before the race.  This meant the other driver had to do majority of the race and we did not have a driver change until close to end of the race.  You never want to change drivers at your last stop since this always takes longer and you lose a lot of track position but in this case we didn't have much choice.  Luckily, we made it with all cars finishing in one piece and with a top 10 finish. 

Hi Nic here again! 

Laguna Seca Raceway is one of those places that make you love racing if you have a good weekend.  On the other hand, if you don't have good race, it also makes you feel miserable.  This track is famous for its steep elevation changes, low grip and the single most famous corner, the "corkscrew".  This past weekend, this corner made my experience at Laguna miserable after I made a mistake upon entry in the corkscrew.   I came in slightly too deep and missed the apex about one hour into the race.  The corkscrew is unforgiving so there is no room for error...you miss this bad boy and you are well....screwed!  Unfortunately for me and the Krohn Racing team, this ended our race in Laguna because the impact broke the front splitter of the car as it landed very hard at the steepest point of the track.

We had struggled the entire week to really get any speed out of the car in comparison to our competitors and it didn't help matters that we were experiencing handling issues as well.  The race, for us, was more of a "hang on" and try to not make any mistakes.  After fighting the car in every corner, my mistake happened and this ended our race.  BUT, as they say, when life hands you a bunch of grapes...make wine!  (usually lemons/lemonade but with corkscrew ...thought the grape/wine approach a little more fitting, HA!)  So now it's time to put this behind us and look forward to Watkins Glen where we had a win a few years ago. 

On a little more positive note, my Kinetic Motorsports team had a very good weekend with 2^nd and 8^th place finishes in the KONI Challenge race Saturday afternoon. I did not race in KONI this weekend since we decided not bring the new BMW M3 V8 to Laguna.  Reason being, we did not have enough time to fix the suspension issue we have been fighting the last two races.  The good news is we have the fix, now we just need to make the parts and hopefully that will take care of the problem.   Our plan is to bring that car back into competition for the Watkins Glen race weekend in early June. 

The Kinetic team is heading next to Lime Rock for the next KONI race.  For the first time in many years, I will not be heading for Lime Rock.  Instead, I will be home during the Memorial Day weekend and watching my brother Matt's team, Penske, race the INDY 500 on Sunday (Matt is Crew Chief for the team).  Reason I will not be making Lime Rock is so I can recharge my batteries before leaving on a four-week stretch starting with the 6 hours of Watkins Glen race, then off to Paris for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, then back to the States for the Mid-Ohio race.  Whew!  It's going to be difficult not being at Lime Rock and very nerve racking for me to not be at the race with my team but I know the Kinetic crew and drivers will do a great job.

I've had several people come up to me the last few races saying they enjoy reading my blog.  I really appreciate that and to all the fans that continue to watch, attend races and support the series.  I had one fan come up to me this past weekend with pictures from back when I ran Indy cars that he wanted me to autograph.  I really admire race fans that travel to races year after year, come to the autograph sessions and visit us.  I just can't tell you how much fun it is to see all the kids and parents, fans asking questions about how the car is, etc. and just to have that interaction makes my experience as a driver all that more special as well...so thanks again!

Until next week, be safe and have a good one.

Your friend,
Nic

The Verizon Festival of Speed race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, CA did not bring the results the Krohn Racing team had desired. A victory in the Verizon Wireless 250 race at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Round 3 earlier this month, had brought high hopes for back-to-back victories for the popular green-and-blue liveried team. However, the No. 76 Krohn Racing Proto-Auto Ford had an off-track excursion on Lap 32 in today's Round 4 of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car series that ended their day.

Nic Jönsson, who started from the sixth position on the grid, was being hotly pursued by the No. 99 Gainsco Pontiac Riley, when he got a little wide passing a GT car and off in the dirt at the famous "corkscrew" section of the 2.238-mile, 11-turn Laguna Seca road course. The dip at the bottom got the best of the No.76 car's splitter and the lengthy repairs would take too much time to make staying in the race a worthy option.

Hi, Nic Jonsson here.  After our inaugural win with the Proto Auto Lola in New Jersey, I would like to reach out and say a big thank you to all of you that contacted me through emails, text messages, Facebook and phone calls I received.   It had been quite some time since we stood on top of the podium so it really means a lot to hear these encouraging words. It was a great feeling for me personally, but to deliver this win for the whole Krohn Racing team was extra special.  That crew has worked so hard to get this car competitive over the last year and a half and now it is finally paying off.

After finally getting a win under its belt at the Verizon Wireless 250 at New Jersey Motorsports Park on May 3rd, Krohn Racing is now ready to prove the team can do it again and in dry conditions. The Verizon Festival of Speed at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, CA on May 15-17, 2009, Round 5 of 13 in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series, is the perfect place to do so.

 The No. 76 Krohn Racing Ford Lola of Nic Jönsson and Ricardo Zonta collected the first victory with the new Proto-Auto Lola Ford in the rain at the New Jersey event. The last victory for the Krohn team was in 2006, although numerous podium finishes had been tallied since. Team owner/driver Tracy W. Krohn will be on-site this weekend to inspire his team to another victory.

QUOTES:
TRACY W. KROHN, Team Owner/Driver Krohn Racing:
You're planning on coming to Laguna this weekend to watch as a team owner for the first time. How do you feel about that?
"It's always nice to be out at Laguna. It's such a beautiful part of the world. It seems like I never get to enjoy it as a tourist. That's the good part. The bad part is that I'm not going to be able to drive. So that's not a good feeling. I have mixed emotions about it."   

You are just coming off the team's first victory since 2006 and first in the Proto-Auto Lola. Please share your thoughts on the satisfaction after that victory and looking forward for the rest of the year.

"I think there is more to it for the rest of the team. I've been anticipating a win for a long time. I think this is just the proof that we are capable of winning, albeit at a rainy, short track. So I'm interested to see how the car is going to perform for the rest of the year. I think we have some pretty good ideas. We'll just have to wait and see what happens."   

How difficult does the Grand-Am competition look this year?
"With every race you are seeing very competitive results from several different teams. We have not had anyone that has won two races so far this year. I think that's an indicator. Similarly, by the end of the year you're going to have a clear-cut victor. I don't think that it will necessarily be the team that has the most wins. It probably won't be."   

Now that you have had that first win with the Proto-Auto Lola, does that add more or less pressure going into the Laguna Seca race?
"It definitely takes the pressure off. Once you get one of them under your belt, then you feel good and get a little confidence going into the next one. Now you feel like you ought to win all the time.    I'm disappointed that I won't be driving but on the other hand, we have some very competent drivers and I'm looking forward to another win and tasting the spray of champagne with them."

NIC JONSSON, Driver, No. 76 Krohn Racing Ford Lola:
How do you like the challenge of the Laguna circuit?
"The Laguna circuit has always been a special place for me because it was the very first race track I saw in the United States. I came here in 1994 and drove an Indy Lights. It was the first time I ever tested or raced in the United States. That always brings back great memories.  Laguna Seca is one of the more challenging tracks in this country because of the elevation changes, the low grip, and it's quite narrow compared to a lto fo other race tracks. It's a challenge but I really enjoy it. I think it's a driver's track and it is challenging form a set-up standpoint. I believe the Proto-Auto Lola and the Krohn engineering staff will get a very good set-up on the car."   

You are just coming off your first DP win since 2005 and first for the team with the Proto-Auto Lola. Does that add on more pressure going into the Laguna Seca race?
"I don't really feel any pressure. We all know what we need to do. We have the same goals set for us every weekend and that, of course, is to go out and do as well as possible, with the ultimate goal to win. We do this for a living and we're hired to do a job. Our goal, like everybody else, is to win every weekend. I don't really feel more pressure. I almost feel less pressure because now we have that first win in the Proto-Auto Lola. Everyone has been talking about how long it's going to take before we can win a race; Are they ever going to win one; and this and that. I think we have proven that we can win. The car is reliable. If anything, the pressure is less. We just have to continue doing what we have been doing the last year and half and that is to keep our head straight and keep working hard. Hopefully some more wins will come along with that. We're very excited to get back in the groove again after our first win. The Krohn team is all excited to bring the Proto-Auto Lola back to Laguna Seca. We want to try to go get our first win in dry conditions."   

How difficult is the Grand-Am competition this year?
"I think it's probably the toughest the competition has been since the inaugural year. So I think the competition is probably as strong as it can be and probably the toughest sports car competition in the world. If you go to other series, you have maybe four or five cars at the most that can win. Here you actually have 10-12 cars that can win every weekend. I think it's an extremely competitive. That's the way it should be because when you race against that kind of competition and succeed, you know you've done something good."

RICARDO ZONTA, Driver No. 76 Krohn Racing Ford Lola:
The Laguna Seca circuit is one of the few American tracks you had competed ion prior to coming to Grand-Am with the Krohn racing team. You were there in 1988 in the FIA GT Mercedes and also did a lap record in an F1 car in 2006. Tell us your thoughts about the famous Laguna circuit.
"I won the FIA GT championship there in 1998. It is one of the best American circuits in my opinion. It has up and down elevations changes and medium speed corners. I enjoy driving at Laguna Seca."   

You are just coming off your first DP win and first for the team with the Proto-Auto Lola. Does that add on more pressure going into the Laguna Seca race?
"No, it does not add pressure. The win just renewed our motivation. But we want to win more races!" "We had some problems at the first two races this year. This made it a lot more difficult to fight for the championship. But we have a very good car and that gives us more chances than last year because we have been able to develop it over time."

DAVID BROWN, Krohn Racing Team Manager and Engineer:
You are just coming off the first victory for the Krohn Racing team with the Proto-Auto Lola. Does that add on more pressure going into the Laguna Seca race? "In fact it has just given the whole team a boost. We will go about our race business in the usual way. Our planning and preparation have been the same and we plan to execute the race weekend in the most efficient way possible - as always."    Now that you have a victory with the Proto-Auto Lola do you plan to curtail your development on the car or does that continue?
"Development never stops. It takes on different guises in response to competitive factors but we continue to search for performance both in the car and in the team. If we stop developing we will fall behind. It is a constant battle."  

How difficult is the Grand-Am competition this year? "
The competition is fierce and uncompromising. We recognize many good teams in the series, all of whom will take advantage of us if we do not respect their competitiveness by doing our best at all times and striving to improve in every area of our business. This is why we compete. Every race we stand before our peers and we are judged. It's the reason we do it."     

In 2008, Jönsson and Zonta teamed to a record two podiums, six Top 5 and nine Top 10 finishes. Additionally, Zonta claimed one pole position and one fastest lap record.

The Verizon Festival of Speed at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca will be televised live on May 17 at 4:00 p.m. ET. For more information, please see http://www.grand-am.com.

To start, the KONI race was a real challenge for us at Kinetic.  We ran 5 cars, all in GS.  We ran two new BMW E92 M3's and three of the E46 model.   Three of our cars qualified in the top 10 which was a great result for us! We also led several laps in the race with two different cars.  Unfortunately, I was penalized with a stop and go while being in the lead after the officials claimed I had jumped the start during a restart. With all the pit stops and all the strategy planning done in different ways, our final results were all under the top 20 in class.  We finished 7^th, 13^th and 15^th. Two cars suffered suspension failure but finished 16^th and 19^th. It's a real challenge to run five cars but all the crew did a fantastic job all week and we managed to survive with a big "Gold Star".

An interview with:
NIC JONSSON
RICARDO ZONTA
No. 76 Krohn Racing Ford Lola

THE MODERATOR:  Good afternoon, everyone.  Welcome to this week's NASCAR Grand-Am teleconference in advance of the May 17th, Verizon Festival of Speed at Mazda Raceway, Laguna Seca in Monterey, California.  Joining us today from Krohn Racing are Nic Jonsson and Ricardo Zonta, drivers of the No. 76 Krohn Racing Ford-Lola in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal.

Krohn Racing posted their first victory in the Proto-Auto Lola Ford today at the Verizon Wireless 250 at New Jersey Motorsports Park, in Millville, New Jersey. Round 3 on the 2009 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series schedule was a race filled with rain from start to finish. The treacherous conditions could not stop the No. 76 Krohn Racing Ford Lola of Nic Jönsson and Ricardo Zonta.

The No. 76 entry was clearly the dominant car on the wet 2.25 mile, 14-turn road course. Jönsson, originally from Sweden and now living in Buford, Georgia, took the lead on lap 14 until lap 35 when he turned the car over to Zonta. Coming out of the pit stop in sixth position, Zonta of Curicuba, Brazil, took his time to climb to the top of the leaderboard, capturing the top spot on lap 58. He masterfully pulled away from the struggling field to win with a 44.752 margin of victory in the 87 lap race.

QUOTES:
TRACY W. KROHN, Team Owner/Driver Krohn Racing:
"This is a real boost for Krohn Racing. The car's been good. It is certainly a team effort but it takes two really professional caliber drivers to win under these kinds of conditions. Nic and Ricardo did a fantastic job with the car today. The team has done a great job all year, especially today.

I don't know what the time was we had for driver change and fuel but I know it was really quick. I could tell from the television coverage. They got in and out really quick on the pit stop. Ricardo just ate it up. He was very patient with his moves. I don't think the car has a scratch on it. That's a testimony to real professionalism on a day like today. Normally in the rain you're going to get some kind of collateral damage at least. The car looks good. The team looks good. I appreciate everybody's effort. This is a really professional effort from everybody involved. My only regret is that I'm not there. Wish I could have been there racing today because I know the car is going to be good in the rain.

We dropped one car and I stepped out to focus on what I think is the best business opportunities I've ever seen in my lifetime. We needed a little bit of time to take advantage of that."

NIC JONSSON, Driver, No. 76 Krohn Racing Ford Lola:
"We qualified fourth and the guys got the car put together well. We had rain all day but we had a good car in the rain. I got a good start and got up to P3 in Turn 1. A yellow came out right away for a few laps. I took the lead about 15 minutes in to the race (on Lap 14) and stayed out front. There were some cautions periods and it got pretty treacherous out there. When the rain started coming down harder, it started developing puddles on the track.  It was a good move on Grand-Am's part for safety to throw the caution when it got so bad out there.

I was in the lead for 22 laps and able to open up a good gap when we went green again. We pitted about an hour and half into the race. Ricardo got in and he knew what he had to do to make up the laps we lost pitting. He got in there and started charging towards the front.  He took the lead from (Max) Angelelli about 45 minutes from the end and never looked back from there.  He finished with nearly a 45-second lead.

All victories are special. This is particularly special though because I know how much time and effort the team has spent. Ricardo and I have the easy job of driving the car. The guys back at the shop have had a lot of long days. The engineers have done a tremendous job to develop this car to get it to where it is today. Also thanks to Tracy for allowing us to do this. Obviously without his support we wouldn't have been able to do this. It feels very good to win this first one in the Proto-Auto Lola. I'm very emotional. I've been with Tracy for six years and we won the first one for team together in 2005. Now being able to take the first win in the Proto-Auto Lola and I'm still with the team is very emotional for me. I can't express how lucky I feel to be part of the Krohn Racing team. It's been a long time coming so it's very sweet to be on podium!"

RICARDO ZONTA, Driver No. 76 Krohn Racing Ford Lola:
"It was very heavy rain today. Sometimes, especially when following somebody, you couldn't see anything. The team did a perfect job.  The only problem we had was that we lost radio communications completely. I could not communicate with the team about race strategy, so I just kept driving.

I am very happy to have my first victory with the Krohn team and first Grand-Am victory. Now we have to keep it like this. It was perfect for the team, perfect for everybody!"

DAVID BROWN, Krohn Racing Team Manager and Engineer:
"It was very exciting race. Conditions were particularly arduous and treacherous today. We are obviously very happy to record our first victory with the Lola. It was also the team's first victory since July 2006, although we've had several podiums since.

I think it's a great tribute to the hard work of the team to field such a dominant car. It feels very good to have this result for all our efforts. I'd like to congratulate everyone on the team for their efforts, including the drivers who did a great job in treacherous conditions. We also had great support from the Roush engine shop.

We had green flag racing for the last 42 laps. That was about an hour of green flag racing, perfect for getting a fast car to the front. The Krohn car was obviously very fast and able to pull from sixth to the lead. It feels a lot better having ‘broken that duck' (cricket term referring to a score of zero). We are going out to repeat that success at all the following races this year.  It's a shame Tracy wasn't here to be able to witness our first victory after so long."

Krohn Racing's last victory was in July 2006 at Barber Motorsports Park with Colin Braun and Jörg Bergmeister, their third that season. The Krohn Racing team went on to capture the Grand-Am Rolex Daytona Prototype Driver's Championship that year. Nic Jönsson's last Grand-Am DP victory was in 2005, with team owner/driver Tracy W. Krohn, at the Six Hours of the Glen in Watkins Glen, NY, also under rainy conditions.

For this week, as much as I don't want to talk about our very disappointing weekend at VIR as a team (Krohn Racing), I still want to share my experience with you. Everything started out well with practice, where we had to do some tuning to the chassis as always. We had two practice sessions and felt we were in good shape going into qualifying. Unfortunately, during qualifying, one of the other cars spun in the middle of Turn 14a, so by the time I came around for my first (flyer) to set a time, I had to go off track to avoid contact with him. I pick up a lot of dirt on the tires and also grass on the radiator screens. I tried to continue for another lap but got the "hot engine" alarm and had to bring the car into pit so we could clean all the grass and dirt off the front of the car. I got back on track and could only manage a sixth place qualifying. That was a big disappointment for me; I really had high hopes, but maybe it should have been a sign of what was to come!

On with the story. Now we had to get our focus on the race and figure out our strategy of how to work our way to the front. Race day was very warm, 97 degrees Fahrenheit - hot - so I figured there would be issues with brake cooling and tires. I knew I had to take care of them from the beginning of the race. I got off to a good start and moved up to fourth place on the first lap. My tires were not even up to full operating temperature coming into the front straight away. The No. 61 car got a good run on me and made a nice, clean pass going into Turn 1. I was not going to fight him too hard this early on in the race so I decided to tuck in behind him.

Right after I got in-line with his gearbox, all of a sudden I felt a hard hit in the right rear of my car. The No. 58 car ran straight into my right rear tire, bent the rear toe link and broke the wheel. I had to come into the pits so we could try to repair it. After sitting in the pits for six laps working away on the issues, the team decided to park the car since we were not going to be able to score any good points and we didn't want to run the risk of incurring more damage to the car. In addition to putting a lot of miles on the engine, it just wasn't worth taking our chances going back out there.

I guess that is the way it goes sometimes; I don't like it but that's racing. The entire Krohn Racing team is comprised of very experienced guys and we all know that these things happen in our sport, unfortunately. So, the best thing we can do is put this past weekend behind us and look forward to the next race, which is this weekend at New Jersey Motorsports Park. We need come back stronger and better than ever. If you're ever looking for a way to build character, and don't know how to do it, start racing. You'll learn fast (sometimes not by choice) on how to bounce back and become a stronger person through some of the racing adversities.

The New Jersey weekend will be very exciting and a busy weekend for me. I'll be pulling double duty racing both the No. 76 Krohn Racing Ford powered ProtoAuto Lola, as well as the No. 79 Kinetic Motorsports/DempseyChallenge.org, BMW M3 E92 V8 in the KONI Sports Car Challenge. We are so excited at Kinetic Motorsports since this is the first time we will be running five cars in the same race: two BMW E 92's and three BMW E46's. We had a very strong run in New Jersey last year with our BMWs and hope to come back and have a great showing again this weekend.

On a personal note, my son Max seems to learn new things every day. I think that's great, however, there are some times I wish he would not learn so fast. When I came home from VIR this past Sunday, I was in the backyard cleaning and scrubbing my patio with my pressure washer. After using it, I put it down on the ground to scrub a part of the floor and Max snuck up behind me, grabbed the handle and somehow figured out how to push the release button and proceeded to spray, hitting me with the water in the middle of my back! Now, if you have ever been sprayed with one of those things, there is quite a bit of water pressure that comes out; not to mention I was soaking wet and was just plain surprised by the whole thing! But really, what can you do other than just laugh your head off. My wife certainly got a big kick out of it! I'll tell you, don't ever underestimate the thought process of these little guys/girls; they may look all cute and innocent but they'll get you! All in good fun of course!

Until next week...be safe and enjoy life!

Your friend,
Nic

Krohn Racing is going into the New Jersey race with a positive outlook for the Verizon Wireless 250 at New Jersey Motorsports Park, Round 3 on the 2009 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series schedule.

After suffering DNF (did not finish) results at the season opener at Daytona and last weekend at Virginia, the Krohn Racing team has a positive outlook that the results will be better at the two hour and 45 minute Millville, NJ race. The No. 76 Krohn Racing Ford Lola of Nic Jönsson and Ricardo Zonta will be seeking their first victory of the season. Team owner/driver Tracy W. Krohn and teammate Eric van de Poele will be watching and cheering on their team from off-site locations as the No. 75 Ford Lola is not currently scheduled to compete again during the 2009 season.

The Krohn Racing team came to the Bosch Engineering 250 race at VIRginia International Raceway determined to show their mettle in the 2009 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series championship. That was not meant to be when starting driver Nic Jönsson got hit from behind on the second lap. After discovering right rear suspension damage, the Krohn Racing team withdrew the No. 76 Krohn Racing Proto-Auto Lola Ford, as the time to make repairs left the car more than 10 laps down, too lengthy a time in a two hours and 45 minute sprint race.

Hey there, Nic Jonsson here!

This past week has been a very exciting week from many aspects.  I went to Houston and met with my team owner and co-driver of Krohn Racing, Tracy Krohn to do some go-karting.   We have two 125 shifters at the Houston Motorsports Ranch that we use as a tool for both conditioning ourselves and for training when it comes to brushing up on techniques that we use for the different race cars we drive.  Along with the seriousness of using this as a constructive racing tool, it's also just a blast to go out there and run bumper-to-bumper for a few hours.  However, we also get reminded about the many different muscles we never thought existed along with getting a bruised rib cage. I don't remember getting this bruised up back in the day when I was running karts fulltime...of course you know this has nothing to do with the fact that I am a little older!

Krohn Racing heads to VIRginia International Raceway this week for the Bosch Engineering 250 on April 25th, the second race of the 2009 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series season. The popular green-and-blue liveried team will only bring a single Krohn Racing Ford Lola, as team owner/driver Tracy W. Krohn, along with teammate Eric van de Poele, sit out the event due to business opportunities of Krohn's primary gas and oil business, W & T Offshore (WTI - NYSE).

The driver line-up in the No. 76 entry is the usual pairing of Nic Jönsson and former Formula One star Ricardo Zonta. Jönsson and Zonta teammed last season to a record of two podium, six Top 5 and nine Top 10 finishes. Additionally, Zonta claimed one pole position and one fastest lap record.