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.
At the Kinetic Motorsports shop we have stayed busy prepping the BMW GS cars that are going to Laguna this weekend. In addition to getting the logistics planned for this weekend race, we are also having to plan for Lime Rock Park straight from Laguna. Having back to back races like this, especially going from one coast to another makes it very challenging moving crew around. Of course running different cars for each event also adds more of a logistical strategy to the mix. Luckily, we have well organized people at Kinetic so everything usually goes pretty smoothly but of course not without our fair share of hurdles.
This coming weekend, as I mentioned, we are off to Laguna Seca. This track holds special memories for me. This is where I got my start in the U.S. with my very first test in Indy Lights back in 1994. I was so financial strapped back then as a new driver, I had to sleep in my rental car under a tree up by the famous cork screw turn. Oh the memories! But besides that, I really enjoy this track because it brings a lot of challenges as a driver. There are really hard braking zones such as going into turn 1; as well as, very slow first gear corners in combination with low grip trying to come off the corners. The track also offers a great combination of high speed corners with a lot of elevation changes. This always makes it a challenge to ensure a good set up on the car. You almost always have to compromise on the set up to find a happy medium since there's such a big difference in the characteristics of the corners. So the challenge is to figure out where we would lose the least amount of time and try to set the car up as best possible. I really like the hard braking zone going into turn 1 since this offers a great passing opportunity with low grip. With all these factors going on at the same time, you really need to have the right strategy to execute a good, clean pass there. It's a fun track for sure and should provide lots of excitement!
This past weekend, I kept a close eye on "POLE DAY" from Indianapolis for several reasons. I raced in this series in the past and have a lot of friends there. But the biggest reason was to see how my brother was doing. As some of you may know, my brother, Matt is the Crew Chief on the #6 Penske IRL race car driven by Ryan Brisco...they did well, Penske qualified 1st and 2nd.
Another exciting thing was filming of a new Ashton Kutcher and Tom Selleck movie that took place in our subdivision. It was great to watch them shooting and having car chases. My son, Max couldn't keep his eyes off the action...I have to admit, it was pretty cool.
Well until next week keep well and be safe. See you at Laguna this weekend!
Your friend,
Nic
