Darren Turner joins Krohn Racing for Daytona24

ENDURANCE ACE TURNER AIMING FOR DAYTONA VICTORY

Having made a positive impact on both his team and the event itself earlier this year, Darren Turner will once again be a key part of the Krohn Racing driver line up for entry in the season-starting Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway on 24/25th January 2009.

The Englishman finished fourth on his debut in January 2008 at the notoriously challenging and steeply banked track at Daytona Beach, Florida, driving a Krohn Racing Daytona Prototype through rain and many hours of pitch darkness to take he and his team mates, Ricardo Zonta and Nic Jonsson, through to the team's best ever result at the event.

Krohn Racing, which is headquartered in Houston, Texas but based out of Braselton, Georgia, has chosen to return with an identical driver line-up for the 47th Annual Rolex 24 at Daytona. This will see team owner Tracy Krohn paired again with endurance sports car veteran Eric van de Poele in the No. 75 entry, along with fellow Briton Oliver Gavin. The No. 76 car will re-join team regular Nic Jonsson with former Formula One star Ricardo Zonta and two-times Le Mans 24 Hour-winning ace, Darren Turner.

Banbury, Oxfordshire-based Turner, 34, can think of no better way to start his year than by racing and the Daytona event is likely to be just the first of three 24-hour events he will enter in 2009. All the drivers will be heading for Daytona in early January to take part in an official test session which will give Darren and his team mates plenty of track time to familiarise themselves with their Proto-Auto Lola cars, powered for the first time by Roush-Yates prepared Ford engines.

"I absolutely loved my first experience of racing at Daytona at the beginning of this year," said Darren. "Everything about it, even the rain and the small problems we encountered. 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 against some serious competition 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. Nic, Ricardo and I all got on really well. We are about the same size so there weren't any major dramas about seats or fitting in the car and we were all able to perform at the level needed to keep in touch with the front of the field at all times. The team were extremely welcoming and a lot of fun to be around -- I felt at home very quickly."

Krohn Racing's Team Manager, David Brown, said: "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 and we are keeping 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."

-credit: dt/fm