Krohn Racing Daytona January test preview

Krohn Racing Kicks Off 2010 with Daytona Test

The Krohn Racing team is headed to Daytona International Speedway this week for the official Grand-Am Test Days in preparation for the Rolex 24 At Daytona endurance race. The 48th running of the twice-around-the-clock enduro will be held on January 30-31, 2010. One Krohn Racing Proto-Auto Lola is entered with a stellar driver line-up, including team owner/driver Tracy Krohn, Krohn Racing regular Nic Jonsson, former Formula One racer Ricardo Zonta and NASCAR Nationwide Series competitor Colin Braun, in the No. 75 Krohn Racing Ford Lola. The formidable team is once again spearheaded by Krohn Racing Team Manager David Brown.

TRACY W. KROHN, Team Owner/Driver No. 75 Krohn Racing Ford Lola:

Krohn Racing is returning to Daytona for the 2010 running of the Rolex 24 in January with one car and an impressive driver line-up including you, Nic Jonsson, Ricardo Zonta and Colin Braun. Please share your thoughts about how this line-up came together and why you selected these talented drivers.

"They are all drivers we have had on the team before so we knew everyone would make a good driving combination. For the 24-hour race you want talented drivers that can not only go fast but also know when and how to make compromises and how to save the car so it can last through all 24 hours, which is not an easy thing to accomplish. We would like to win this race and I think we have a driving combination capable of doing just that."

The Rolex 24 At Daytona is one of the most prestigious and renown sports car endurance races in the world and one in which you have raced several times before. What would it mean to you to finish on the podium or win at Daytona this year with your Krohn Racing team?

"Winning is always our goal. Everything has to come together for you to win a grueling endurance race like Daytona. You cannot ever sacrifice the car and must always stay patient. You also have to face surprises with the weather, crashes, and potential mechanical failures. Everything has to come together for us to win a race like this. We've been on the podium at Le Mans two times and we would love to do that at Daytona."

How difficult do you think the competition will be for the 2010 Rolex race?

"The competition gets more difficult and the bar gets raised every year. I don't think this year will be any different. All you have to do is run one race to fully understand and appreciate that."

What is your favorite part about the Rolex 24 race?

"My favorite part is both starting and finishing the race. The start is exhilarating. But finishing the race means you are there at the end after 24-hours of hard fought racing and nearly defying the odds of mechanical and human ability. Simply finishing a 24-hour race is such a sense of accomplishment and brings great joy."

NIC JONSSON, Driver, No. 75 Krohn Racing Ford Lola:

You will be co-driving with former teammate Ricardo, owner/driver Tracy, and also Colin Braun will join you in the cockpit. Please share your thoughts.

"Going into the 2010 season with Ricardo, Tracy and Colin as my teammates for the Daytona race makes me feel very good because we know each other really well. Ricardo and I have been running together for two years and we know each other well. Tracy and I have been together for over six years now as a co-driver and team owner. Colin was with us for two years. I think if you look at the combined skill and experience level between the four of us, we need to be viewed as one of the most experienced, most competitive and best combinations out there. I feel very good about the Rolex 24 and have huge hopes. The Krohn Racing crew has been prepping these cars for the last few years and does a flawless job. We have about two years of development on the Proto-Auto Lola now. I think that 2009 proved the car is as good as any car out there and we won two races and had an additional podium. The car is definitely capable of running out front. I think we have as good of a chance to stand on top of that podium when Daytona comes around as anyone else."

How difficult do you think the competition will be for the 2010 Rolex race?

"To be quite honest with you I haven't really seen what the entry list looks like. Knowing what the competition was like last year, I'm sure it's not going to be any less. Last year was probably one of the most competitive races in which I've ever raced, including go-karts, Indy cars, ALMS, whatever. It is because of the huge depth in engineering, car development, driver line-up and stuff like that which makes it so competitive. I believe that the competition is going to be extremely fierce. There are probably going to be 10-12 cars capable of winning the 24 Hours, not just by being smart and staying out of trouble, but by pure speed. I believe the No. 75 Krohn Proto-Auto Lola Ford will be one of those."

RICARDO ZONTA, Driver No. 75 Krohn Racing Ford Lola:

Krohn Racing is happy to welcome you back to Krohn Racing for the 2010 Rolex 24 At Daytona race. Please tell us your thoughts about being back with Krohn Racing for this event.

"Yes, I am happy to be back racing with Tracy and Nic. I look forward to driving with Colin and know he was part of the team the years before me. The Rolex 24 is a very important international endurance race so I like racing in this event very much."

Do you think your team can win the 2010 Rolex race?

"I think we are in quite a good position for the race because of things we learned the past two years. We have won races with the Proto-Auto Lola. At a 24-hour race it is more important for the reliability of the car than the high speed of the car. We also have good drivers with endurance racing experience."

COLIN BRAUN, Driver, No. 75 Krohn Racing Ford Lola:

Krohn Racing is happy to welcome you back to your former sports car racing team. How do you feel about joining Krohn Racing again?

"I'm definitely excited to come back and drive with Krohn. I really enjoyed working with (team manager) David Brown. Nic Jonsson and I have become pretty good friends. I had a really good time co-driving with Nic for the last half of the 2007 season. Nic's definitely a good guy to drive with and Tracy is a good guy to drive for so it should be a lot of fun. I miss a lot of the crew members that I got to know over the years I was driving with Krohn Racing. It will be a lot of fun to get back in the swing of things with those guys and work with everyone again."

The Rolex 24 At Daytona is one of the most prestigious and renown sports car endurance races in the world and one in which you have raced before. What are your thoughts about coming back to your sports car endurance racing roots and competing at Daytona?

"I love doing the 24-hour race and have been going there for many year with Ford engines. I think racing at Daytona really fits well with the stock car stuff I'm doing with Roush Fenway Racing. I love to go and drive race cars and this is a great opportunity to drive a car that I think has a good shot at winning the race."

What is your favorite part about the Rolex 24 race?

"I think the favorite part for me is the length of the race. I enjoy that it's a 24-hour race and I think it's neat for all the different aspects that have to go into it. I think it's cool to have three or four different drivers that are good drivers, but it's frustrating when they're not. You want your co-drivers to be guys you get along with well and trust. It's interesting to see how everybody works together and how everybody compromises on the set-up, not to mention from the crew standpoint. I think this race is more about the car, crew and being prepared and how well the engineer and data guy handle problems we may get into. I think it says a lot more about the team and how prepared they are than it does the drivers often times."

DAVID BROWN, Krohn Racing Team Manager and Engineer:

Krohn Racing is returning to Daytona for the 2010 running of the Rolex 24 in January with one car and a stellar driver line-up of Tracy Krohn, Nic Jonsson, Ricardo Zonta and Colin Braun. Please share your thoughts about how this line-up came together and why this selection of talented drivers was made.

"It's very important to have quality across the entire spectrum of the race operation, and of course, one of the key elements is in the cockpit. Nic and Ricardo have worked together throughout the 2008 and 2009 season and have proven to be a formidable combination. Tracy has worked with Nic and Ricardo before so there is an obvious connection there. Colin was one of our drivers in 2006 and 2007 so we are very happy to see him back in a Krohn Racing car for the Rolex 24 Hours. He was then, and has proven since, to be very fast and a mature 24-hour race driver. Overall we have a group of four drivers who are capable of guiding the car to the top of the podium in 2010."

How difficult do you think the competition will be for the 2010 Rolex race?

"There are several teams capable of winning the race, and the added endurance element only widens the potential field of competitors because it brings an element of uncertainty to the competition. We will have to be at the top of our game to win, but we are up for the challenge."

What is the most difficult part about the Rolex 24 race?

"There are so many elements to the race, and that is the challenge, to manage the human and engineering aspects, to tie them together so that when bad things happen, and they will, the team is ready and able to cope and recover in order to put the car back on the track and still win."

All four Krohn Racing drivers have been on the podium at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but have yet to take that step at the Rolex 24 At Daytona. Krohn, Jonsson and Braun finished second in the GT class at the 2007 24 Hours of Le Mans in France. Krohn and Jonsson were on the podium again in 2009 with a third-place finish, also in the GT class. Zonta was third in the LMP1 class at the 2008 running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The 48th Annual Rolex 24 At Daytona at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida will be televised live on SPEED on Saturday, January 30th at 3:00 p.m. ET and Sunday, January 31st at 7:00 a.m. ET. For more information, please see www.grand-am.com or www.krohnracing.net.

-source: krohn racing