Millville I: Andersen Racing race report

Andersen Racing's Krohn Finishes Second While Grenier and Vautier Are Fifth and Sixth In Star Mazda Action Sat. at NJMP

MILLVILLE, N.J., June 26 - With more than 100 guests of Fairfield, N.J.-based Andersen Interior Contracting and Corporate Woodworking cheering them on, three Andersen Racing drivers finished in the top six in Round 6 of the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear Saturday at New Jersey Motorsports Park's 2.17-mile, 14-turn Thunderbolt Raceway.

The race, part of the Mazda Motorsports Festival presented by VisitFlorida.com, was covered live on HDNet. A similar race Sunday at 3:05 p.m. will also be broadcast live on HDNet in programming that starts at 12:30 p.m. and concludes at 4 p.m.

Stavanger, Norway-native Anders Krohn of Houston started fourth, led one lap and finished second to Caio Lara to lead the way for the Andersen Racing team. He had a long list of supporters to thank, including his Palmetto, Fla.-based team, Andersen Interior Contracting, Corporate Woodworking and Allied Building Products Corp., and his personal sponsors, Trallfa Industries, Colosseum Dental and Norse Cutting & Abandonment. "The Viking" was so wound up he even thanked his dog and cat on the podium, but later admitted that he doesn't even have a dog and a cat.

Mikael Grenier, of Stoneham, Quebec, started sixth and finished fifth. The Andersen Racing driver ran in fourth place from lap four through lap 27 in the 45-minute/29-lap contest, but Conor Daly got around him two laps from the finish. Grenier's car is sponsored by Slow Cow relaxation drink, April Super Flow, NAPA Auto Parts, HS Telecom and Desharnais.

Tristan Vautier of Corenc, France was thinking about what could have been when he got back to the Andersen Racing transporter after the race. He started second but both he and Daly, the polesitter, received penalties for allegedly jumping the standing start. The first three laps were run under a full-course caution to pick up David Ostella's stranded car, and Daly and Vautier reported to the pits and served their penalties as the race went green again on lap four. That gave the lead to Lara, with Krohn second.

The race was only green for a second, however, as on the restart Patrick O'Neill went airborne on the frontstretch and Rusty Mitchell went off course in Turn 1 to bring out another yellow flag.

The green flag waved again on lap eight and that time it took, although Walt Bowlin spun on that lap too. Krohn passed Lara for the lead in Turn 1 to head the field on lap nine, but Lara got around him on lap 10 and went on to a 2.650-second victory.

Vautier spent the rest of the race regrouping from his penalty. He set the second-fastest lap of the race with his car, which is sponsored by Moulin T.P., Cecibon, Circuit du Laquis, Fontanel Promotion and Allied Building Products Corp., and he was back in the top 10 by lap 10. He got ninth on lap 11 and eighth on lap 13. He passed Chris Miller for seventh on lap 18 and then set his sights on Joao Horto, whom he passed on the final lap.

Nick Andries of Pinellas Park, Fla. started 13th and finished 12th in the Andersen Racing No. 81, which is sponsored by Julie Studer's book, "Indy 500: An American Icon;" Team Pelfrey and Andersen Racing's primary sponsor, Allied Building Products Corp. He had his hands full after his car's left-front suspension was damaged in an early tangle with O'Neill.

The fifth Andersen Racing driver in the race, Dom Bastien of West Palm Beach, Fla., started 22nd and finished 18th in a car that advertised Andersen RacePark.

Tomorrow's schedule shows Star Mazda qualifying from 9:05 a.m. to 9:50 a.m., with Sunday's 45-minute Star Mazda race following at 3:05 p.m. In addition to the live TV coverage on HDNet, live timing and scoring will be available on starmazda.com.

The five Andersen Racing Star Mazda drivers weren't the only people connected with the team who were racing at New Jersey Motorsports Park. Saturday morning many guests of Andersen Interior Contracting and Corporate Woodworking donned helmets and firesuits and tackled New Jersey Motorsports Park's F1 kart track. Afterwards they enjoyed hospitality suites and tents provided by the companies and then headed to spots around the Thunderbolt road course to enjoy the car races.

In addition to its corporate hospitality programs, Andersen Racing also helps selected charities when possible. This month it is supporting Give Kids the World's quest to win the Pepsi Refresh Project by running decals on the team's race cars to advertise the effort. The non-profit organization is asking everyone to log on to www.refresheverything.com/givekidstheworld and vote to "Refresh the Village." If Give Kids The World receives the most votes in June, Pepsi will give the organization a grant for $250,000. The funds will be used to refurbish the villas that children with life-threatening illnesses and their families stay in during their visits to Give Kids The World, which is located in Kissimmee, Fla. More information on the non-for-profit organization can be found at givekidstheworld.org.

For more information see andersenracingteam.com, andersenkarting.com, andersenracepark.com and usf2000.com.

Post-race quotes follow:

Anders Krohn: "I want to give a massive thank you to Andersen Racing and my main sponsors, Trallfa Industries, Colosseum Dental and Norse Cutting & Abandonment. A lot of people from Andersen Interior Contracting, Corporate Woodworking and Allied Building Products were here too, and it was a lot of fun to be on the podium for them.

"I took the lead in Turn 1 on that one restart, and then the second full-course yellow came out. I kept the lead for a lap, but then I could just see Caio reeling me in. He passed me on the frontstretch, and I just couldn't catch him after that because he was quicker than me.

"The balance of my car stayed the same throughout the race. I felt like we were driving on ice because the track got very slick, but that was the same for everybody."

Mikael Grenier: "My car developed a understeer, but I was fourth for a long time and I ended up fifth. We made a change to the car for the race that didn't work.

"On the last restart I was third and then Connor De Phillippi passed me in the chicane. But the understeer was the big problem. We'll go over the data and try to do better tomorrow."

Tristan Vautier: "We were much quicker than anybody on the track; Andersen Racing gave me a great race car. Conor was quick too, but the stop-and-go penalty just killed us. I had trouble getting around J.W. Roberts, or I would have been higher up.

"At the start the car moved a bit, but I didn't go over the line. The way we had the clutch set it just moved an inch, but they penalized us. Conor moved much more than me.

"I am very ready to have some better luck, but I still have to thank Andersen Racing for all their hard work and for giving me such a good race car, and my sponsors for allowing me to be here."

Nick Andries: "The beginning was crazy. A few guys got into each other and I got two positions there. Then on the restart I got run over by the 64 car in Turn 1, and it damaged my left-front suspension and just ruined the handling.

"We were up to seventh or eighth there under yellow after Conor and Tristan were penalized, but then after that first caution I had the problem with the 64 car, and after that my car was the toughest car I have ever driven. It was really hard to keep going, but we did and now we'll get to try again tomorrow."

Dom Bastien: "We had an engine failure yesterday, and I have to thank the Andersen Racing mechanics for putting a new engine in so I could race today.

"The race itself was very challenging.  I had a good restart, and a
positive day.  My thanks to the team though; their hard work has been the highlight
so far.  It was intense out there."

-source: andersen racing