2-21-2006 - Krohn Racing switches to Ford

Krohn Unleashes First-Ever Ford Riley as Several Teams Prep at Homestead-Miami for March’s Double Dip

HOMESTEAD, Fla. (February 20, 2006) -- With Round 2 of the 2006 Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Special Reserve, March 2-4 at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City, less than two weeks away--followed by the Grand Prix of Miami, March 23-25--a handful of teams made their way to Homestead-Miami Speedway Monday in preparation for the pair of upcoming 250-mile events.

In last month's Rolex 24 At Daytona, the four Krohn Racing drivers--owner Tracy Krohn, Nic Jonsson, Jorg Bergmeister and Colin Braun--piloted the No. 75 Krohn Racing Pontiac Riley to an impressive fifth-place overall finish. Running a steady and nearly flawless 24-hour race, the team will undoubtedly head to Mexico with confidence.

But as Krohn and Jonsson prepare to share the No. 75 machine for the remainder of the season--and Bergmeister and Braun move into the sister No. 76 car--each machine will have a new look, as the team has switched from Pontiac engines to Ford power, making the first-ever Ford Riley pairing in the four-year history of the Daytona Prototype category.

"We definitely feel that the Ford Riley package gives us some good advantages," said Krohn. "We were losing some straight-line speed and losing some speed coming out of corners in the Pontiac, but already, we're seeing improvements."

The team won a pair of races with a Pontiac Riley combination a year ago. Krohn and Jonsson outlasted the rest of the field in the Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen, while Bergmeister teamed with Christian Fittipaldi for the stand-alone Daytona Prototype victory in Phoenix.

"We won two races last year," said Krohn, "but we also had three fires. This new combination helps us keep our good braking, while adding the pure speed we were lacking. In the Rolex 24, we weren't necessarily the fastest, but we were reliable. With shorter races, we think the Ford Riley will help us a lot."

Fittipaldi and his new team, Cheever Racing, were testing at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Monday, one day after team owner and co-driver Eddie Cheever completed a demonstration lap in the No. 39 Crown Royal Crawford at Daytona International Speedway just minutes before the start of the Daytona 500.

The last time Cheever was at the World Center of Racing, he and Fittipaldi teamed with Patrick Carpentier in the Rolex 24 At Daytona, and the trio led a total of 74 laps in the twice-around-the-clock classic, finishing 17th overall, 11th in the Daytona Prototype class.

Also turning laps at Homestead-Miami Speedway Monday was the No. 12 Lowe's Fernandez Racing Pontiac Riley. Team owner and co-driver Adrian Fernandez is preparing to make his Rolex Series debut in his native Mexico City next month, and joined Brazilian teammate Mario Haberfeld on track.

The new team had a disappointing Rolex 24, completing only 187 of the possible 734 laps, after contact with another machine left the No. 12 Pontiac unable to continue. Despite the setback, the Lowe's Fernandez team will certainly be one of the fan favorites to win at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in two weeks.

The final team testing at Homestead-Miami on the first day of the two-day test was the No. 97 Cyber Speed Racing Pontiac Riley. Co-drivers Skip Cummins and Tony Ave missed the Rolex Series opener at Daytona, but plan on taking to the 2.3-mile, 11-turn South Florida circuit for the Grand Prix of Miami in a month.