-
Home
-
Latest Headlines
-
- TV Shows
-
TV Schedule
-
SPEED Showcase
-
- NASCAR
-
Latest Headlines: NASCAR
-
-
Formula 1
- Auto Racing
- Moto Racing
-
Latest Headlines: Moto-Racing
-
- Cars
- Bikes
- Store
- Social
- Games
- Mobile
- Deals
- Videos
- Photos
- Home
- TV Shows
-
TV Schedule
-
SPEED Showcase
-
- NASCAR
- Formula 1
- Auto Racing
- Moto Racing
- Cars
- Bikes
- Store
- Social
- Mobile
- Deals
- Videos
- Photos
Le Mans / ALMS
IN THE COCKPIT: Nic Jönsson, Sao Paulo WEC
Unfortunately, the FIA WEC Six Hours of Sao Paulo did not turn out the way we had hoped for...
Nic Jonsson and Krohn Racing faced bad luck in Interlagos, with a first-lap accident ending in early retirement. (Photo: John Dagys)
We finally got the second half of the WEC season going this weekend at Interlagos in Sao Paulo, Brazil. This is a track I’ve seen Formula 1 race on TV since I was a little kid.
It was every little bit that I had imagined and thought as far as the track lay out, very challenging and technical. What you don’t see on TV is the very dramatic elevation changes in Turns 1 through 3 going downhill, a similar drop of to the famous corkscrew at Laguna Seca. There are a couple of more similar elevation changes going both up and down, a flat out fantastic driver track.
Unfortunately, the weekend did not turn out the way we had hoped for. We had a good start to the weekend with a first day of practice were we among the fastest cars. Considering that none of us three Krohn drivers had been to the track before I was very pleased being just a half-second off the fastest car driven by a very internationally experienced driver, who happened to have this track as his home circuit.
We had arranged for Tracy to compete in the GT3 Porsche Challenge Brasil since we are three drivers and have very limited track time in the WEC. We knew this would benefit both Tracy and our team since me and Michele could get a little more time in the Ferrari to try to get the car set-up in a good balanced way for the race.
Tracy really enjoyed the track time he got in both cars and you could tell that he picked up the pace and benefited hugely from driving both cars.
To put this a little bit in perspective that we forget a lot of times, Tracy among others, don’t drive race cars for a living. That’s their hobby when he’s not running a successful company full time. This makes it very impressive in my eyes that a CEO of a very successful company can come and compete on the weekends in the WEC on a global scale.
For myself and the rest of the pro guys we have done this for 10-15-20 plus years and have a great amount of seat time that we can rely on when it comes to learn new circuits and process data etc. So what Tracy does and how he’s able to compete in a world racing scene with many very impressive wins and results over the last 9-10 years we been racing together is tremendously impressive to me.
We qualified 2nd for the race with a very well balanced and consistent race car that we felt had the speed to run up front. Unfortunately, Michele got involved in a crash on the first lap of the race that he had no chance to avoid.
Two cars had spun about 100 feet past the apex in Turn 4 and Michele came in there with another four cars and one of those prototypes spun with another car checking up and made Michele without any chance but have front end contact.
It caused enough damage to the car that we could not repair it and carry on. This was a real shame since I really had looked forward to race at Interlagos and have a good shot to a podium. But that’s racing, as they say. I hope they will keep the Sao Paulo race on the schedule for next year and that I get to come back and run for a win then.
The Krohn guys did an awesome job, as always, prepping the car that ran great in practice and qualifying.
Next stop on the schedule is Bahrain in two weeks. We hope for better luck then and that we can get our first win of the year in the No. 57 Krohn Racing Ferrari 458.
Before that I’m heading to Las Vegas for the KIA annual dealer meeting where we’re going to have our KIA Kinetic racecars on display for the dealers and KIA executives. We have one race left in the championship and are very much in contention to defend our championship from last year in just the second year in racing ever for KIA, a great achievement.
Till next time…be careful take care of each other and have fun.
A former Swedish F3 and Group N Touring Car champion before moving to the U.S. in the late 1990s, Nic Jönsson has also competed in Indy Lights and NASCAR. He has most notably been a sports car racer with victories in the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup, the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series, the American Le Mans Series and the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, where he was crowned the ST class champion last season.
Jönsson stood on the podium at the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice with his friend and team owner Tracy Krohn. He is competing in the FIA WEC for the full 2012 season for Krohn Racing in a Ferrari F458, as well at the Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Series with a factory Kia Forte Koup.
For more information, visit: http://www.krohnracing.net.
It was every little bit that I had imagined and thought as far as the track lay out, very challenging and technical. What you don’t see on TV is the very dramatic elevation changes in Turns 1 through 3 going downhill, a similar drop of to the famous corkscrew at Laguna Seca. There are a couple of more similar elevation changes going both up and down, a flat out fantastic driver track.
Unfortunately, the weekend did not turn out the way we had hoped for. We had a good start to the weekend with a first day of practice were we among the fastest cars. Considering that none of us three Krohn drivers had been to the track before I was very pleased being just a half-second off the fastest car driven by a very internationally experienced driver, who happened to have this track as his home circuit.
We had arranged for Tracy to compete in the GT3 Porsche Challenge Brasil since we are three drivers and have very limited track time in the WEC. We knew this would benefit both Tracy and our team since me and Michele could get a little more time in the Ferrari to try to get the car set-up in a good balanced way for the race.
Tracy really enjoyed the track time he got in both cars and you could tell that he picked up the pace and benefited hugely from driving both cars.
To put this a little bit in perspective that we forget a lot of times, Tracy among others, don’t drive race cars for a living. That’s their hobby when he’s not running a successful company full time. This makes it very impressive in my eyes that a CEO of a very successful company can come and compete on the weekends in the WEC on a global scale.
For myself and the rest of the pro guys we have done this for 10-15-20 plus years and have a great amount of seat time that we can rely on when it comes to learn new circuits and process data etc. So what Tracy does and how he’s able to compete in a world racing scene with many very impressive wins and results over the last 9-10 years we been racing together is tremendously impressive to me.
We qualified 2nd for the race with a very well balanced and consistent race car that we felt had the speed to run up front. Unfortunately, Michele got involved in a crash on the first lap of the race that he had no chance to avoid.
Two cars had spun about 100 feet past the apex in Turn 4 and Michele came in there with another four cars and one of those prototypes spun with another car checking up and made Michele without any chance but have front end contact.
It caused enough damage to the car that we could not repair it and carry on. This was a real shame since I really had looked forward to race at Interlagos and have a good shot to a podium. But that’s racing, as they say. I hope they will keep the Sao Paulo race on the schedule for next year and that I get to come back and run for a win then.
The Krohn guys did an awesome job, as always, prepping the car that ran great in practice and qualifying.
Next stop on the schedule is Bahrain in two weeks. We hope for better luck then and that we can get our first win of the year in the No. 57 Krohn Racing Ferrari 458.
Before that I’m heading to Las Vegas for the KIA annual dealer meeting where we’re going to have our KIA Kinetic racecars on display for the dealers and KIA executives. We have one race left in the championship and are very much in contention to defend our championship from last year in just the second year in racing ever for KIA, a great achievement.
Till next time…be careful take care of each other and have fun.
A former Swedish F3 and Group N Touring Car champion before moving to the U.S. in the late 1990s, Nic Jönsson has also competed in Indy Lights and NASCAR. He has most notably been a sports car racer with victories in the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup, the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series, the American Le Mans Series and the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, where he was crowned the ST class champion last season.
Jönsson stood on the podium at the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice with his friend and team owner Tracy Krohn. He is competing in the FIA WEC for the full 2012 season for Krohn Racing in a Ferrari F458, as well at the Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Series with a factory Kia Forte Koup.
For more information, visit: http://www.krohnracing.net.
Monterey
LATEST HEADLINES: AUTO-RACING
-
INDYCAR: Inside IndyCar's New Speed, Safety And Technology Initiative…
INDYCAR's Derrick Walker takes Marshall Pruett through where the… -
PHOTOS: Indy 500 Carb Day 2013
Enjoy a selection of photos from Indy 500 Carb Day, including the… -
VIDEO: Amazing 4-Wide Finish To Indy Lights Freedom 100
Ireland's Peter Dempsey came from fourth at Turn 3 on the last lap… -
INDYCAR: Pagenaud Leads Indy 500 Carb Day Practice
After getting whooped in qualifying, Honda turns up the wick for… -
INDYCAR: Miller's Mailbag, 5.24
It's time for SPEED.com's weekly IndyCar Q&A with Robin Miller's… -
USAC: Honda To Sponsor National Midget Championship
Honda announced it would be the title sponsor for USAC’s National… -
GRAND-AM: Valiante Joins 8Star For Mid-Ohio
Daytona Prototype ace to sub for Stephane Sarrazin in next month's… - More News
