Positive Advancements Made on Ligier JS P2 for Rolex 24 RaceThe Krohn Racing Ligier-Judd team just completed three full days of testing at the Roar Before the 24, January 9-11, at Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Florida. Over fifty cars participated in the IMSA-sanctioned official test days in preparation for the Rolex 24 At Daytona, January 23-25, 2015.
Having participated in all eight available test sessions, including Saturday night practice and a final test session in the rain, Krohn Racing was pleased to complete their entire checklist. All four Rolex 24 drivers, Tracy W. Krohn, Nic Jonsson, Olivier Pla and Alex Brundle got their fair share of drive time in varying weather conditions.
The consensus from the engineers and drivers was that the test showed marked improvement with the Ligier-Judd and positive progress towards securing a reliable race-ready for the endurance classic race.
HAYDEN BURVILL, Krohn Racing, Engineer:
On the progress Krohn Racing made at the Roar test:
"The main reason to come to the Roar test, in addition to our previous Daytona test, is that we tested all four of our race drivers, which is an important part of preparing the team to be competitive and knowing the strengths of our driver line-up and how we're going to deploy them strategically during the race. We got through all of our program. The weather being rainy Sunday didn't really hurt. I was surprised how few of our competitors went out and used the opportunity to test in the rain. For us, we had already tested in both Estoril (Portugal) and in COTA (Circuit of the Americas) in rain so we're very comfortable with running in the rain. Now we're even more comfortable running in the rain at Daytona. We've got some ideas now of how we would play our strategy if it rained during the race. The general program we ran here was an ongoing part of the plan we had when we were here in December. What we learned here then pretty much dictated how we started here and now we've refined the set up a little more, adapted it to what we're going to have to race with and, of course, we've got a perspective of the competitiveness of the other cars that we're going to have to race against."
TRACY W. KROHN, Krohn Racing Team Owner/Driver:
On what the team learned during the Roar testing:
"We learned a lot about the car so it's really good we were here at the Roar this weekend. We had one fundamental matter on the suspension hook up that we changed. We managed to do some other very successful testing. I'm still not happy with traction control, but we'll get there. Clearly, it's getting better all the time. We've had some pretty interesting driving conditions, both at night along with driving Sunday in the rain. There's also a good amount of cars on the track. The car has always felt good and I'm very pleased with how comfortable everything feels and I'm also content with the test overall. There are some things we'll take away from this test and we'll come back to the race ready."
NIC JONSSON, Krohn Racing, Driver:
Overview of the testing:
"It's very good to be able to be here for the first time testing with the rest of the competition and to get a getting understanding of where we are. We obviously came here before Christmas and ran for three days. And now we are just going through all the systems and make sure we can get the car to run somewhat decent on the Continental tires. The tire is designed and built for the Daytona Prototype cars, which has completely different weight distribution and aerodynamics than we do. It's a little tricky to get this new Ligier to work on this specific tire, but we've been sorting through the processes With the technical help and engineering help from Onroak Automotive, along with the help from Alex and Olivier, we've started to get a handle on it. We're pretty pleased so far with the car compared to where we started. I think we need to keep working hard. All-in-all I think we had a couple of really productive days and we'll bring that back home with us to analyze the data for the race."
OLIVIER PLA, Krohn Racing, DriverOn the progress made individually and with the team at The Roar:
"For me specifically, the weekend has gone perfectly. As a team we have some very good people on the team who are very motivated. The atmosphere of the team, I love. It's just a matter of finding the right balance in the car. We have been working on it and making progress with learning the Continental tires and how they work with the car. Of course right now, we aren't up to the speed compared to the other P cars. We need to keep working on our side because it isn't going to be easy, but I believe the team is ready for the 24 Hours."
ALEX BRUNDLE, Krohn Racing, Driver:
On the test session and working with Krohn Racing:
"I think we've had a positive test. I've really liked working with the team. Everyone's been very calm and effective in their roles. Nic, Olivier and Tracy have all driven exceptionally well. There have been no mistakes from anyone on the engineering, mechanical, or on the driving side all weekend. I feel like we've made progress with the car and I think it's been a very enjoyable and productive test for us all."
GARY HOLLAND, Krohn Racing Team Manager:On the progress made during the Roar test weekend:
"We found it a bit difficult at times this week to find a good balance in the car. Krohn Racing engineering along with support from Onroak, have made some strides back to where we think we should be. You can see how powerful the DPs are and their performance is a step ahead of the P cars at the moment. We're hopeful that IMSA will evaluate all the data and move forward with the correct decisions before the Daytona 24. With that being said, we're pretty confident moving into the race that we've got the package and strong drivers to keep the car in one piece and take the car to the end. The key is to be consistent and we're well on the way to getting the package where we think we need it to be for the race."
The first round of the 2015 IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship will be the first event for Krohn Racing in P class with their new Ligier-Judd JS P2. The 53rd running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona, will be held January 23 - 25, 2015 at Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Florida.
