Krohn Racing will return to FIA World Endurance Championship competition next month, with the Houston-based team confirming Tuesday an entry for the Six Hours of Circuit of The Americas.
Tracy Krohn will be joined by Nic Jonsson and Ben Collins behind the wheel of the lime green Ferrari F458 Italia, which makes its second consecutive FIA WEC start after a late entry into June’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, which featured the same driver lineup.
While having been a staple in the globe-trotting series in recent years, the team has since focused on a reduced schedule around the key endurance races this year, although COTA was high on the list of priorities, according to the team owner.
“Racing in the WEC event at COTA this season was something we’d been considering for a while and we’re glad we are able to do it,” Krohn said. “We enjoyed racing in the WEC in 2012 and 2013, and we jumped at the chance to compete within the series again, especially without having to leave our home state.
“We will have the opportunity to be competitive in the GTE-Am class, especially with Nic and Ben sharing the cockpit with me. We always like a good challenge and we’re happy to be able to run this event then turn around and get our Ferrari prepped for Petit Le Mans for just two weeks later.”
With a decision looming on its LMP2 plans for next year, the COTA round could be the second-to-last appearance for its tried-and-trusted Ferrari package.
While considerations were made to enter the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship race, which runs on the same day, the team opted for the FIA WEC round instead, which provides a more level playing ground with its GTE-Am entry.
“As a team, we discussed at length the pros and cons of entering the WEC race over the TUDOR race; primarily, it is down to the level of competitiveness we can perform relative to the opposition, as well as the increase in drive time for the drivers,” said team manager Gary Holland.
“This presents the team with some changes to the car specs, as we will be competing at Petit Le Mans just two weeks later, but overall the change to the WEC is a very positive one.”
Krohn, meanwhile, is looking forward to racing in front of his home crowd.
“Circuit of the Americas is such an amazing facility and the track configuration makes it really fun to drive,” he said. “It’s incredible that we have this circuit right in our back yard and to race again in the global series for the six-hour WEC event is really special for us.
“I’m thrilled about getting to put on a show for all of our local fans, family and friends, and the international flavor that this series attracts is second to none.”
Krohn joins Extreme Speed Motorsports (LMP2) and Corvette Racing (GTE-Pro) as one-off entries for COTA, which adds a distinct American flavor to this year’s race.