Krohn Racing Team owner/driver, Tracy Krohn now calls Circuit of the Americas (COTA) his home track. As an oil and gas businessman based in Houston, it's a short 150-mile drive between Krohn's Houston office and the COTA circuit. Compared to his international racing ventures in recent years, the distance is nil in comparison to his recent racing forays to China, Japan and Bahrain, to name a few.

Once again Krohn will have his friend and steadfast co-driver, Swede Nic Jönsson, behind the wheel. The two previously combined at the 2013 Rolex 24 at Daytona in January in a rented Porsche GT3 where they finished 36th in class after a mechanical issue.

Following the Austin race, Krohn Racing will head back to the World Endurance Series (WEC) for the balance of the 2013 season in the Ferrari F458. The next race is the 6 Hours of Silverstone, April 14 in Silverstone, England.

QUOTES:

TRACY W. KROHN, Krohn Racing Team Owner/Driver, No. 76 Ford Krohn Racing Daytona Prototype:
The Krohn Racing team has been doing some testing -- with both the Daytona Prototype and the Ferrari F458. Tell us about how the tests have been going.
"It was great to be back in the Krohn Racing DP again. The Ferrari 458 is a magnificent car and the feeling in it is very similar in the slow turns, but the DP just has so much more down force in the higher speed turns it is very hard to make a comparison between the two cars. It's a bit like comparing a jet to an eagle!"

Krohn Racing is starting the season racing the venerable Daytona Prototype at the Austin Grand-Am race. What made you bring this car out for competition again and how competitive do you think you can be?
"The main reason we brought the car out of 'mothballs' was to be able to get the feel of a higher down force car again as we have been considering alternatives for 2014 and beyond."

Austin is not only a new circuit for you and Nic, but it's a home track for you as a native Texan. Share with us your thoughts of racing close to home and with hometown fans to cheer you on.
"It always feels good to be home. I am particularly fortunate in that I have spent much of my life in Texas and Louisiana, but Texas is home now, so being able to race at Austin is fantastic. It would be icing on the cake to do well in front of a home crowd."

Share with us a little about your racing plans for the rest of the season.
"We intend to do a full season in FIA WEC in the Ferrari 458. We are considering all of our options going forward and are considering a higher down force car for 2014 and beyond. We would like to do some more races with the Krohn Racing DP this season, but that will be a function of timing for me as it looks to be a very busy year for me."

NIC JONSSON, Driver, No. 76 Ford Krohn Racing Daytona Prototype:
What have you heard or seen about the Austin circuit and tell us what you are looking forward to there. How competitive do you think you will be?
"I am really looking forward to get the chance to race in Grand-Am and the new Austin track. I don't really know or have seen much about the track more than I saw from the F 1 race on TV last year. I spoke to a few drivers that told me the track is very suitable for high downforce and high speed cars such as formula and open wheel cars. It sure looks nice."

As far as the car being competitive, we have to wait and see when we get there. We have been doing a little testing to get the DP dusted off since we have not raced that car in sprint spec since 2010. Regardless, the car is always fun and exciting to drive and I can't wait until the first practice."

After Austin you head back on the international circuit with the Ferrari F458 in the WEC. Are you looking forward to returning to that series?
"I am really looking forward to get back to the WEC and the Krohn Racing Ferrari 458. I feel like we have some unfinished business in that series to take care of this year. We have been fast and competitive the last two years but not had the best of luck, so I really hope we have some luck with us this year and will be in contention all year to win races and the Championship. I am also happy to be entering my tenth year co-driving with my friend, Tracy Krohn."

DAVID BROWN, Krohn Racing Team Manager/Race Engineer:
The Krohn Racing team has been doing some testing -- with both the Daytona Prototype and the Ferrari F458. Tell us about what you have been working on and trying to accomplish with the early season testing.
"We have been running the Krohn Racing DP car for the first time in 13 months, in preparation for the Circuit of the Americas round of the Grand-Am Rolex Championship. The car performed well at NOLA Motorsports Park. We had a useful test and the car performed reliably. We tested the Ferrari F458 too. We carried out setup work and continued our development program in preparation for the 2013 WEC season."

Krohn Racing is starting the season racing the venerable Daytona Prototype at Austin. What made the Team bring this car out for competition again and how competitive do you think it can be? "It is our Team owners' local event, and we want to have a presence at the event. Certainly we think we will be able to field a strong car, as the higher downforce tracks have tended to suit our car's characteristics."

Austin looks to be a challenging circuit. What are your expectations and hopes for the team this weekend?
"We are determined to make a strong showing. We are going to the event with every intention of winning. We have tested with the car in the configuration in which we will run it at COTA and both Tracy and Nic really liked the balance of the car, so we are encouraged by its potential. We are renewing our long standing relationship with Roush Yates engines for this event so we know we have a strong engine package."

After Austin you head back on the international circuit with the Ferrari F458 in the WEC. Are you looking forward to returning to that series?
"We are really looking forward to the challenge of the WEC in 2013. It will be a tough year with a strong line-up of competitors throughout the season. We will again be fielding our Ferrari F458 with Michelin tires. We are delighted to be continuing both of these critical relationships. The car has updates for this season in line with the WEC regulations and we feel we will benefit from the experiences of last year too. We are delighted to be part of the growing WEC for a second season."

The Grand-Am of the Americas race will be broadcast on SPEED TV beginning at 5:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 2. Check www.grand-am.com for live timing and scoring.