IMSA: Flying Lizard Motorsports and Krohn Racing partner for Rolex 24

Flying Lizard Motorsports and Krohn Racing have joined forces for competition in IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship's Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway. The Audi Sport customer racing team will run the No. 45 Audi R8 LMS, the same car that finished second in the 2014 running of the event (pictured).

Flying Lizard Motorsports has previously raced the 24 Hours of Daytona seven times, earning three podiums and two pole positions. In 2014, the team celebrated a win at the iconic event, but four hours after the podium celebrations, a penalty on a competitor's car was reversed, reinstating the competitors as the winners. In 2015, the team returned with a strong lineup, but a problem in the first hour took the car back to the garage for 30 minutes. Upon returning, the team showed a strong, error free run, again completing all 24 hours of racing.

Krohn Racing founder Tracy Krohn created Krohn Racing in 2005, and entered the team into international competition in GRAND-AM Road Racing, the American Le Mans Series, and FIA World Endurance Championship. Krohn Racing has celebrated three podium finishes at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2007, 2009 and 2012.

With both Flying Lizard Motorsports and Krohn Racing having individually celebrated wins at the 12 Hours of Sebring and Petit Le Mans, both are still determinedly seeking their first victory at the 24 Hours of Daytona.

The collaboration of the two championship winning teams will feature an all-star driver line up of Tracy Krohn, Nic Jonsson, and Audi Sport customer racing drivers Pierre Kaffer and Christopher Haase.

Since Tracys Krohn's first year acting as a team owner and driver, he has been a part of an endurance race winning effort. In 2005, Krohn and co-driver Nic Jonsson clinched the overall win at the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen, and in 2011, Krohn celebrated class wins at the 12 Hours of Sebring and Petit Le Mans.

The 2016 season will mark Nic Jonsson's 26th year racing professionally, and more impressively, his 12th full season with Tracy Krohn. With such consistency being a rare find in motorsports, the two teammates will strengthen the already robust driver line up. The Swedish driver's resume is extensive, including experience in IndyCar, Touring cars and NASCAR. With a Rolex 24 best finish of 4th place, Jonsson has a clear determination to finish on the top step next month.

With an extensive career in endurance racing, as well as histories with Krohn Racing and Audi, German racer Pierre Kaffer is a solid fit to the Rolex 24 lineup. As part of a joint effort between Krohn Racing and Risi Competizione, Kaffer was a part of the 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans winning effort, and also holds multiple wins at the 12 Hours of Sebring and Petit Le Mans.

Also a former competitor of Flying Lizard Motorsports, Audi Sport customer racing driver Christopher Haase joins the team after coming in 3rd in the 2015 GTD championship, driving the Audi R8 LMS. The German driver is a two time winner at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring, one time winner at Petit Le Mans, and most recently, came in 2nd at the 2015 12 Hours of Sepang.

Although other competitors in the WeatherTech GTD class will be running the new Audi R8 LMS, the Flying Lizard will continue to run the same Audi R8 LMS as before, but upgraded to the homologated GT3 spec. Adding more aerodynamic grip, the car will run a larger rear wing, bigger front splitter, bigger dive planes and a different diffuser. Unlike the previous years, the car will also be allowed to run with ABS and traction control. Running the same engine and transmission that it ran last year in IMSA's GTD class, this is also the same configuration the team ran this month at the 25 Hours of Thunderhill, where the team ran issue free and finished on the top step over 56 other cars.