For more information:
Linda Mansfield, Restart Communications
E-mail: LindaKMansfield@cs.com
Cell: 317-201-0729
Andersen Racing's Krohn and Baker
Are in a Class of Their Own Saturday
In F2000 Season Opener at VIR
ALTON, Va., April 19 - After Andersen Racing's Jonny Baker beat his teammate,
Anders Krohn, in qualifying on Saturday morning, Krohn got the upper hand and
beat Baker in the F2000 Championship Series season-opening race Saturday
afternoon at VIRginia International Raceway.
Both got a great start but Krohn applied his brakes a split-second later than
Baker did going into Turn 1 on the first lap to get around Baker on the
outside. It turned out to be the winning move. Although Baker set the fastest lap
of the race with a 1:56.636 (100.929 miles per hour), Krohn had a 1.644-second
advantage over his teammate at the checkered flag.
Both are series rookies. Krohn, of Sandnes, Norway, carries the colors of
Trallfa Industries, Colosseum Dental, and Kruse Smith on his Hoosier-shod No. 9
Van Diemen. Baker, of Farnham Common, Buckinghamshire, England, touts the
team's sponsor, Allied Interior Products, on the sidepods of his No. 6 that was
built by the same car manufacturer. Andersen Racing is Van Diemen's factory
team in this series.
After Krohn passed Baker at the front of the field, trouble developed behind
the top pair in the form of a six-car accident in Turn 1 on that same first
lap to bring out a full-course yellow. The green waved again on lap three and
the rest of the 30-minute, 11-lap race went non-stop.
The three other Andersen Racing drivers in the race, Ricardo Vassmer, Doug
Prendeville and Scott Willard, made it through that tussle unscathed.
Prendeville, of Whippany, N.J., who started tenth, advanced to seventh with his Allied
Interior Products/Restart Communications No. 5. Vassmer, of Caracas,
Venezuela and Coral Springs, Fla., started eighth but was still ninth for the restart
with his PDVSA, Citgo, Zoom and Meridian No. 2.
Unfortunately Vassmer lost several spots on the restart due to another
driver's mistake, and he ended up 11th in the final rundown. Prendeville had an even
rougher trip, as the front wing of his No. 5 was crumpled after an
altercation in the esses on lap three. He persevered for three more laps before he
brought his car back onto pit road and parked it for the day.
Willard, of Weston, Conn., finished where he started, 20th. His BroadReach
Partners No. 14 was embroiled in several battles throughout the race, however.
The race started 35 minutes late due to other classes' sessions running
longer than planned. Although radar showed rain headed directly for the area, it
held off and the only sprinkles occurred while the champagne corks popped in
victory lane.
The F2000 schedule features seven doubleheader weekends, so its next race is
tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. Eastern time at VIR preceded by qualifying at 12:15 p.m.
Scattered showers are predicted once again.
The following two races will be held at Road Atlanta on Friday, May 9 and
Saturday, May 10.
Andersen Racing is the development team of Rahal Letterman Racing. The team's
Web sites are at andersenracingteam.com and andersenracepark.com. More
information on the series is available at eformulacarnews.com and f2000championshi
pseries.com.
Some post-race quotes follow:
Anders Krohn: "I didn't come here expecting to be so quickly on the pace.
The testing we did really helped, and the Andersen Racing crew is working flat
out.
"On the opening laps I was pushing really hard, and then I just tried to
maintain my lead. I'm really stoked!
"There's always more that you can do to improve though. We'll go over the
data and see where we can go faster. Tomorrow we'll have to push hard or even
harder.
"In the beginning the car was loose, but after a few laps it was pushing. I
liked that better than the rear end sliding around.
"At the start of the race I was pushing as hard as I could. I tried to brake
as late as I could, and I got by Jonny on the outside going into Turn 1.
"I'm really glad the rain held off. When we were going around behind the
safety car, I was looking at the clouds and hoping it wouldn't rain. Luckily it
held off. I'm really happy!"
Jonny Baker: "I thought I had a good start, but he got me on the start on t
he outside. It was a really good move. Anders was just a bit better on cold
tires than I was.
"I stiffened the bar once and that helped, but the gap was pretty much
started by that point. I was taking a couple of tenths out of him at the end, but
the gap was too big. I'll make a harder job for him tomorrow.
"I'm really happy with second for the points, but you know how it is; there's
one better spot. But the car is in one piece and there's another race
tomorrow. I think Anders and I were in a league of our own out there today, so it
should be a fun year."
Ricardo Vassmer: "The balance of the car was good. I had a good restart.
Then some driver in front of me slammed on the brakes on the straightaway and
it cost me a lot of positions. I just wanted points, and I finished. I didn't
have any contact with anyone."
Doug Prendeville: "I had a good start. The damage happened going into the
bottom of the esses the lap of the restart. I drove it for a few more laps, and
then I brought it in. I may have blown up the engine too; I don't know yet."
Race 1 Results (Saturday, 3:30 p.m.; 14 laps or 30 minutes):
1. Anders Krohn
2. Jonny Baker
11. Ricardo Vassmer
20. Scott Willard
DNF. Doug Prendeville
About Allied Building Products Corp.:
Allied Building Products Corp., headquartered in East Rutherford, N.J., is
one of the largest roofing and siding distributors in the United States. Founded
in 1950 with five employees and two trucks, today it is a $1.8 billion
building material distribution company with over 3,500 employees, more than 200
branches in 30 states, well over one million square feet of office and warehouse
space, and an inventory of approximately 85,000 products, from residential
roofing and siding to doors, windows, waterproofing, manufactured stone, interior
products and commercial roofing systems. For more information see
alliedbuilding.com.
About Andersen Racing:
Andersen Racing strives to provide the best and most comprehensive training
possible for future open-wheel superstars while giving its marketing partners
media exposure and hospitality opportunities at some of the most prestigious
events in North America. It provides a unique, three-step program utilizing
multiple entries in three different series: the F2000 Championship (webcast), Star
Mazda (televised on SPEED) and Firestone Indy Lights (televised on ESPN2).
In 2008 it will field multiple entries in 42 races in 19 states and provinces
at some of the best facilities on the continent, including the famed
Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Andersen Racing's principals, brother Dan and John Andersen, have extensive
experience in series administration as well as team management. They've worked
with many of today's top open-wheel stars, including several Indy 500 winners.
Andersen Racing is sponsored by Allied Building Products Corp. It is the
official development team of Rahal Letterman Racing, which competes in the IndyCar
Series and the American Le Mans Series. In addition, its F2000 team is also
the official factory team of Van Diemen. The team is headquartered at Andersen
RacePark, an 18-acre facility in Palmetto, Fla. that includes a 1-mile test
track. For more information see andersenracingteam.com and andersenracepark.com.