Krohn gets LMP2 Ligier for 2015, eyes USC and WEC programmes

Team owner Tracy Krohn, who has raced GTE class Ferraris since 2007, has announced that he has ordered a Ligier JSP2, which will be powered by a Judd/BMW V8, for a programme of events that has yet to be set in stone.

The only confirmed races for the Krohn Ligier-Judd/BMW are the Daytona and Sebring enduros at the start of next year's United SportsCar Championship, while an entry will also be made for the Le Mans 24 Hours.

Sixty-year-old Krohn will share the car with long-time driving partner Nic Jonsson and other drivers to be announced at a later date.

Krohn, who has previously raced Daytona Prototypes, said that he had decided to move up because "every driver wants to go faster".

The decision to go with the Ligier, which is built by OAK Racing sister company Onroak Automotive, follows a test in an HPD-engined version of the JSP2 at Magny-Cours in the summer.

"I have been talking to Jacques [Nicolet, Onroak's boss] since 2013. I'm taller than most drivers and one of the things that helped making the decision was the ergonomics of the car," said Krohn, who also sampled a Lotus-Judd/BMW T128 at the end of 2013.

Houston-based Krohn's programme is likely to encompass selected races in the USC and the World Endurance Championship.

"We haven't announced a series yet, because we don't know the schedules yet," said Krohn.

Krohn Racing is due to take delivery of its chassis in November, but Krohn and Jonsson will continue their test programme with Onroak aboard the HPD car at NOLA Motorsports Park in New Orleans at the end of this month.

OAK AIMS FOR FOUR CUSTOMER LIGIERS

Nicolet said he was "pleased and delighted" that Krohn had chosen to race the new Ligier, which made its debut at Le Mans in June.

He said that he hoped there would be a minimum of four JSP2s racing next year, including those fielded by Krohn and the TDS European Le Mans Series squad.

He explained that it was his aim for OAK to stop racing in P2 and leave the category to Onroak's customers.

"We want our cars in the hands of good customer teams," he said.

OAK still has ambitions to return to LMP1 with a car that has its roots in the Ligier.

The design of the car is complete, but OAK has yet to finalise an supply of engines or the budget to race it.