04/05/09
LOLA VICTORIOUS IN GRAND AM
Lola is celebrating its first win in the Grand Am series after Krohn Racing scored a convincing victory at New Jersey this weekend. The win continues a phenomenally successful start to the 2009 season for Lola products after notable successes in the ALMS and Le Mans Series already.
Nicolas Jonsson and Ricardo Zonta scored the comprehensive win in wet conditions on the 2.25-mile New Jersey track in their Krohn Racing entered Lola.
Swedish racer, Jonsson took the lead on lap 14, revelling in the perfect handling of the Lola before handing over to Ricardo Zonta who completed the impressive performance by overtaking many competitors on his way to the chequered flag. The Ford powered Lola eventually won by a massive 44 seconds.
Lola Group Chairman, Martin Birrane said of the victory: “The Lola Grand Am car showed speed and reliability in 2008 – being the car to beat on several occasions but finished the season without a win.
“Now that we have the first win, I fully expect to see more during the year and it would also be nice to see some more Lola Grand Am cars on the grid.
“My congratulations to the team and its drivers who did an excellent job in very difficult conditions.”
The Lola Daytona Prototype’s debut win is sure to increase the demand from potential teams to compete later this season and in 2010. Lola have available a series of powerplant installations for all major manufacturers in the series - Porsche, BMW, Ford, Lexus and Pontiac.