Swede, Nic Jönsson headed for Le Mans this week with Krohn Racing for the largest sports car event in the World. Jönsson shares driving duties with team owner Tracy Krohn and former Formula 1 driver, Eric Van de Poelle for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The drivers, teams and hundreds of thousands of spectators are gathering at Le Mans this week for the 76th running of the world's greatest sports car race. Jönsson, Krohn and young driver Colin Braun had a 2nd place podium finish in 2007 in the GT2 class. This year the flag will drop at 3:00 pm local time (8:00 am CT) on Saturday June 14 and 24 hours of high speed competitive racing will begin. Jönsson will be driving the Krohn sponsored Risi Competizione’s #83 Ferrari 430 GT racing among 54 entries on the 13.629 km (8.47 mile) circuit averaging 3,125 miles throughout the 24 hour period. Risi Competizione is a Houston-based racing team, wholly owned and directed by Giuseppe Risi, which has been very successful in sports car racing in both Europe and the United States.

With over 250,000 spectators, much of the track still utilises public roads creating a unique mixture of road surfaces, fast and slow corners and track conditions. The length of the circuit means that the weather can change dramatically and inconsistently, it can be dry on one part of the circuit and very wet at another. Add in the elements of racing through the night and the fastest cars reaching top speeds greater than 215 mph and it becomes clear what a challenge for both man and machine this event creates.

"I feel we have a good, comfortable race car for the 24 hours. Now we have to do what we do best and stay out of trouble and spend the minimum of time in the pits. If that happens, we have a very good chance of finishing well.”

The race has two divisions and four classes. The competition in the GT2 category is intense, with the race’s two most successful manufacturers being well represented – Ferrari and Porsche. The first track action started on Wednesday with practice and qualifying. Friday is a day without track time but the famous drivers’ parade takes place through Le Mans between 6.00 pm and 7.00 pm. Ten thousand people line the streets and the drivers are driven through the middle of them all on the back of vintage cars, signing photographs, autograph cards and enjoying the notoriety and adulation that comes with being a participant in this historic event.

The Le Mans race will be televised on SPEED Channel from 9 a.m. ET (3 p.m. local time) Saturday, June 14 to 9 a.m. ET Sunday, June 15 from the Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans, France. SPEED will televise the event live, and Radio Le Mans will have flag-to-flag coverage of the race.

Jönsson's next race is will be in Grand-Am Rolex Series' round 7 of 14 with the EMCO Gears Classic at Mid-Ohio in Lexington, Ohio on June 20-22. Visit Race Schedule to view Nic's busy 2008 schedule. For more information, please see www.grand-am.com  and www.krohnracing.net

For more information about Nic, email media@nicjonsson.com

Photos by Regis Lefebure: www.regislefebuephoto.com