Krohn Racing Saddles Up for World Endurance Championship with Travel Logistics 18.04.2012: Krohn Racing competes with the No. 57 Ferrari F458 in the GTE-Am class of the World Endurance Championship

Krohn Racing competes with the No. 57 Ferrari F458 in the GTE-Am class of the World Endurance Championship, and has been actively organizing all travel logistics for the Team’s 2012 contest of the FIA WEC.




As one of only two American teams to contest the full 2012 WEC schedule, Krohn Racing’s first-class operation’s prerequisite was to make the task as efficient as possible. With over 329 years experience among 14 staff, not including the drivers, the Krohn Racing Team is one of the most knowledgeable teams in the WEC paddock.


Here are a few facts about the logistics of traveling the U.S.A. based to on the international WEC circuit:
 

Crew/People Facts:

•    Visas for American crew members are need for all WEC countries except European races and Sebring. Includes Brazil, Bahrain, Japan and China


•    Visas for crew from the EU only needed for Bahrain and China.


•    Team consists of the following: 3 drivers, 1 motorsport manager, 1 engineering manager, 1 media/communications rep, 1 team doctor, 1 chief mechanic, 3 car technicians, 1 transmission technician, 1 body technician, 1 electronics technician, 1 fabricator, 2 transport crew , 1 tire man, and 2 admin/hospitality reps for USA/EU events.


•    Food requirements: At track 3 meals/day for 21 people x $100/day; American/Europe – have catering company; Other races – WEC catering coordinated


•    Clothing: 5 crew shirts, 5 T-shirts, 3 trousers, sweatshirts, jackets, trainers, rain suits etc.


•    Hot pit wear: 2 sets full nomex underwear+balaclava+socks+shoes, firesuits and helmet goggles.


•    Over 200 garments for laundry after each race.


•    Flights out of Atlanta (ATL) via Delta to all races. New ATL International Terminal opens May 16.


During the WEC summer schedule break (mid-June to late August), Krohn Racing crew members will work on the 2013 Grand-Am Daytona Prototype and possibly participate in some Grand-Am races with the DP car, as well as use up vacation days.


WEC Transportation for Races:

•    The WEC put the transportation needs of the WEC out for tender and DHL was awarded the business

•    Allowance per team: Race car (double stacked in cargo 747 airplane); and 22 cu. meters/6,000 kilos

•    Team will ship additional 9 cu meters.

•    2012 FIA regulation limits team transporters to 19 meters EU max length in the paddock.  In 2011 ILMC series, Krohn took their US transporter (23 meters) to all European races with special EU road permits. For 2012, the FIA only allows larger transporters at Sebring and Le Mans.



Sea Freight:


•    Krohn Racing will use a 40’ sea freight container to transport racing materials from the U.S. to the Port of Felixstowe, England. The container will be delivered to a workshop near the Silverstone Circuit, which will be used as the freight transfer point for Krohn Racing from April-August (for the Spa, Le Mans and Silverstone races)


•    Sea freight departed Atlanta on March 30th. Arrived in Felixstowe, UK on April 16


•    Sea freight shipment includes the complete team pit and garage equipment and all spare parts.


•    Clothing for crew members are shipped in cylindrical drum bags that sit inside the race wheels for sea freight shipment. They hold helmet for over-the-wall crew, nomex, fireproof shoes and other team kit clothing. Additional clothes transported in laundry bags and clear totes. One day of team kit and rain jacket shell taken with each crew member via flight.


Air Freight:

•    The Ferrari race car flew to the UK on April 15 with two crates of tools and parts used to complete the service following Sebring

•    This shipment meets up with the sea freight at the freight transfer point near Silverstone, England



Travel from UK Shop to European Races:

•    Two transporters will be used and driven from Silverstone, UK to Spa, Le Mans and Silverstone circuits respectively.

•    One transporter will be used at the back of the garage. The second will unload all garage and pit materials at the front of the garage and be parked in away area parking at the circuit for the race weekend.

 

Travel to Fly Away Races:


•    All freight will be crated and road freighted to DHL in Frankfurt following the Silverstone race in August


•    DHL will deliver the air freight to each team at the pit assigned for them at the race circuit (Brazil, Bahrain, Japan, and China).


•    Teams will work out of the pit garages for these “fly away” races.


•    Allowance is the race car + freight of 22 cu. meters with maximum weight of 6,000 kilograms for each race event


•    Race car may have a battery, fire extinguisher and less than 20 liters of fuel on board during shipment


•    IATA (International Air Transport Association) regulations must be observed for all hazardous materials, including all liquids, pastes, glues and anything pressurized such as aerosols, batteries and fire extinguishers.




Race Week Schedules:


•    For the last four races of the year, the crew members are almost always on the road with a race every two weeks.


•    Team will load in on the Monday before race day. On arrival at the tracks they will unload, set up their pit and complete the car service in 2.5 days.


•    Then after the race they have 1.5 days to dismantle the pit, commence initial car service and load all equipment for DHL to collect.


•     Then the crew flies out with between 10 and 18 hours in the air and has only 3-4 nights at home before a similar flight to the next event.


•    When the Ferrari and team equipment left the USA in April it will not return to the USA until November.

Drivers for the No. 57 Krohn Racing Ferrari F458 are Houston, Texas-based owner/driver Tracy W. Krohn, Swede Nic Jönsson and Italian Michele Rugolo. Krohn Racing will compete next in Round 2 of the FIA World endurance Championship on May 5 at the Spa-Francorchamps Circuit in Spa, Belgium.



Barbara J. Burns, also photo