Jeff Krosnoff
Jeffrey John Krosnoff (September 24, 1964 – July 14, 1996) was an American race car driver. A competitor in the CART PPG Indy Car World Series, he was killed in a racing accident during the 1996 Molson Indy Toronto.
| Jeff Krosnoff | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nationality | American | ||||||
| Born | Jeffrey John Krosnoff September 24, 1964 Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States | ||||||
| Died | July 14, 1996 (aged 31) Toronto, Ontario, Canada | ||||||
| Cause of death | Racing accident | ||||||
| Champ Car career | |||||||
| 11 races run over 1 year | |||||||
| Years active | 1996 | ||||||
| Team(s) | Arciero-Wells | ||||||
| Best finish | 35th - 1996 | ||||||
| First race | 1996 Marlboro Grand Prix of Miami (Homestead) | ||||||
| Last race | 1996 Molson Indy Toronto (Exhibition Place) | ||||||
| |||||||
Early life and career
Krosnoff was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, but grew up in La Cañada, California, where he attended Flintridge Preparatory School, a private high school. He then attended the University of California, San Diego for one year beginning in September 1982. Afterward, he transferred to UCLA, where he majored in Business. Throughout his college career, Krosnoff was focused on pursuing his dream of professional racecar driving.
Krosnoff competed in Japan in Formula 3000, where he was active from 1989 to 1995. Krosnoff also competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans several times, scoring 2nd in 1994. In the 1996 season, he made 11 starts in the CART Champ Car Series, driving a Reynard-Toyota for Arciero-Wells Racing.
Death
On July 14, 1996, with three laps to go in the Molson Indy Toronto at Exhibition Place, Krosnoff's car made wheel-to-wheel contact with the car of Stefan Johansson, sending it into the air, over a concrete barrier, and into the catch fencing lining the street course.[1] The fence did not stop the car enough to keep it from hitting a tree which was outside the fence, which turned the car into a light post which was located inside the fence.
The violence of the accident left the car broken in half and sent the cockpit section back across the track. Even though the paramedics were there almost immediately, Krosnoff was already dead after striking the tree and light post. A track official, Gary Avrin, was also killed in the accident when he was struck by the right front wheel of Krosnoff's then-airborne car.[1]
Career results
Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results
| Year | Class | No | Tyres | Car | Team | Co-Drivers | Laps | Pos. | Class Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | C2 | 36 | G | Jaguar XJR-12 Jaguar 7.4L V12 |
 TWR Suntec Jaguar |
David Leslie Mauro Martini |
183 | DNF | DNF |
| 1994 | LMP1 /C90 |
1 | D | Toyota 94C-V Toyota R36V 3.6 L Turbo V8 |
 SARD Company Ltd. |
Eddie Irvine Mauro Martini |
343 | 2nd | 1st |
| 1995 | GT1 | 27 | D | Toyota Supra LM Toyota 3S-GTE 2.1L Turbo I4 |
SARD Co. Ltd. |
Marco Apicella Mauro Martini |
264 | 14th | 8th |
American Open-Wheel racing results
(key)
References
- "2 deaths Mar Molson-Indy". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. July 15, 1996. pp. C–5. Retrieved 2013-08-02.
External links
- Jeff Krosnoff Scholarship Fund
- Jeff Krosnoff driver statistics at Racing-Reference