Jeff Krosnoff Explained

Jeff Krosnoff
Birth Name:Jeffrey John Krosnoff
Birth Date:24 September 1964
Birth Place:Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States
Death Place:Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Death Cause:Racing accident
Years:1996
Total Champ Races:11
Years In Champ:1
Champ Car Team:Arciero-Wells
Best Champ Pos:35th - 1996
First Champ Race:1996 Marlboro Grand Prix of Miami (Homestead)
Last Champ Race:1996 Molson Indy Toronto (Exhibition Place)
Champ Wins:0
Champ Podiums:0
Champ Poles:0

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.

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 four 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] [2]

Career results

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results

YearClassNoTyresCarTeamCo-DriversLapsPos.Class
Pos.
1991C236Jaguar XJR-12
Jaguar 7.4L V12
TWR Suntec Jaguar David Leslie
Mauro Martini
183DNFDNF
1994LMP1
/C90
1Toyota 94C-V
Toyota R36V 3.6 L Turbo V8
SARD Company Ltd. Eddie Irvine
Mauro Martini
3432nd1st
1995GT127Toyota Supra LM
Toyota 3S-GTE 2.1L Turbo I4
SARD Co. Ltd. Marco Apicella
Mauro Martini
26414th8th

Japanese Top Formula Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

YearTeam1234567891011DCPts
1988Speed Star Wheel Racing TeamSUZFUJMINSUZSUGFUJSUZSUZ
NC0
1989Speed Star Wheel Racing TeamSUZFUJ
MIN
SUZ
SUG
FUJ
SUZ
SUZ
12th6
1990Suntec RacingSUZ
FUJ
MIN
SUZ
SUG
FUJ
FUJ
SUZ
FUJ
SUZ
7th13
1991Suntec RacingSUZ
AUT
FUJ
MIN
SUZ
SUG
FUJ
SUZ
FUJ
SUZ
FUJ
14th6
1992Speed Star Wheel Racing TeamSUZ
FUJ
MIN
SUZ
AUT
SUG
FUJ
FUJ
SUZ
FUJFUJNC0
1993Speed Star Wheel Racing TeamSUZ
FUJ
MIN
SUZ
AUT
SUG
FUJ
FUJ
SUZ
FUJ
SUZ
11th6
1994Giza Racing TeamSUZ
FUJ
MIN
16th1
Speed Star Wheel Racing TeamSUZSUGFUJSUZ
FUJ
FUJ
SUZ
1995Team 5ZigenSUZ
FUJ
MIN
SUZ
SUG
FUJ
TOK
FUJ
SUZ
NC0

All-Japan Sports Prototype Championship results

YearTeamCarClass1234567DCPts
1991TWR Suntec JaguarJaguar XJR-11C1FUJFUJ
FUJ
SUZ
SUG
FUJ
18th12
Jaguar XJR-14SUG
1992NismoNissan R92CPC1SUZ
FUJ
FUJ
SUGFUJ9th38
Nissan NP35CMIN
6th10

Complete JGTC results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

YearTeamCarClass123456DCPts
1994Toyota Team SARDToyota SupraGT1FUJSENFUJSUG
MIN
27th1
1995Toyota Team SARDToyota SupraGT1SUZ
FUJ
SEN
FUJ
SUG
MIN
8th32

American Open-Wheel racing results

(key)

CART

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2 deaths Mar Molson-Indy. July 15, 1996. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. C–5. 2013-08-02.
  2. https://web.archive.org/web/20200722092343/https://www.explace.on.ca/files/image/58dae023bda48/square/Molson-Indy.jpg Gary Avrin memorial
  3. Web site: Jeff Krosnoff – 1996 CART Results. Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. August 15, 2023.