All of the Sport Is Represented at a Time to Remember Krosnoff

“The ancient legends of Norse mythology told of a special place within the heavens. It was known as Valhalla, the grand hall of Odin, wherein only the souls of men bravely fallen in battle were granted admittance. It was sanctuary for those men; men who lived their days upon this earth with uncommon honor, valor and courage and surrendered their lives in pursuit of the good fight. It was the resting place for the elite few known to us as heroes. And, to those of us who knew him, Roland Ratzenberger was every bit a hero.”

Those words were written by Jeff Krosnoff in the July 1, 1994, issue of Autosport of Japan in tribute to a fellow race car driver who was killed earlier that year in a Formula One race in Italy.

On Monday, the same words were used by Paul Page, the voice of Indy cars, in a tribute to Krosnoff, who died July 14 in an Indy car race in Toronto.

More than 1,500 family, friends and racing associates of the 31-year-old driver gathered beneath the oak trees of Descanso Gardens in Krosnoff’s home town of La Canada Flintridge in a moving late-afternoon memorial service.

Although Krosnoff drove little more than half a season in Indy cars--after six years racing in Japan--the gathering was spotted with fellow drivers. Among them were Jimmy Vasser, Hiro Matsushita, P.J. Jones, Richie Hearn, Mike and Robbie Groff, Greg Moore, Stefan Johansson, Juan Manuel Fangio II, Parker Johnstone, Johnny Unser and two racing friends who grew up with him in La Canada, Tom Kendall and Dave Kudrave.

“I have known Jeff for over 20 years, and when I think of him, the two things that come to mind are his indomitable will and his irrepressible spirit,” said Kendall, a champion Trans-Am driver and, like Krosnoff, a UCLA alumnus. “When we were very young, dreaming of becoming race car drivers, Jeff was a role model for me. I find it incomprehensible that in a moment or two he won’t come out from behind one of these trees and flash that crooked grin of his.”

Others attending included Indy car executives Andrew Craig of Championship Auto Racing Teams and Cary Agajanian of the Indy Racing League, and car owners Roger Penske, Dan Gurney, Chip Ganassi, Bruce McCaw and Frank Arciero and Cal Wells III, who owned the car Krosnoff drove.

“He was much more than a driver to me,” Kudrave said. “He was a good friend, a very dedicated person. The sad part is that things were going pretty well for him. When I saw him last week, he was saying how happy he was and how much he loved Cal and the team. His goal of driving an Indy car was achieved, but it was just starting to take off. We’ve just got to remember the good times.”

Arciero remembered him in a special way.

“Every time I would see Jeff in the morning at the race track, he would say to me, ‘Good morning, teacher,’ in Italian,” said Arciero. “It would mean a lot because I always enjoy when an American speaks to me in Italian. He was the nicest guy I have ever been associated with. He was gentle, honest, clean cut and on top of it all, a great driver.

“In my 40-plus years of being involved with motor sports, I have never had this happen. I feel like I have lost one of my own.”

Joining Page and Kendall on the podium were Johnstone, the Rev. Phil DeRea, former Indy 500 winner Danny Sullivan, boyhood friends Tony Principe and Phil Castiglia and Paul Pfanner, publisher of Racer and Sports Car magazines. Krosnoff, whose passions including music and writing, wrote periodic columns for Sports Car.

“Words alone fail to communicate the joy Jeff brought to me and those who were fortune enough to have shared his beautiful life,” Pfanner said. “Words also fail to resonate the pain that his passing brings to those who loved him. That I truly believe Jeff Krosnoff was the very best racing driver I have ever known is of less consequence now. What matters more today is that I truly believe he lives on in my heart . . . and hopefully yours.”

Krosnoff is survived by Tracy, his wife of four years; Jack and Jeanne, his parents, and Karen and Tonya, his sisters.

A memorial trust fund has been established by his family to handle donations in his honor: The Jeff Krosnoff Memorial Trust Fund, c/o Wells Fargo Bank, 2030 Main Street, Suite 900, Irvine, CA 92614, to the attention of Elliot Ichinose.

Arciero-Wells Racing will not field a car Sunday for the Marlboro 500 at Michigan International Speedway, but is expected to return Aug. 11 for the Miller 200 at Mid-Ohio. No driver has been selected.

Motor Racing Notes

MOTORCYCLES--The Speedway Sidecar nationals will be held Saturday night at Speedway USA in Victorville with 16 teams in action. Defending champions are the New Zealand pair of Dean Steele and Dwayne King. The sidecar event will close the speedway season in Victorville.

DRAG RACING--John Force, with eight victories in 11 events, has the National Hot Rod Assn. funny car championship virtually sewn up, but competition in the top fuel class has never been tighter. There have been eight winners, with only Blaine Johnson and Kenny Bernstein able to win twice. The series resumes this weekend at Sears Point Raceway in Sonoma, where Force has won four of the last six events.

STOCK CARS--The Coors Light series for Ventura Racing Assn. drivers resumes Saturday night at Ventura Raceway. . . . Also Saturday night: Street stocks, Calzona dwarf cars, IMCA modifieds and mini sprints at Perris Auto Speedway; Street stocks, American V8 modifieds and train races at Kern County Raceway in Rosamond; Legends, street and pony stocks at Cajon Speedway in El Cajon.

SPRINT CARS--Cory Kruseman, winner in three of the last four Sprint Car Racing Assn. races, heads the field for Saturday night’s SCRA main event at Santa Maria Speedway.