Background
Krosnoff was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, but grew up in Louisiana Cañada, California, where he attended Flintridge Preparatory School, a private high school.
Krosnoff was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, but grew up in Louisiana 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.
A competitor in the CART Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company Industry Carolina World Series, he was killed in a racing accident during the 1996 Molson Industry Toronto. Afterward, he transferred to University of California, Los Angeles, 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 Carolina Series, driving a Reynard-Toyota for Arciero-Wells Racing.
On July 14, 1996 with 3 laps to go in the Molson Industry 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. 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 volunteer, Gary Avrin, was also killed in the accident when he was struck by the right front wheel of Krosnoff"s then-airborne car.