TOOELE — The Grand National West NASCAR Series set to run Saturday at the Miller Motorsports Park will be a new experience for most of the drivers.
Instead of making left-only turns, which is standard for most NASCAR races, this event will be a road race involving right turns, left turns, quick right-left turns and long straights, "so you could say we're a bunch of rookies at this track," said Brian Ickler, driver of the No. 16 NAPA car.
There are very few road races in any of the NASCAR series.
The West Series event will be Saturday at 6 p.m. There will be practice runs and qualifying times for the Pacific F2000 and Formula TR Pro Series races on Friday. The finals of the two events will be Saturday. Events on Friday are free.
The main event, however, will be the West Series race on Saturday, which is two steps down from the big leagues in auto racing. It will be a race and a track, said Eric Harden, driver of car No. 5, "that is very new to all us."
Most NASCAR races are held on oval tracks and drivers go fast and make a series of left turns. The track at the sports park is a snaking road race with lots of turns.
"It's going to be more difficult all the way around," said Ickler, 21. "It's going to be more difficult physically, that's certain. The cars are going to get hotter, as well as the brakes.
"The first 100 miles you're going to have to pace yourself and keep your head on straight, and have the patience for the final 50 miles."
Since this is a new race and the track is long — three miles — fuel consumption and tire changes will come into play, "and it will take a smart driver to know when and what to do," said Ickler.
The San Diego driver said he started racing when he was 13 in the off-road series and eventually worked his way into NASCAR racing. And, like all drivers, he said his goal is to make it to the top level of NASCAR racing — the Nextel Series. Drivers like Kevin Harvick and Ron Hornaday started their careers on the West Series.
Eric Harden, 25, from Anaheim, Calif., said he started off-road racing when he was 16 and drove his first race in the West Series in 2004.
He, too, feels this race is going to be a learning experience and a challenge.
"Your going to be shifting gears more often and making more turns, and with the heat and the long track it's going to be tough," he said.
"There are no real reference points to let you know when to shift and when to start braking. You're going to have to be on your toes and try and remember the track."
It will be even more challenging for Harden, who lost his lower right leg to cancer at the age of 12. He said he learned to keep the gas pedal to the floor with the prosthesis on his right leg and working the brake and clutch with his left.
Ickler is currently fifth in the points standing and Harden is seventh.
Gates will open early on Saturday. For information visit the Web site at www.millermotorsportspark.com.
Schedule
FRIDAY
8 a.m. — Porsche Invitational
8:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. — Test & Tune, practice and qualifying
4:15 p.m. — Pacific F2000 Championships
5 p.m. — Formula TR Pro Series
SATURDAY
8:30 a.m. to 2:40 p.m. — More Test & Tune, qualifying and practice.
3:45 — Pacific F2000 Championships
4:30 p.m. — Porsche Invitational
5:15 p.m. — Formula TR Pro Series
6:15 p.m. — NASCAR Grand National West final
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