TOOELE VALLEY — If you grip the steering wheel a little tighter and throttle the gas a little more when you are at a stoplight, then this weekend is for you as Miller Motorsports Park hosts the EnergySolutions Supercar Grand Prix of Utah Aug. 21-23.
Cars ranging from Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Bentleys, Aston Martins, Porsches and American muscle cars such as Mustangs and Camaros will race for the podium with the headline event being the Pirelli World Challenge Championships.
“If you love sports cars, you can’t help but love the Pirelli World Challenge,” said Brian Smith, general manager of Miller Motorsports Park, in a press release. “It is a great series, with all the world’s top manufacturers involved, and the racing is close and exciting. We’re looking forward to a great weekend.”
Breaking the stereotype of racing this weekend will be Lara Tallman, a mother of two, and 61-year-old Desiré Wilson, women in the sport and proven winners.
Tallman will be racing in the Perilli World Challenge in her Nissan 370Z with Wilson racing in the Pirelli GT3 Cup Trophy USA, a semi-pro event for Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars.
“I have always been into cars since a young age,” said Tallman. “My father built hot rods when I was a child, and my first car was a 1957 Chevy. This began my passion to race, and growing up I wasn’t aware that I could race or even that opportunities existed at any level for someone to begin a career in this sport.”
Conversely, Wilson began racing at age 5, beginning on the dirt in micro-midget cars in her native South Africa.
“Racing has been my life,” said Wilson. “To me, these cars are my babies. I name every car after Formula 1 race drivers. Alan (Wilson/husband) began racing Porsches here at Miller Motorsports Park three years ago. It's one of those difficult things that after you finish a career of professional racing, you don’t have the funds to race like you once were able to. Five years ago, we decided that we wanted to come to Miller Motorsports Park to play. This environment here at Miller Motorsports Park offers such a unique platform for any and all types of racers to learn, grow and increase their track knowledge. The racing community is a family, and you all learn and grow together as a family, making lifelong friendships along the way.”
Tallman echoed similar thoughts in regards to Miller Motorsports Park being a place of growth and development.
“I began racing in 2006 right around the time the race track here opened, so I would use Miller Motorsports Park as a training facility to work on my driving,” said Tallman. “Eventually there came a point where I moved to Utah to give my racing career the best chance at success. The experience I was able to gain from racing here at Miller Motorsports Park allowed me to be competing in the 2007 Rolex Race here at the track, a year after I got into racing. From there I became a top driver in my team and in 2010 the team needed an owner and a direction and I took over as owner as well as driver.”
Tallman also owns a car shop in Salt Lake City providing employment opportunities and experience for all types of racing support professions.
“When I first bought my car, you need support,” said Tallman. “I was lucky to come in contact with a gentleman who is still a part of this race team today. Team support, facility support and track support is vital to the success of a race team, and you can find that here at Miller Motorsports Park.”
“The professionals that can be utilized here at Miller are essential for me and my racing career, especially in my older age,” said Wilson. “It is like a little family here, and we are very fortunate that we can just show up to the race track, get in our car and drive.”
Racing begins Friday, with practice sessions for all classes starting at 8 a.m. as well as qualifying and Race 1 for the TC/TCA/TCB classes.
“I am really excited to drive this weekend,” said Tallman. “As an owner of the team, I don’t get to drive as much as I want or as much as I used to. Being in the car is the most exciting thing for me. I work hard at my craft so I can race my best. This weekend we are running the outer track, which is my personal favorite. To be at Miller this weekend, a home track for me, will be a thrill. The environment will be great and exciting for the entire family to come and join.”
Tickets for Saturday and Sunday are $20/day for adults or $30 for the entire weekend, with kids 12 and under admitted free of charge.
For event or facility information, call 435-277-RACE (7223) or visit the track’s website at www.MillerMotorsportsPark.com.
Email: tyler@cleanlinesgroup.com